The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-11


called ''the prevarication of the roads,; that
he has, on his return to New York. two
courses before him from which to Choose
and only two, and that his career and MS
public usefulness will greatly depend Oh
which of the two he selects.
Mr.. Conkling is in many respects re-
markable figure in our politics, and one' on
the whole, but little understood. he has
the reputation of being an extreme partisan
and he has certainly been a strict party man,
as were Clay and Webster, Jefferson and Cal
houn, and, in fact, most Of our great public
men before him, but we doubt if any man
in the Senate, on either side, has oftener OPP
posed his party than he. His enemies assert
that he is the incarnation of machine poll
tics, but those who have watched him closely
have an impression that he is by no means
skilful OF adroit politician, but rather
the reverse Even those who most vehe-
mently dislike him confess that he is
power in the Senate; and yet his friends
sometimes reproach him that he does not
use his strength that he seems to lose in
terest in the game before it is played
out and it was the remark Of one
by no means unfriendly to him. and
who freely acknowledged his various
elements of strength in the Senate and in
the politics of New York. that ''Senator
Conkling is a kind of political Hamlet
But discussion Of his qualities is of little
use The plain fact, which his friends must
see as clearly as his opponents, is that he
will have to decide without overmuch delay
whether he will ut this time content himself
with the part Of party man merely,
follower of eminent rank to be sure, but yet
u follower OF whether he will choose the
higher place OF q leader, let who will follow.
to rule his party in this State for party pur-
poses, or whether he will strike out policy
for the country and summon those who
think with him to follow and support him!
In our belief there is no middle ground be-
tween these two courses, and we need not say
that rs we believe both the old parties sub
stantially dead, and see the party leaders, as
Mr.. Adams pictured those of 1848, anxious
only to hold the positions they have won,
and indisposed to hazard them by taking
up new questions we would like to see
Mr. Conkling strike out in new path and
take the position which his ambition and
his abilities both point out-of real
leader Of the country.
The old issues, over which parties have
fought tor thirty years, are dead. The great
battle Of the sections is fought out. There
is no longer South the negros rights
are SO safe that even in the recent Missis-
sippi Democratic Convention there were
colored delegates, and colored man was
voted Tor for State Office. New questions
are coming up, as Mr.. Lamar wisely told
his people, questions Of tariff, trade,
commerce, currency and transportation,
and on these it is inevitable that
the present parties will make shipwreck.
Will Mr.. Conkling choose, as Mr.. Blaine
has just chosen, to continue mere party
struggle on the old issues? Will he attempt,
like Mr.. Blaine, to push back the new ques-
tons; to still longer array republican
against democrat by empty denunoiations
Of political opponents, and by recalling
prejudices which for the interest OF the
country should be suffered to die? Or will
he act the part of q statesman and make
himself one of the leaders, perhaps the
leader in the new political issues?
II we say that this question is chiefly inn
portant to him we do not mean thereby to
undervalue his ability to serve the country.
We mean only that if he declines the lead
er's place there will be others to take it.
The country's necessities are too press
ing to wait. The general and long
continued depression of all our in
dustries causes suffering not much
longer to be endured. The patience of
the people is wearing out; they demand
remedies for the evils which afflict them,
people will not tolerate that the next Con-
gress shall waste its session in party
squabbles they will not patiently suffer
on and see office-seekers quarreling
with the President over tidewaiterships,
aud demagogues endeavoring to fan
anew the dying embers of sectional
suspicion and discord. They have right
to demand that Congress shall pay attention
to the condition OF the country, and shall
endeavor to provide effective remedies for
it, and there never was a time when they
were SO much inclined to make their de-
mapds heard. Whether Mr. Conkling or
any other public man wishes it or not, there
fore, it is inevitable that the new questions
will come up for discussion and decision.
Why should not public man of ability
welcome them? Why should not Mr.. Conk-
ling, for instance. rejoice and breathe treer
at the thought that real questions, real
policies, demanding knowledge and states
at last loom up9 What If the old
parties are going to pieces-is there not
abundant material for the construction Of
new ones? Is 1t not clear that the old
parties are effete, useless to the country, tho
tools of demagogues mainly, and deserving