The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-29
THE REPUBLTCAN CONTENTION
Aner the Battle survey Of the Field.

ROCHESTER,, Sept 2s.-The conflict in the
Republican Convention on Wednesday having
| died away, 1t may be we'll to 20 over the battlc-
| field and pick up u few hasty notes that were
scattered during the din and excitement of the
encounter. A complete list OF the killed. the
wounded and tho missing would be longer
| than THE SUN can find room 10 publish
| Specimens Of each class must suffice. Among
the most conspicuous Of the killed are Ruthcr-
ford b. Hayes. late Governor Of Ohio. and Carl
Schurz, the reputcd author Of modern civil SER
vice reform. Among the MORALLY wounded arc
William NJ. Evarts and George William Curtis.
The missing would Of themselves make quito
n little army. Among tho most prominent are
William A. Wheeler and Reuben L. Fenton. 1t
was at one time reported that Edwin d. Morgan
was either slain. or wounded. or captured. But
It s now believed that he was not In the fight at
all.
Tho battle Of Wednesday was fought for tho
purpose Of deciding whether Mr.. Conking or
Mr.. Evarts should be regarded hereafter rs
| occupying the foremost place In the Repub-
| lican party of New York; whether Mr.. Conklng
| should be sustained in his well known hostility
| TO the cardinal policy Of the Hayes Administra-
ton or be rebukcd and put down; whether Mr..
Conkling should continue to lead the party in
this great State, or be compelled to fall into tho
ranks and follow the lead Of others whether he
| should be treated as the regular candidate OF
the Republican organization for an election to
the Senate in the winter Of 1879; and whether
he should be fully restored TO all his prestige as
| the most conspicuous Republican aspirant In
| the Northeastern States. for the Presidential
nomination in 1850. with tho working. enthu-
sastic. unchanging elements OF the party in
New York at his back, These were the main
questons involved in this contest. o.,
II il well enough for Mr.. Conkling's opponents
TO try 10 cover their, retreat by saying that the
vention was not raised in the election Of dele
gates 10 that body. But those behind the scenes
Know better. For three months before the. Com
Conklings opponents to crush him at Rochcs-
ter and az one o, III, them ssd hSo put nIs ar
spongc and they Imagined they would have an
t the state state e convention His sudden return,
while electrified his riGqds dsm nS F his ais
oS AID daoy Ss''a carry upon the anu contest
against him in this State. They asked asked
2r changes in the NEW d9rs cn IN ss
rural districts. But. when The very life OF the
Administration was at stake instead OF furnish
ing its champions with arms, MUNITIONS OF war
wans sssp IN It's beha In New Y"rs the
office. issued his Unconstitutional civil service
order which won him not one friend, but only
rites while he and his cabinet started on on
junketing tour around the country delivering
stupid speeches At every railroad station where mere
crs TO stare and shout at them. Left thus 10
wage the battles Of Hayes and my policy"
this State abandoned the field in disgust. or
kept up q feeble fusillade till the day was lost
With the odds heavily against him in the
spring and all through midsummer, the
tide began to turn in Conklings favor In me
opening week Of the autumn. when the first
district convention met TO choose delegates to
Rochester. A lqnguid opposition to the SEN
oy Fenton hnd no such
agement, no such fulnment OF expressed OF
implied pledge as inspired hin to put on h y
hazard the little patronage he had obtained
from Grant by trying to get any more oi iron
r Brown tract. has, s9ne is;hips in the Chateau
a had known the A. i. Of New YORK politics
Would have taken some interest n i,s hep pub
sort,', T. use, the language Of Mr.. Hamilt9i
Ward. " Of the Commanding General OF thu
Q Black Horse Cavalry of the rebellion"
With this skulking to the rear. and with tn
radical clemsnts OF ne party ON ms SIDE, II wa'
. easy for the Senator to secure three TO one o
i personal issue Of conkiing and anti'-.conE IN.
y he had more than four to one 1t was in th'
y straight issue Of Hayes and anti Hayes that tn
D delegates were three to one against the Admin
1 stration. its head, its Cabinet. and It's policy.
!. :, The proceedings and ultimate decisions Q
:, the Convention clearly demonstrated that Conk
u ling won q victory on all the points which
x mentioned near the beginning Of this despatch
1, His triumph over his Toes in the State Conven
II ton at Syracuse in 1871. which insured his re
5 election to the Senate fifteen months afterward
:. was less sigma and complete than the victor
\ on Wednesday last. The odds in his favor nov
a are greater than they were then. while the stalk
= lie played for on the present occasion far trans
@ ccnds in importance and value the prize h
won six years ago.
=. An experienced eye had only to scan the lis
Il Of delegates in the State Convention To see that
- not only embodied an unusual amount of talent
. but that the majority that sustained Conklin.
gressive, winning classes of the party-the mel
aud the kind OF men that laid the foundations O
n the Republican, party in New York. and tina
N made the State Republican ut the outset. an,
u that SO long kept L exclusively in Republican
}! hands, and that created and fortified It's strong
me- a 3 %e Of anq bnyp n that
II last year gave their ticket majority OF 400
c These We're Conkling's hackers. in the close
1t sharp. hand-to-hand fight of Wednesday. !
ropos Do not Sxay Rap rMSf Mr. cSSSns
II management IN the Convention. Well, the
o party press in the city Of New York The Dem
: ocratic newspapers OF the metropolis such n
: Marcy and seymour. The Republican Journal
OF the city. often quite erratic. never favored tn
Ii has been suggested that MIR Conkling's ut
+ tack upon Mr. Curtis we uncalled for, ON IN
GnaI in inI nSd M Ss wal Thy nv Justified
: lowed 10y parliamentary law. Mr. Curtis ha
y on many recent occasions attacked Mr.. COnk
a ling and his friends and his measures in III,
=, very sharpest and most pointed style. He wa
u savage upon him and them Mt Syracuse la-
5 March. He was abusive AT Saratoga last Au
gust. At both these Conventions he attack,
Mr.. Conkling, behind his back, he not bein,
= present on either occasion. They met face L
. face at Rochester Tor the first time in years
5 Conklng owed Curtis long standing debt
r Curtis demanded prompt payment in our Cit
Hall ON Wednesday. Conk!ing paid him IN full
win compound interest And that Is al Their
is u the case.
:, The Convention was not more n grand vie
i tory for, C9nkling than "A humuiatng over
- throw Of Hayes. Indeed the latter WAS tn
u salient feature OF the proceedings. The Con
d: yentlon treated Hayes worse than the Noy
d York Republicans did Andy johnson in III,
September Convention of 1865. tho first wear %
y ms term-a great deal worse. We rememhe
>. how Andy Jared at the hands Of the New Yorl
II Republicans in their Convention held in tn
= second year OF his term. History repeats 1t
self Let Hayes and Evarts turn over tn
leaves. and make n note of it,
: Let not the Democrats br so foolish rs TO i'm
J., aglne that they are on the high road to victory
A IN TINS state nj the coming election because a.
u the conflict in the Republican, Convention. Tn
= Republicans will rally in solid phalanX at tn,
IL.