The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-07

on the Goth of this month. An tvening re-
publican contemporary, which Processes
great devotion to the administl1 tion'
sharply criticises the terms OF the call asSpe-
ing cold and dry and formal, containing 40
appeal to the republican sentiment o.
the State Our administration contempt
rary insists that the call should have
been addressed to the supporters OF Fresi-
dent Hayes, and that his name and achieve
ments should have been put forth as
rallying cry for the party. This singular
view is of no Importance except as indlcat-
ing the kind Of call that would have been
issued by the Hayes republicans if their
Saratoga conference had not miscar-
RED When Mr.. Cowdin called his
conference, sending invitations only
to known supporters OF the admin
istration. it was assumed that the
State Committee did not intend to have
q convention, and that great card could
be played by assemblinga State Convention
in defiance Of the committee. The issuers
of such call could have selected their own
topics and phraseology and have made their
convention perfect echo of the policy OF
MIR. Hayes. This is what they intended and
expected. But before the Cowdin confer
ence met it became known that the regular
State Committee had decided to call full
convention after the orthodox pattern
This disconnected and nonplussed the Cow
din gathering. They made themselves
simply ridiculous by insisting that regu-
lar convention should be held after it be-
came known that Mr.. Conkling's friends
intended to call one. They went through the
farce Of demanding what nobody was dis
posed to deny, and were chagrined and NOR
tilted to find that there was no opposition 10
their professed wish. Their conference
was accordingly fasco. 1t had been
called ON the assumption that Mr.. Conk-
lings friends would not consent to have
State Convention, and that their demand for
one would meet with sufficient response to
Justify the administration republicans in
calling one in defiance of the State Com
mittee. If they could have found the
opportunity which they sought they would
have framed 8 call whose terms would have
excluded all delegates who did not support
the administration. The intended conse-
quence was to raise questions of regularity
which would have SO divided and distracted
the republican party as to give theState to
the democrats and thereby preventive re-
election of Senator Conkling.
The Cowdin conference, finding that it
had been forestalled and foiled by the in
tention of the State Committee to- call a
regular and full convention, merely went
through the empty form of asking that
convention be called and pub
fishing an exhortation to "harmony."
Nothing was further from their pur-
pose than what is expressed by this
word. What they really intended when
they set out was to separate the hayes
republicans from the Conkling republicans
and to set up claim Of regularity for the
former They meant to have State Con-
vention composed Of the supporters OF the
President and to take the risk Of defeating
the party by this maneuyre. They were
checkmated by the intention of the State
Committee to hold 8 regular convention.
The friends of Senator Conkling we're
not slow to take advantage Of the abortive
Cowdin conference. It's demand for har-
mony when it meant discord enabled the
\ Conkling men to ''go one better on the
eharmony question. Harmony implies that
1.-THE dissentient factions should act together,
and the shrewd idea occurred to Mr..
Cornell to bring representatives OF the
| two factions together to perfect the de-
sired agreement. This was a brilliant
stroke. Mr.. Cornell sent his invitation
for the second Saratoga conference indiffer-
emily to Hayes men and Conkling men.
Nothing could have been more logical than
to bring them to together for mutual con-
sultation if the Hayes men were sincere in
their professed desire for harmony. But
in point Of fast. none of the Hayes men
accepted the invitation. They did not
|swant to meet other republicans to consult
and unite The invitation sent to them
and their refusal to accept furnished q
plaring proof that their proffer of harmony
and reconciliation was false and hollow.
If they were willing to make concessions In
the interest Of party unity, what excuse
could they have had for declining to meet
and consult with the Conkling repub-
licans Mr.. Cornell's Saratoga conference
was brilliant stroke, because it so
completely uncovered and exposed the
position of the Hayes republicans. Had
they meant the harmony which they pro-
fes sed they would have been only too glad
to meet.their fellow republicans in an ami
cable.conference for the adjustment of diff
ferences The fact that after raising loud
demand for harmony they refused to meet
for reconciliation fastened upon them the
charge of insincerity. How can mutually
estrauged republicans ever be brought into
harmony if they disdainfully refuse to meet
for friendly consultations