The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-04-18
THE CONKLING INTERVIEW.
MIR. Conkling's Opinion of the New Eng
land Senators Who Support Hayes.

MIR. Conkling's Opinion of the New Eng.
land Senators Who support Hayes.
NEW YORK, April 17.-In the course of the
interview with Senator Conkling, reported ir
the New York World, be spoke of Messrs.
Matthews, Christiancy, Dawes, Hoar, Burn
side, Conover and Patterson as the seven Re
publican Senatorial supporters of President
Hayes. He spoke of the three New England.
ers as follows:
After great deal of hesitation, Senators
Dawes and Hoar appear to have cast in their
lots with the administration, though their state
is decidedly against the combination. You re-
member that when the state convention of
Massachusetts was held at Worcester last fall,
Senator Hoar refused to preside because it was
understood that resolutions endorsing the ad-
minlstratlon were to be passed. About that
time the President made his trip to Boston, and
while there he sent for Hoar and requested him
to preside as a personal favor to himself OF
course L do not know 10 certainty what areu-
ments were used, but it was rumOred that Col.
lectOr Simmons was to be guillotined, and that
the spoils of office in the state were to be diyid-
ed by the two Senators. Mind, this is only q
rumor. But condolences that have followed
the adhesion OF these gentlemen to the admin
istration faction, have been curious and sug-
gestivs. Collector Simmons has gone, and the
two Massachusetts Senators seem to he con-
suited about all changes in their state.
l nearly forgot Burnside. He is one of the
Presidents men. Nobody seems to take the
trouble to inquire why, except l have heard it
said that he liked to be noticed by the Presi-
dent, and to say Hayes once served under him.
Burnside is as weak man in civil life as in the
army, and amounts to nothing in the Senate
except to vote. don't believe he could tell
any body why he supports the administration,
That is al the following; Mr.. Hayes has
among the Republican Senators from the North
and you see il is nothing to boast of, consider
ing that the President processes to be Repub-
lican, and has been in Office a year, and holds
an immense official patronage in his hands.
Civil Service Reform DefSrmed.
"There has been, then no reform under
Hayes-not even in the civil serVice?s
There least of all. Hayes has distinguished
himself slnce his Inauguration by making the
worst set OF appointments that ever disgraced
the nation. The number of nominees for Office
now before committees against whom serious
charges are recorded is formidable, and
there is another long list of charges against
those heretofore rejected or confirmed which is
equally formidable, and it would disgust the
people with their President if they could read
the record. 1t will all come out some time. If
Hayes should send in message on the civil
service reform list OF the select friends and ia
vorites OF the President will be published, and
1t Will make such an astounding commentary
upon the Presidents words as would discomfort
more philosophical Cabinet than that in
which Evarts and Schurz figure as REFORM
ers."
Look, for Instance, at that man Hilliard,
whom the President has sent as Minister to
Brazil The documents presented to the COM
mittee show him to be political adventurer
whose private character is utterly bad, and yet
with this knowledge his name has been pressed
by the PresdenTand he has been sent to the
court OF Dom Pedro-a monarch who has been
particularly friendly to us, and whom it ought
to be our pleasure to send the best man of
whose services the country could avail
itself. Look at the United States marshall
sGhips in the South. A good man is diplaced in
georgia to make room for nephew of Wade
hampton on the recommendation of Gordon,
Democratlc Senator In East Tennessee Mike
.. aldron was nominated last spring and
again at the special sesson-his nomination
railing Witn both sessions-after having been
commissioned last summer and Illegally. too.
his cnaracter was really too bad to pass-as the
President found-but one would have supnosed
at the time that this Democratic carpet-bapger
was the only eligible man for the place in the
State of Tennessee-and perhaps he was. for
the purpose for which he was wanted. His
nomination was part of the policy / might
go through the list and show you scores of
such instsnces-where men were nominated
simply because OF political obligation or pres.
sure by friend of the administration, and al
ways without any regard to personal fitness
and character. Yet the President in the
meanwhile keeps up such chatter about re-
form OF civil service that the people are content