The New York herald., 1878-09-27
senator Conkling's Speech.

utterances are deemed of sufficient interest
to be fully reported by the press. This is
as much the effect of eloquence as OF po-
| litical standing. The two Statesmen OF the
last Observation-Disclosures and Clay-whose
| light and occasional as we'll as grave ana
formal speeches were always carefully re-
| ported as of universal public interest would
| not have found so eager body OF readers
| if the force and felicity of their language
had not added pleasure to instruction. A
Saratoga correspondent of the Evening Post
SAYS, disparagingly, that there is nothing
novel OF original in Mr.. Conklings argu-
ments. SIT will be seen," says this CORE
spondent, 'that the Senator's financial
views are not so broad and comprehensive
as his friends had given the public to
understand that he would make them. He
suggested no financial policy, nor is his
argument in any respect original. The state
ments md arguments are familiar from the
editorial discussions in the better class
of newspapers" Even conceding this to
be true it is not pertinent. There has un-
doubtedly been great deal Of sound and
The difficulty has not been in finding the
right arguments, but in getting attention
to those arguments. A sound financial
argument in the Euening Post, for example,
is only brought to the notice Of such of its
own readers as may happen to read the
article; but the same argument, when
restated by Senator Conkling on an
-
upon his lips and scans his meaning, en-
lists the attention not merely of the read
ers Of one newspaper but OF all the
readers of every public Journal whose curl
osity is sharpened by the critical occasion,
by the great reputation of the orator, and
administration at Washington and to
his internal foes in his own party
in this State. Even if Mr. Conklings
mode of stating the financial arguments
were not better than their current forms
his ability to command and even to compel
attention to them enables him to render an
important service. 1t is like the difference
between gold in the hands of bullion
dealers, where nobody sees it, and gold
turned out in bright coins from the mint,
which find their way into universal cir
culation. Thousands Of citizens will read
and weigh sound financial arguments
as they fell from the lips of Mr..
Conkling who would have bestowed
no attention on them coming from other
sources. 1t is frivolous and captious to say
that his arguments are not novel and origi-
nal. There is no place for originality on
subject which has been SO exhaustively dis
cussed. The service rendered by Mr.. Conk-
ling consists in the use he has made of his
great position in compelling attention to
sound reasoning which has been slighted
and undervalued when presented through
other channels.
Mr.. Conkling's strong and strenuous
declarations on the money question are
valuable in another aspect. 1t has been
represented by his political enemies in his
ward the wrong side, these malicious repre-
sentations being founded on the fact that
Mr. Conkling took no conspicuous part
in the currency discussions of Congress
during the last session. No fault
can be found with his votes, which
were uniformly on the right side; but it
has been charged that his silence in the
debates especially on the silver question,
indicated leaning in the wrong direction.
If any such suspicious have been enter
tanned, the speech of Mr.. Conkling at Sara
toga furnishes shining refutation. His
speech shows that he is not merely right
but strong and vehement on the great ques-
ton of resumption.
It is impossible to do justice to the
strength of Mr.. Conkling's position with
out quotations from his speech. He pours
scorn on the idea that any legislation by
Congress can add to the real wealth of the
country. property" he says, sis the
product of labor 1t must be hewed out of
the forest, ploughed out of the field, blasted
ont of the mine, pounded ont of the anvil,
wrought out in the factory and fur
mace. Labor is at the bottom Of il
all, and the nation in which there
are the most laborers and in which
labor is best cherished and cared for must
be the richest and most prosperous. Capt.
tai and labor are natural allies; when they
work together both are enriched; when
they are hostile or separated both suffer."
This is not only correct from the standpoint
of science. but it is in conformity to COM
mon sense. Nothing is more evident than
that wealth is the product of labor and that
no possible legislation can make one bushel
OF potatoes two bushels. Mr.. Conkling
proves conclusively enough that tho cry
for more currency is wild and foolish. He
shows that there is great deal more cur
rcncy than can fld employment. at is
said," observed Mr.. Conkling, ''that we
money. What for? Is not currency piled