The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-15
MIR. COyKLIN0,s CAMPAI0M
The Coming Republican state Convention and
aIt About ~.

born in Albany. Out DIS pcrsOnhl' pOiillVW' uiu
social relations with the place have never been
intimate. Tho accident OF birth has not served
to atrnct him to n city from which his father re-
moved while the son was yet an infant. In 1871.
when Mr.. Conklng came here to speak, he as
tonishcd most Of his hearers by beginning:
Follow citi2ons OF my native place 1t was
the first intimation they had had that he was an
Albanian 1t was also tho first time. believe,
that he had spoken in Albany. But although
Senator Conkling In not well known here. per-
sonaly tho capital OF the State Is necessarily
the base OF his future political operations. AZ
n mattor Of course he wants to 90 back to the
Senate II he IL successful II is here that the
pipe must be laid. the caucus called the Lcgis-
lative Joint convention held. II he is defeated.
II IL here that his foes win triumph over him,
and lead him out-if that is posBible-to the
doom Of political death.
II does not seem TO require n personal ac-
quain,ance with Mr. Conkling to awaken tho
strongest imaginable feeling In his favor or
against him. His blttercst enemies here arc
found among men who never saw him. and
some Of his etanchest friends would not know
him II he should pass them in the street But
while this IL true II il also true that the man to
whom MIR. Conkling's cause in Albany Is in
trusted does know him intimately and we'll
Superintendent of Insurance brought him into
unpleasant notorcty hast winter Whatever
Mr.. Smyth may do. and however earnestly he
may work. he can hardly hope to pay In full the
debit ~ gratitude he owes to Mr.. Conkling Tho
political connection between the two men dates
back Just twenty years In the summer Of 1858.
when Roscoe Conkling. then young lawyer in
Utica. was seeking the Republican nomination
for Representative in Congress from the Oneida
District. John T. Smyth was bookkceper Mt
Clark's Mis-a little manufacturing settlement
near Utica. The Clark from whom tho mills
derived their name favored some other Rcpub-
lean Tor tho nomination, and set his book
keeper 10 work for his fgyorte But while
pouring over his ledgcrs, Mr.. Smyth had been
nursing an ambition OF his own. While pre-
tending To- work for Conklings rival he was
really working Tor Cunkling's self. and through
Smyths influence, in part. the young lawyer
carried OH the prize But there was a large
explosion OF imrotent wrath at Clark's MILLS
Mr. Smyth found 1t advisable to rreln-
auish his place, as ,6o2kkoeper. From
wanted Tor an on lee while it lay in Roscoe Conk-
nngs power TO secure II for him. In 1867, when
Mr.. COnkling was FIRST chosen to the senate,
Mr.. Smyth came tn Albany early and stayed late.
working Ike a beaver. and cNcrting consider
able influence But he was not. IL my memory
serves mo. a resident Of this city at that time.
lie still made his home. | think In Utica. or
that neghhnrhood. He had held various Offices
under til" Federal Government and about 1868
a valuable place. in which the incumbent il eX-
posed to many temptations. How we'll he per
stcadtHstncsS he refused the hri.'s That were
freely offered. | do not know. ii" finally re-
signed the SupgrNisorrhip 10 become fostnlar-
ter OF Albany. His appointment was n genuine
surprise To those who were not numbered in
hcsnall circle Of controlling politicians. Smytn
Was not Identified with Albany Interests. He
WAS a carpet bagger in the sense that he had
come to the city only for the purpose Of holding
office. 1t was known IA u general way. that
bond 81 sympathy between them was not clearly
understood, ana even at thus late day the fore
going recital ol their early alliance Will be news
10 most of the people Of Albany
The process by which smyth captured the
ofire Of Superintendent NJ the Insurance De-
pariment may h" explained al som" future Time.
II is enough now To- know that he did capture
il. and that he has used the position for his own
benefit, and indir.oty for Mr. Conkl ings.
Last TALL. at Rochester. Mr. Smyth was made
| Chairman Of the R"puhlcan State Committee.
succeeding Mr. A. Il. Cornell. who retired vol
! Hayrs's ridiculous civil service order. II
was known then, Of course, that there was
| to be no general election this year. except
| for one Judge OF the Court 81 Appeals. hnd
| Mr.. Conkllngs friends conceived the plan
OF p"rpeluating ne power OF their state Com
| a period of two years. II was really an auda-
! cious idea. for i was Unprecedented. and those
who orig,naind il were very much afraid II
would 'ail. They had counted noses before the
| Convention assembled. and they knew that they
| could crush the George William Curtis faction
| Fraudulent Administration But when they
] came 90 something that looked Tx" pcrma-
neut Committee, they feared that some OF Cunk-
| hnss own friends, who could l." relied ON in
| any other emergency. would hr m" nrst e.
| Object They were mistaken. In the excite
! meut ~ tnr earlier dis 'issions over the plat
! form the Convention exhausted at once its clp-
| qucnce and is wrath. Han the beaten dele
! gates went home ncior" the ticket WAS nom.
! mated, and those who rHmuincd merely looked
| on and SAID nothing. The resolution IN regard
! 10 the Committee was aiopted with harliva ,lis
| NttiP al e. %
! this years Convention began that the anti-Conk
| ling men fully comprehc bonded how completglS
| they were ut the mercy Of their rivals. Under
| the resolution Mr. Smyth's Committee can dC
! one OF three things: !. IL can omit the Con
yenton altogether, and name It's own cand dat,
| for Judge of the Court OF Appeals. 2 IL cai
call Convention of 1913 delegates tono from
each Assembly district. and leave the appoint
| mont Of th"s" delegates 10 the county commit
tees. Of which two-thrds are in sympathy will
Senator Conklng; or. 3D. 1t cnn call a fun Con
| vcnton.
ranged. contemplated no Convention. This
would nave given the Committee an opportu
| nlty 10 issue an address which would have
served rs a substitute for n platform. an,
| would have been pronounced and emphatic II
lis endorsement of MI Conkling. This scheme
| was satisfactory 10 the managers themsel yes
| but II provoked unexpected criticism iron
certain newspapers which had been counted
| friendly to the senator. As il WIS deemed ba,
policy 10 arouse unnecessary hostility the plan
was modified. 50 ~ 10 have "A Convention. hut l.
limit the delegates To one from each Assembly
course. appoint men Of their own sort. 1t woul,
be-. in its why. n representative body. Rich
mond would send Mr. Curtis; St Lawrence
would BE- controlled 10y Collector Merritt; Ca
vuRa would find men of the WOouin- pumerol
stripe. Westminster would contribute tine ire
prcssiblu Forster and the more irreprcssibl
Bald Eagle, Hustled. Onondaga would offer he
famous chicltain. Old SAT-, who will neve
lose his SAVIOR while political lob is To he pre-
served. ana Chautauuua would send down tn
neighhors and supporters OF Reuben 7. Fenton
| But while the element TINT opposes MIR. Conk
ling would not Ice absent II would he completed
ovrrhornc. From New York and Brouklyl
would come thirty delegates, All selected witt
the utmost care, and al upholdcrs ot the S'na
tors claims. From the rest Of The state, at leas
| nity Delegates could lee virtually named IN AL
vance WHO would follow the Committees cue
and vote 10 destroy the malronirnis. This pn
| of a small Convention could hc defended on TIA
ground that II saved much trouble and expense
| involved no particular assumption of author
ity ON the part of the Site Committee, and re-
mittrd 10 the local magnatcs the choice of dele
gates. II met with the hearty approval Of III
COnk ling press and AT one time, those in tn
inner circle supposed II would be carried gu
Mr. Smyth. himself, having settled the lrrlin
narirs, thought II safe 10 take n journey
Europe. He is there now, but Is expected bnc
soon for he has received notice thM he
wanted NJ home.
The plan was disturbed 10y the suspension
Mcssrs Arthur and Cornell. This WAS. in effec
An announcement that the Hayes gang were
make tn" fight aggressive. They hnd bee
boastng all along that If they could get posse,
sion 81 the New York Custom House they woul
l..aaf / Hf llaHA NN