The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-06


The Assembly to be elected this fall will
next winter take part with the State Senate
in choosing United States Senator to sue
coed Mr.. Conkling. whose present term VIII
expire on the 4th OF March, $780, The pre-
vailing impression in political circles at
this time is that Mr.. Conkling will be his
own successor; that he will be chosen to
serve another term of six years
1t strikes an impartial observer OF our
State politics oddly that while Senator
Conkling encounters the vigorous and even
bitter opposition of q considerable section
of his own party, and has many rivals there
for the position he has held now more than
ten years, and while OF course he is opposed
by the democrats who have their own
favorites, it is still generally admitted by
politicians of both parties that no
republican and no democrat can be
found in the State capable OF de-
feating him. Even his opponents
must in candor admit that this shows
him to be man of power and influence.
and man, therefore, not safely to be whis-
tied down the wind. 1t might be worth
their while rather to seek out the sources Of
his undoubted and long-continued FREEDOM
nance in the politics OF the most populous
State Of the Union for such q phenomenon
is not without causes and those who wish
to supersede him in the Senate might, per-
haps, better their prospects if they ''took
leaf out of his books" as the saying is.
r.. l.: ESQ.,,
especially in republican quarters. to decry
Mr.. Conkling as an Objectionable man in
American politics, on various accounts 1t
is said, for instance, that he rules his polit-
ical followers after the manner of feudal
chief of former times, exacting their ODE
dience and according them protection.
But his friends might reply that Clay
and Benton and Seward i'll other days,
and Blaine, Morton. Cameron and others
later, have done the Same thing. Indeed,
party politics in England, as well as
here, and in oil free countries, are carried
on much in this way. political leader
naturally wishes to be the leader Of his
whole party Through it he would like to
rule the country and impress upon it his
ideas and policy. 1t may be that he attains
only the leadership of wing Of .his party,
as was Mr.. Stewards case and Mr.. Chase's,
but to the extent of his power within his
party he is necessarily tolerably absolute
ruler He requires from his followers faith
ful service, and in turn he takes care to
advance their fortunes; and SO tafhe may
very we'll, if any one is pleased with the
figure, be likened to feudal chief.
1t is said Of him, too, that he does not
WELD the influence in the Senate which SO
great State as ours has right to expect of
its Senator. But here again his friends
might Justly point to the fact that, although
not in harmony with the present administra-
ton and therefore without that support,
Mr.. Conkling was conspicuously the leader
and, indeed, the master of his party, in
the Senate last winter that his influence,
which was always great, was then great
enough to defeat the administration when
he chose to, and to carry its measures for it
when he wished.
1t is said further by his opponents that
he pays little attention to public affairs;
but, in fact, he is very frequently heard in
debate; he took large part in the discussion
Of public questions under the late admin
istration; and the predominant force Of his
will and knowledge in the Senate was never
better shown than in the preparation and
carrying Of the Electoral Commission bill.
He was the author Of that measure-he was.
indeed, almost the only Senator who had
foreseen what came and had mastered in
advance AN the details Of the grave question
which then stared Congress and the country
in the face 1t is not too much to say that he
knew more of the history Of that question
than any or even all the republican Sena-
tors, nor that without his Jealous private
help and effective public support the bill
could never have passed.
1t is said of him that he is not in harmony
with the administration. Well, if he is re-
elected to the Senate that will be SO much
the worse for the administration. But on this
head we are constrained to say that the
agility Of some of his prominent republican
opponents, in changing their opinions
about eighteen months ago, in order to be in
harmony with the administration, is, on the
whole, less creditable to them than Mr..
Conkling's persistence is to him.
Finally, it is said Of him that he is the
head OF political machine" This means
that he is supported by an organized force
in his party, whose confidence he possesses
and which is devoted TO his fortunes. AS
no is not in harmony with the administra-
tien the phrase can mean nothing more
than this for his followers cannot hope for
reward from n chief who is himself out of
favor and can no longer control patronage
II il is by the use OF patronage alone that
he has maintained himself, as his opponents
assert, then he ought now to be at the point
Of ruin. And yet 1t is the general belief
tLot no will no va .elected and certninlv the