American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-08-30
The Sprague.C onkling Affair.

The discussion-if we may be per-
mitted to use so harsh aterm-between
Senator Conkling, of New York, and
ex-senator Sprague, of Rhode Island,
is fully set forth in the extracts which
we publish elsewhere, from the New
York World and the Cincinnati Com
nereiat. That is to say, the surface
facts are set forth; but it will probably
strike the reader that in both accounts
pains have been taken to save the
American ear from shock and the
American mind from improIriety. To
a certain extent these efforts defeat
their object. They are so ostentatious
that the reader involuntarily asks why
it is necessary to describe so elaborate
ly facts which, if true, are unimpor-
tant. If Conkling and Sprague had
come to words or even blows, because
the former is imperious and the latter
irritable, the proceeding would be re-
garded as not altogether unnatural,
spite of its lack of dignity. But when
it becomes necessary to drag in a
music-master and endow the ex- Senator
and the Ex-Governor from Rhode
Island with an altogether unexplained
degree OF excitement, suspicion is
aroused at once. If the quarrel had
nothing to do with the scandal which
has long been trifing with the name of
the New York Senator, in connection
with that of o. member of the Sprague
family, it would have been simple JUS
tice to say SO. If the quarrel had any
thing to do with the scandal, the worst
possible way has been adopted of pre-
venting the public from thinking so.
This aspect of the case is, however,
of very trivial importance compared
with the aspect it presents when con-
sidered IS marking the low tone of
civilization among those whom we
have a right to expect will at least be
gentlemen. There was a time in the
history of the Republic when Senators
drunk or sober-resortedt to fisticuffs
like the roughs of the dock, or smote
each other with the utensils of the din
ner table like Infatuated walters. The
impression has been created, however,
that this day WIS past, and that Sena-
tors, even in private life, could be re-
lied upon to preserve the appearance
of decorum and courtesy. 1t is I'M
pleasant to learn that this impression
has an insufficient foundations; and it
is all the more unpleasant to be COM
PEELED to take the lesson from a gentle
man of so much exterior polish as he
elegant Senator from New York.
The New York World touches an
other aspect Of the case, which is also
worth looking at. Adverting to the
affair, the World says:
1t cannot fail to be useful to reflect what
would have been said by our Republican con-
temporarles had this incident of watering
place life occurred at Biloxi at the White
Sulphur Springs instead of Narragansett Pier,
and had the parties to it been Senator from
Mississippi and an Ex-Governor of Louisiana. let
us say. instead of Senator from New York
and an Ex-Governor of Rhode Island. If the
Louisianian had ordered the Mississi ppian out
of hi, house and threatened to kill hun if he
found him there again, how many of our
teemed contemporaries would have seen in
this action only the inevitable outcropping of
the plantation manners engendered by
slavery, and heard in the indignant accents of
We should certainly have heard that such a
scandal could not possibly have come to a head
between any two public men of the North. Now
that it hss SO come to a head between two such
public men. it may be well to consider wheth-
it is not quite time for to drop the practice
OF keeping one set of moral weights and social
measures for application to the :" chivalry'' of
the South and another set for application to the
!" statesmen of the North. If such scene
the house of Southern ex-statesman, it would
have been at once described indecent and
barbarous performance. 1t is not less indecent
less barbarous it? because it occurred in tho
house of a Northern ex-statesman, unless, in
deed, we are to admit that the standard of de-
than it is in the North, and that Southerners
sin against clearer light. Probably we are not
prepared to make that admission.
- Detroit Free Press.