, 1879-09-06
The NarraSause.t Scandal.

The Spraeue- Conkling affair Is as juicy /
bit of scandal as has been presented to thu
American people since Beecher and tn,
whi,e-soaIed Elizabeth we're on the table:
for yivisection. So far al the facts III III,
Sprague-C Cmkling case haze not been gtvet
10 the public Ii IS, however, known tina
newspaper correspondents IN Nashlngtor
have for more thsa year been limiting a
an improper intimacy between SENATOR Conk
linp and The wife @. t;acernnr SpIague. \:
Mr.. Conkling's duties kept him i'll Washing
tn, while Eis wife remained IN Utica, and a:
Mrs, Spra..ue ma 70 her feSiience at Edge
wood. near Washington-the place lett t.
her hy her fatheT-while her husband 5 busI
uess difficulties kept HIM IN thode Island,
the vague hints thrown out from time u
time by. the newspapers produced the I'M
preston In certain circles that tie intimacy
known 70 exist hetween Senator ConklIng
and Mrs. Sprague WAS an improper one.
This fact must have been known TO the hUs-
band. the wife and TO Mr.. Conkling. When,
therefore. the announcement had been made
that Mr.. Conkllng had Been driven frsu
Gaveruor Spraeue's hoase q Narragansett
Pier. AZ the perforated end OF shotgun.
the country TT once jumped to the conc.u-
sion thar jealousy was the melting cause oi
the sudden outbreak. Governor Sprasue
must have known that his action would be
construed injurIously as against his wife.
He has permitted the scandal to SIMMER near
the sUrfacr for many months, and has HIM
self exploded it. after a tine dramatic fashion
perhaps but certainly IN a very mean way.
Ii he sOught To protect th- honor OF his own
name. the good name Of his wife and chill
dren, he certainly went about 1t very fool
ishly He shouId have gone to Washington
when the first breath nf scandal reached his
ears. and quietly, but firmly, informed hlm
that ne would hold HIM personally response
BILE for any future indiscreuon. Having
faile,i IL ta this he should have ignored the
matter until some positive proof ot the NH
delity of his wife had reached him. Ii the
presence of Mr. Conkhng IN his house was
offensive To Inn he should have quietly,
firmly and privately requested h,m TO take
his leave. rs he managed the affair he has
i.irls,lf strengthened the belief that his vile
has forgotten her marriage VOWS, and has
shown that he has not the courage "t bis
convictions which IN this country generally
leads to something more than threats to
Kill. He evidently forgot that the shot gun
should Fever appear unless there Is good
ca;se for using 1t. Governor Surague erl-
dently has not proof sufficient to "a iSty hinl
that his wife has been unfaithful 10 him.
Ii he had such proof and had killed Conk-
ling. public npimioh would have Justified the
act. But hali irg no such proof, {" himself
cal down upon his family the reproacbeS "t
society, he deserves alike the contempt OF
ali good men and wnui=n and the punishment
that hi, Own conscience Will in!iict.
The acton of hir. Conklng ii this matter
has been worse than coitcmPuble, knowing
a. H. did that his conduct III Washington
ilai cau,e,! scandal knowing also that GOV
ernor Sn.aguc tels indignant an'. Was III i
very angry mood concerning h!s alleged mt
macy wI.h his wife, he should never have
gone "a. y trrt.llsci; Pier. aad certainly he
should Dcler iavr cone 10 <;oy, NP:a@ue' S
iu.st. Tac word ;:i,shj have forgiven h!n'
fav Fi> i.e.s-,i '.rilartrirS. BnI to bring
uI,on z yo:rian TIA, "pen ce:rsure ~ Suc!ety Is
a slu thls :He world ,lnes not fargtr;'. Eac
Lag!... irl.>iIi.. - ;.uiished hiG:+e'f a Coy
,l!r. : -!.t...,., house. ~ AMI ha...a-g, Ire
saogI le.cr haze sUa.n:-tei I" Ia Cr!vc;i
",,t !&a, -ar. Il Si.ou.d aage dom uir'i
t'.,. r,.,.,l. lei. Ia T., r,apgory "lder I'll Eo'-
yrnur :, rJ-ac. i brave nian WON'T. have
hai q tall SET !cncnt ui the matter there and
!4cl.. @. II his yIuv n! she m.rt-cT !"'l hln
tn r,rr,a5 from the house "f iirvc.iinr
S.,ra.u-, lie shnul! lave ShoTn al least 4
s,Iri, ni Inani.o,#i wiivi! ,dtcrw@rl the GOV
error assaulted ii;n UPoa ihe street a'lI o.
,rrci ham to leave the town. 20 lie driven
ont ri evN& without an effort 20 vlndIcate
himself ;;:d tie i..'!y ia the case argues cs,w-
ariicc "f the most grovelinS kind HE
world Nil never forgive THIS lie might
have carried away ms good name aud
STAMPED uHt the scandal II he had forced
Governor Srragge 10 state III the presence
OF witnesses the REASONS for his conduct.
He lett the world free to believe he Is guilty,
and therefore that Mrs. Sprague is to he CON
demne,i. He viii find that this craven CON
duct viii destroy his influence hereafter. a
man may be known a. little fast AMI
retain hIs influence among men, and even
! .,na9g women saciety Will tolerate him.
/ But the niln who kisses air! tells or the
( man who through cow ariice or ether weak
ness permits wGmans name to be smirch:d
! is never forgiven. The brand Is upon hIEl
and the brand OF every man and of every
woman is against him. We are inclined Il
the belief that Mr. CoukIing will never agaIn
/ BE- elected TO All office OF honor or trust IL
| this country.
/ IL Is only too eViian: that Mrs. Spragut
has acted indiScreetly. But We prefer Il
believe that she had not acted crImInally
/ She has been known from her girlhooi as a
woman of more than ordinary force OF III
/ tellect and singular personal magnetism,
as the old phrase puts 1t She has, doubt-
| less, been using Senator Conkhng III heI
/ efforts 10 save the bone left 10 her by hel
/ father. But every man knows that an I'M
pure woman could not have eyerted the
power that Mrs. Sprague has exercised oyel
! Mr. Ccnkling She knew the anglers art,
/ and held her victim with a soft hand, only
to land him gea;!y after he had grown tired
! III his efforts u nave his own way. Ii she
/ had UGce surrendered to Conkling she would
/ have lost her power oyer him, and would
! have been at Eis mercy She PLAYED dan
gerOuS gage-a came that a woman shouid
! never ESSAY. Bat the world VII never be
I lieve that she Is an impure woman. In thr
connection 1t may be remarked that she i.
the only one Of the tf,o who has had til,
! courage to make a statement concerning tht
matter Her husband has closed his mOutl
ike clam. Conking sneaked away Ike :
cur, and has not opened his moath. Mrs
| Sprague alone has shown willingness Il
! talk. Her statement, II Is true, amounts q
very little But she az least IS not afraid u
speak. Having 10 deal with Il jealous hus
J hand aud 4 coward she naturally SAYS hu
little. She alone OF all the parties in.ereste,
! has the sympathy OF at least a majority o
! those who have followed the case IL Its de
/ ye.oPmenIs-
I -r-------sS r----.-- -
! WINNEuUccA's WARRIoRS.- citizen
of Winnemucca were treated to novel sigh
/ Yesterday afternoon. About the time IN
/ passenger train from til est was due de