The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-21

he relied on her tact and beauty to pull
hlm through sharp political contests. In
1864, when at the zenith of her social
power, she lent powerful hand towards
making her father, the then Chief JUS.
t!ce, the candidate of the Republi.
can party for President She had
been for several years the con .
slant associate and chief confidant
of her father, and had become acquainted
with his ambitions, his friends and his
strength. She studied politics with the
zeal of n newly iiedged orator, and de-
voted her whole mind and energies to
the one object Of placing her father in
the Presidential chair. 1t was mart of
her ambition also to reign rs the first Ia.
dy of the land. She often talked with
her friends on this subject, and hcr mar,
riagc with Senator Sprague was general.
ly believed to DO one that had ONLY this
end in view. Sprague mt that time was
immensely wealthy, and the Chase marty
needed money. Sprague also imperious.
lly controlled the politics of Rhode Is.
land, and his money and influence were
worth having in behalf of Presidential
candidate. The scheme failed. however
Lincoln was renominated, and judge
Chase became detached from his party.
In 1865, however, he was prominently
mentioned as possible Presidential can
didate before the Democratic Conyen.
tion, and his daughter, who had at that
time become Mrs. Sprague, again took an
active part in his behalf. Sho was then
recognized in Washington rs one of the
brightest. wittiest and most fascinating
women as the National capital. Her
passion, as we'll rs her aptness for politics
and political intrigues, seemed to in
crease with her social power. She culti
waited public men until she knew large
number quite intimately, md even 80
late as 1876, though known but to few.
exercised an influence upon the last
Presidential election, which kept one
mans mouth shut and possibly changed
the result altogether. Her acquaintance
with Senator Conkling had ripened into
relations Of the most confidential nature.
1t is believed that she exercised over
him n powerful influence. II is even de-
ciared by many who had frequently OBJ
portunities to know Conkling's opinions
during the electoral struggle that he was
withheld by Mrs. Sprague's influence
from publicly declaring his conviction
that Tilden was the rightfully elected
President, and that his hitherto unac
counted for vascillation was attributable
to this cause. At one time he boldly de-
cared that the frauds practiced in Lou
.siana and Florida furnished ali the basis
necessary for an overthrow of the pre-
text that Hayes was elected, and for the
swearing in of Tilden. He made no se
crct OF his disgust at the efforts of John
Sherman and others to count in HAYES.
and, it is asserted, agreed to make a
speech denouncing the fraud, but moth
ing came of it. Mrs. Sprague occupied
a front sea! in tho members gallery of
the Senate every dny during the exciting
count, although nobody thought of her
MS anything but spectator. The day
that Senator Conkling was to rise in his
seat and demolish the fraud arrived, and
those familiar with the programme were
in their seate. Senators Alcorn. Spencer.
Conover and several other Republicans
were to vote with him against the ap-
proval of the partisan decision of the
Electoral commission. Enough Repub-
lican voters had been secured to make
his victory certain. Col. Pelton. Mr.
Hewitt, of New York, and MANY other
prominent Tilden managers, had seats in
the gallery for the purpose of hearing
Conkling's speech. To their utter amaze.
ment, however, he did not appepr at all,
and it was also observed by some bright
kcople that Mrs. Sprague was absent for
the first time. Senator Alcorn, in fulfil.
ment of his word, first voted to reject the
decision of the commission, but after he
discovered that something had gone
wrong, changed his vote 80 rs to make It
accord with his party. 1t was subse-
9uently discovered that the shrewd Rad.
ical managers of the Zach Chandler
stripe had overcome Cnnkl;ns by win
ming Mrs. Sprague over to their side.
They had persuaded her to take an in
terest in Hayes success, and, it is said
she kept the New York Senator, on
whom 30 much depended, from appear.
ing at the Senate chamber that day.
Now that the scandal is made public,
thousand incidents of the relations Of
Mrs. Sprague and Senator Conkling arc
told. That they frequently rode out to-
gether until very late hours, is pretty
we'll known to many. A family driving
towards Edgewood, just after the extra
session, stopped runaway horse hitched
to coupe. Within short time Senator
Conkling appeared on the rond and
claimed the horse and vehicle. It had
already been recognized rs the property
OF Mrs. Sprague, and the family discoy-
cred that the horse had broken away
from its tether while unattended.
Telegraphic information received here
last night stated that Mrs. Sprague had,
in 7iew of the late behavior of her hus-
band, left him for all time, and the opin-
ion is freely hazarded that one and DOS
sibly two suits for divorce will grow out
of last Fridays emeute.
The LEGACY TO Mr.. DAyIs-The