Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-02-13
Washington Letter.

Washington Letter.
From our regular correspondent
Washington, d. c., Feb. 7, 1879.
Senator Conkling has lost his grip.
Had the crushing defeat he has JUS,
sustained occurred some months ago
the loss of power and prestage that
must result, might have overthrown
him in the race for reelection. Less
than year ago, when this same con-
test was ou, the Democratic Senators
almost unanimously voted with Conk~
ling to assist him in defeating Mr..
Hayes appointments in New York.
This time twenty-four Democrats voted
the other way, not because of any love
for the frauds in and about the White
House, but because the public good
demands that the case be efectually
disposed of, and becauseConkling failed
to manifest any appreciation of the
service done him before. The vote
was a sore disappointment to the New
York Senator who had counted noses
and up to within a few hours of the
Executive Session believed be had a
majority. But the seductive infuenc
es of patronage had been at work, and
John Sherman's promises of fat places
were too much for Conklng's mere per-
sonal appeals. There is scarcely a
doubt that this sort of bribery won
over to the administration side some
half dozen Republican Senators who
had pledged themselves to Conklipg,
among them one, who, as member of
the committee, s,goed the report
against confirmation. Senators do
love to have good berths at their dis
posal for their dependents. Moreover,
there are some Of them who go out of
Office in about three weeks, and the
prospect of a Foreign Mission, or some
such thing, has decidedly modifying
effect upon their tempers. This adj
mipistration don't hesitate to buy any,
thing it wants. 1t bought its way in~
to Office, and has done nothing since
but confer rewards upon the rasca]s
who sold out to it. Some very inter.
estiug correspondence was read In the
course of SeuatorC Conkling's remarks in
Executive Session. One of the let
ters was sent from a high Treasury of:
fetal to the Collector at New York,
requesting the appointment of son Of
Judge Bradley to position "for man.
ifest reasons" Another letter wanted d
one Howard slowed away in some fat
place, and Senator Conklipg said this
was for "manifest reasons" too, as
Howard was Mr.. Hayes biographer.
These letters were written before the
acting President suspendend collector
Arthur. This is nice administration
to make loud pretensions of Civil Ser
vice reform and purity. Bah!
The prospect of an extra session has
resolved itself into almost a certainty
At least that is the prevailing opinion
The Senate both before and since the
recess has consumed good deal O.
time in doing nothing in the way Of
real business. This Custom House
contest, and the debate on Edmunds
political resolution just concluded, hav.
between them done much to retarc
progress, aud it is said the Senate Com
m'ttee on Appropriations proposes te
| attach provision to the Army appro'
prlation bill, repeating the posse COM
mitatus clause passed last year. O.
course this will be resisted by tn,
Democrats, who object to making po
lice force of the army in a free state
The test oath for Jurors has got to b,
repealed: A fight over that occurre,
in the Senate early in the session, an,
finally the Democrats permitted bill
to go through which only half fcovere,
the case, but now that it transpire
that the administration is making us
of the oath to perseoute Democrats
there is : disposition to blot that piec'
Of Radical iniquity from the statut'
books. It was smuggled into the Re
vised Statutes BY Boutwell, who ha,
charge Of the publication Of them
after it had once been repealed By bo.l
Houses Of Congress. The old villaii,
claims that it was an error, but tbsi1ttt
seems to have been good de6 o
method in il - MI. "a e. w
II Several important reports are % b,