New-York tribune., 1879-04-25
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
MR.. CONKLINGpS ARGUMENTS.

SEVERE CRITICISMS on THE ARMY BILL.
THE PROPOSED DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATION WITHOUT
A PARALLEI--THE REPUBLICANS WILL RESIST
THE MOVEMENT AT EVERY sTEP-THE REAL
MOTIVE or THE DEMOCRATS.
Senator COnkling addressed the Senate and
a very large audience in the galleries yester-
day on the proposed repeal Of the Federal
Election laws. He declared that the Republic
cans would resist the efforts of the Demo-
Gratis at every step, believing the present laws
to be needed for the protection of the ballot
box. The real motive of the Democrats, he
said, was to carry the next Presidential
election by the removal of the chief obstacle
in their way-the law which aids in prevent
ing wholesale frauds at the polls.
A GRAND TRIBUTE TO THE SENATOR.
CLOSE ATTENTION OF GREAT AUDIENCE ron
THREE HoURs-A FITTING CLOSE TO REMARK.
ABLE DEBATE.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEI
WASHINGTON, April 24.-No grander tribute 10
the elOqucnce of any is to be found recorded in
the history Of the American Congress than that
paid to Mr.. Conkling to-day. He spoke for three
hours, and during that time his great audience-the
Cabinet, the General of the Army, the leaders OF
society, the House of Representatives almost en-
masse, the Senate. the masses-Iemained IN almost
motionless attention to his words. And the event
deserved the attendance and the attention.
Mr.. Conkling's manner Is like that of no one else.
He scarcely exceeds in point OF speed the capacity
Of a swift long-h&nd writer TO record his words.
Every sentence strikes with almost the force Of
thunderbot There il in the whole air Of the orator
a sense OF exaggerated deiheraton, yet, at tho
same time of marvellous force His manBerisms
are so marked as appear at first much TO his dis
advantage and the listener is apt to get the idea
that the orators chief thought is of his own ap-
pearance. Two oddities were noticed by all OBJ
servers to-day. The speaker had on his desk per-
haps dozen half sheets of paper, containing notes,
to which at intervals he referred As he passed
over these sheets one after another he picked
them up tore them into small bits and scattered
them about on the floor, so that before The end OF
his speech he seemed be standing in the midst OF
q snow-bank. During the first part OF his speech
he had OCCASION or he made occasion, for the read
ing at different times of sections OF the Consiltu-
ton and of the Revised Statutes Instead of send
ing them to the Clerks desk, he passed along to
Senator ingalls,. two three seats away, and hand
ing him the book, requested him TO read while no
(Mr. COnklmg) took seat. as if reservng himself
for something that was to follow.
To the last hour aud half Of his speech no de-
scrpton, aud not even the full record itself can do
Justice. The tragic force with which he drew aud
grouped the vivid pictures of events which have led
up to the present ISSUE and the presence right about
him Of the very men who had been the leaders and
promoters of the dark deeds to whch'he referred,
served together to make the occasion one which for
enrossing interest has had no equal OF It's KIND
within the memory of any one present. 1t was a
fitting end to debate in all respects remarkable