The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-08-21
Press Comments ON the Spra.ue
GOnkiing Business.


That part of Mrs. Sprague's statement
which We publish this morning, that is cor.
ro6orated by the knowledge Of many per.
sons, relates to the unfortunate habits oi
Governor Sprague. The story of neglect
and humiliation is very painful, and nc
doubt true.
But Mrs Sorague seems to have been un
conscious of the extraordinary attention
some time ago given in Washington City
to her intimacy with Senator Conkling
The fact that che was a woman living sep.
arated from her husband and that the SEN
ator's wife was not with him, should at least
have made them sensitively considerate OF
the possib lities of public opinion, and their
disregard of the gossip their conduct caused
looked like infstuation.
The communication from Mrs. Sprague
is one she need not have published. II
anything was to be said about Mr.. Conk-
liDg's business he should have ssid it. She
has spoken, however, clearly and deiantly,
exposing Ter domestic misery, giving a
sufficient explanation Of some of the en-
tsnglemen,s, and scorning to say anything
f her personal relations with Conkling.
| This cannot fail TO provoke the downright
hostility of her husband toward herself.
We presume legal proceedings are now un.
avoIdabie.
Cincinnati Gazette
| The accounts show thst Senator Conk-
ling, when ordered by the frantic Governor
Sprsgue, shotgun in hand, to leave instant
! ly the house or be shot. behaved as well as
man could in such circumstances. He saw
a frantic husband before him, and was in
| stantly conscious that the scene would make
a scandal on Mrs. Sprsgue. Hewas threat
ened and called opprobrioUs names by a
msdmsn whom he could have disarmed in
a moment, but the frscas would only mag
nifty the scandal. This restrained him from
ressnting the insults or defending himself.
There was no way but for him to submit
and to 60.
| He behaved as well as man could, wheth-
er his previous conduct had been houora-
bic or dishonorable. His couduc, shows no
trepidalion, but simply desire TO termin-
ate scandalous scene in the quietest way.
| ain, at the little cafe, where ne was wait
ing for train time, and Gov. Sprague fol.
lowed him there, and with opprobrious ep-
| ithsts, threats and oaths, T. Id him he must
&c. out Of the place Mr.. Conkling simply
said: 81 am going" No one will suppose
| that this was from any fear; it was self-re-
straint, from the desire TO stop brawl
whose chief damaging effect must inevita-
| bly, fall upon the woman.
Whether We suppose Mr.. Conkiiug to
have done the wor.t that scandal intimates
in compromising Mrs. Sprsgue, or whether
he was conscious Of no di-honorsble con-
duct tow 4rd her or her husband, he could
not hsve behaved letter in this mad brawl
than he did.
New York Herald !
The fact that the name Of a distinguished
public man is mixed up in these distressing
rumors is no excuse for deviating from so
sound rule. Ii does not appear that there
is any around for the inferences that have
been drawn from the accidental connection
of Distinguished public man with this un-
happy family brawl, and il il no part Of
the proper freedom of the press to make
itseif an organ OF personal detrac;ion. This
is not liberty, but license, and the only dan
ger to which the liberty of the press can
ever be exposed in this country would arise
from making itself public nuisance by
invading the privacy Of private life.