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

had been the intimate companion of her
father ever since his entrance upon the
political arena, and more than once had
he relied on her tact and beauty to pull
him 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
tice, 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 q newly fedged orator, and de-
voted her whole mind and energies to
the one object Of placing her father in
the Presidential chair. 1t was q part of
her ambition also to reign as the first la
dy of the land. She often talked with
her friends on this subject, and her mar
riage with Senator Sprague was general
ly believed to be one that had only this
end in view. Sprague at that time was
immensely wealthy, and the Chase party
needed money. Sprague also imperious-
ly 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 1868, however, he was prominently
mentioned as possible Presidential can
didate before the Democratic Conven-
tion, and his daughter, who had at that
time become Mrs. Sprague, again took an
active part in his behalf. She was then
recognized in Washington as one of the
brightest, wittiest and most fascinating
women as the National capital. Her
passion, as we'll as her aptness for politics
and political intrigues, seemed to in
crease with her social power. She culti
vated public men until she knew large
number quite intimately, and even so
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 powerful influence. 1t is even de-
clared by many who had frequently op-
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-
clared that the frauds practiced in Lou
isiana and Florida furnished all the basis
necessary for an overthrow of the pre-
text that Hayes was elected, and for the
swearing in of Tilden. He made no Sc
cret 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
front seat in the members gallery of
the Senate every day during the exciting
count, although nobody thought of her
as 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 seats. 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
people 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 so as to make it
accord with his party. 1t was subse-
quently discovered that the shrewd Rad
ical managers of the Zach Chandler
stripe had overcome Conkling 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 so 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 are
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 q short time Senator
Conkling appeared on the road and
claimed the horse and vehicle. 1t had
already been recognized as the property
of Mrs. Sprague, and the family discov-
cred that the horse had broken away
from its tethcr while unattended.
Telegraphic information received here
last night stated that Mrs. Sprague had,
in yiew of the late behavior of her hus-
band, left him for all time, and the opin-
ion is freely hazarded that one and pos
sibly two suits for divorce will grow out
of last Fridays emeute.
The LEGACY TO Mr.. DAvIs.-The
accounts of the value and extent of the
estate of the late Mrs. Sarah A. Dorsey,
which she bequeathed to Mr.. Davis, that
have recently appeared in the Northern
and Western papers are absurdly extrav-
agant. We are assured, on the best pos
sible authority, that the value of the es-
tate will not exceed $4,000. Beside
"Beauvoir," Mississippi City, valued at
IS, 800, Mrs. Dorsey owned three places
in Tensas Parish, one assessed atS11 $40,
three-fifths of another valued at $1,000,
and another, which is lying idle and is
subject to overflow, at $500. Two Of