Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-13
zdncaster FntelIgenrer.
MONDAY EVENING. DEC. ls. 1880.
What the Issues Are.

What the Issues Are.
The Philadelphia Press and Senator
Conkling are placed in a very remark
able position before the country by the
fact that Senator Bayard informed one
of the Press editors prior to November
20, and advised Senator Conklimg in two
letters of Nov. u and q, that the report
was false of a speech made by him
in October and published in the Press
and by the other fact that, notwith-
standing, the Press on Dec. II publish
cd letter dated Nov. %, signed by
Conkling, Davis, Boutwell, and Ar
thur, which said that " up to this time
no disclaimer or retratiOn by or On behalf
of Mr.. T. F. Bayard has appeared rs far
as we know
The Press and Senator COnkling did
know that Senator Bayard had made
such disclaimer, and they stand
before the country as telling deliberate
lie, for the purpose of showing Senator
Bayard to be Il liar :; or for some other
secret purpose not now disclosed.
There does not seem to be any OppOr-
tunity for the Press and Senator COnk-
ling to escape from this position. Their
idea probably is that Senator Hayard's
statement to the Press editor that the
Press report was false, and his similar
declaration to Senator Conkling, accom-
panied with statement of what he real
ly did say, do not fully relieve Senator
COnkiing from the imputatiOns of the
speech, ard that therefore they were able
to say that he had not disclaimed them.
But if they so thought they were bound
to acknowledge what Mr.. Bayard had
disclaimed and to hold him responsible
only fer what he did not disclaim. This
is clear to every man of sense and honor
The Press, admitting the denial as Mr..
BayarI shows he made it, undertakes to
say that the issuS is whether he did say
it or no. That may he one issue; but
there are two others which.it and Senator
Conkling have raised.
The one is whether they have lied de-
liberateiy and maliciOusly in suppressing
their knowledge of Senator Bayard's de-
nial, SO far as it was made, and declar-
ing and printing that no disclaimer or
retraction had appeared on behalf Of
Mr.. Bayard.
The other remaining issue is is to the
conduct of Senator COnkling so far as he
was referred to by Mr.. Bayard in his
speech and is implicated in the Phelps,
Dodge X Go. settlement by the record
to which Senator Ibayarl drew his atten-
tion after he had declared his ignorance
of it. Connected with this issue is that
as to the conduct of the other signers of
the card, in hunting and capturing their
part of the .Swag. This. will he an in
teresting matter of investigation and dis
cussion AMI should lie entered into for the
purpose of enlightening the dense igEor-
ance of Senator Conkling. \ commit
tee of investigation should be appointed
10y the Senate. Mr.. Conkling evidently
does not read the record as Senator Bay
ard does, and rs every one else does. lie
should be given chance to develop the
facts, and while the Senate is about it
Senator Conkling ought to be allowed to
show the exact truth about his shotgun
encounter with Sprague. There is 4 gen.
eral impression that the senator is not !,
good and moral man. He seems to think
that he is. Give him change to prove
it, rash AS he seems to be to ask it. lie
would be more prudent to follow the ex-
ample of Garfield, who only prays for
Oblivion for the past. lie refrainetl
from denying that he had committed
perjury or from in.licting the numerous
newspapers that have charged it on him
though he did waken up ut last to COM
plain against one that accused him of a
new piece of lying. lie wants us to
understand that he has OutgrOwn the
habit; and that if lie perjured himself
in 1873, he don't lie in 1850. COnkiing
on the other hand bids fair to prove that
he is not growing in grace. His present
lie has not Il healthy moral look. There
is no danger of his growing too good for
the company of Garfield, Blaine and
Cameron. Perhaps he is only anxious to
show tina: he is wicked enough to suit
the temper of the times that have put a
perjurer in the presidency. He has nc
need to he anxious nobody will deny it.