The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-12-17
Bayard and Cenkling.

ling, George :. Boutwell, and Noah DAVIS
we're common politicians, their extra.
ordinary card in the Press of Saturday
would have attracted little attention. But
one is Vice President elect of the United
States, another is a United states Senator
and third has been Senator and Secretary
OF the Treasury of the United States, and
when men holding such positions accuse
another OF falschOod the natural presump-
tion would be that they had reason for their
accusation. Aud yet it is made evident
by the correspondence between them
not only that this attack upon Senator
Bayard was without justification, but that
Senator Conkling at least, who is evidently
the instigator OF this strange performance
knew that the joint statement was both un-
called for and untrue. That Senator Bayard
would clear himself of the charge of bear
ing false witness was taken for granted by
all who know his habitual csrefulness and
fairness, but it scarcely could have been ex-
pected that he would turn the guns so COM
pletely against his adversaries and convict
them of the very oilense which they had
charged against him.
A correspondent of the Press writing
from Dover during last October reported a
speech made by Senator Bayard there, in
which he spoke of the notorious abuses in
the New York Custom House under the
moiety system and in which the Senator was
represented as making broad and unquali-
fed accusation that Messrs. Conkling, Bout
of dollars out of Mr.. Wi liam E. Dodge's
pocket and divided it among themselves.
The Press, assuming the correctness of its
report, made this statement the basis for a
severe editorial attack upon Mr.. Bayards
accuracy and upon his character as gentle
man. Mr.. Conk ling very properly enclosed
this article to Mr.. Bayard and asked him if
he had made such q state ment, and Mr.
Bayard, under date of November 10, replied
that the report, which he had then seen for
the first time, wa, so grossly inaccurate as
to cause the belief that it could not have
been written by an bones, person. He re-
peated to Mr.. Conkling, however, exactly
what he had said upon the subject referred
to, adding that if any injustice had been
done him he would feel bound to apply any
proper remedy when his error was disclosed
to him. To this very courteous letter Mr..
CJnk ling replies in the tone of bully, not
pointing out any error in what Mr.. Bayard
really had said, but reiterating his question,
which already had been answered, whether
the published statement sent you in print
was made by YOU Mr.. Bayard seems to
have kept his temper remarkably well,
though he naturally drops into more for.
NAL and distant tone. He repeats that the
published statement was grossly inaccurate; I
explains again what he did say, giving mi.
nutely the official authorities for his state
ments, and again expresses bis desire to be
simply just to himself and others, promising
to follow wherever that may lead.
This correspondence absolutely demoli-h-
ed whatever standing ground Mr.. Conkling
may haye had. But What does that honor
able gentleman do? Does be drop the sub
ect, or does he endeavor to show Mr.. Bay
ard that the judgment be had formed from
the official testimony was erroneous? He
does neither. Mr.. Bayard's last letter il
dated November 81; in the Press of Decem-
Der IL, but under date of November SO, Mr.
Conklng publishes a letter, over his own
signature, with those OF Messrs. Arthur,
Boutwell, and Davis in which he makes
this astonishing statement:
| A month has now elapsed since you thus
published and characterized this reported
utterance. The State Sentinel. paper pub
lished at Dover, the place where the speech
is said to have been made, contained only
one day later thsa your issue like report,
yet up to this time no disclaimer or retrac.
ten by or on behalf of Mr. Bayard has ap.
peared, as far as we know.
If Mr.. Baysrd's disclaimer had not 'ap.
Mr.. Conkling's possession for at least two
weeks, and Mr.. Bayard furthe, states tha,
Mr.. F. A. Burr, one of the editors of the
Press, had received in Philadelphia letter
stated the falsity and malice of the report o
my speech at Dover, which had been pub
lished in the Press of October 90 And yet
in the face of all this, Mr.. Conkling writes
his friends sign and the Press spprovingl,
prints this extraordinary attack upon Mr.
Bayard, denouncing as "a wilful and wicket
falsehood' statement which Mr.. Bayart
himself already had repeatedly dsavowed
The Press, of course, will gladly correct it
error, but for Mr.. Conkling there is no es
cape from the deplorable position 10 which
he has placed himself Worsted in his cor
respondence with Mr. Bayard, and darinl
not to pursue discussion which could onl,
prove injurious to himself, he has sought
rufians revenge, and, relying upon Mr.
Bayard's indispositon to personal contro
versy, has sought 10 get even by calling
names. He has not hurt Mr.. Bayard, bu
he has convicted himself Of the most delib
crate and shamelts, piece Of falsi6catior
that a Senator of the United States eve
stopped to- Times.