River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-05-26
RESERVATIONS.
Senators ConkIfng and Plat of New
York Resign Their seats in the L. -
70

senators ConkIing and Piatt OF New
York Resign Their seats in the U. -
senate.
On the 10th inst, the United States
Senate was thrown into fever of ex-
element, by the vice president laying
before that body the following COM
munications:
WASHINGTON. May Is, 1881,
Hon. c. A. ArtAto-
SIR: You will please announce to the senate
that my resignation as senator OF the United
States from the state of New York has been for
warded to the governor of that state have the
honor to be, with great respect,
Your obedient servant
Roscoe CoNKLISG.
This communication was read with
great sensation, which was heightened
when the vice president laid the follow
ing before the senate:
WAsHINeToN, SENATE CHAMBER
May IS, 1881.
SIR: / have forwarded to the governor of the
state of New York my resignation as senator for
the state of New York. Win you please announce
the fact to the senate. With great respect,
Your obedient servant
y. C. PLATT.
A hum of ast0nishment followed the
reading of these com munications, and
Hill, of Georgia, suggested that this
would be good time to elect officers
of the senate.
THEY ASSIGN REASONS.
WASHINGTON, d. c., May IA, 1881.
TO AlonzO b. Cornell, Governor Of the
State Of Nea0 York
SIR: Transmitting rs we do our res
ignations respectively of the great
trusts with which we have been hon
ored. it is fit that we acquaint you, and
through you your legislature and the
people of the state with the reasons
which in our judgment make such a
step respectful and necessary.
Some weeks ago the president sent
to the senate in a group the nominations
of several persons for public offices
alre ady filled. One of those offices is
the collectorship of the port of New
York, now held by Gen. Merritt; an
other is the consul generalship at
London, now held by Gen. Badeau;
another is charge d'affaires to Den
mark, held by Mr.. Cramer; another is
mission to Switzerland, held by Mr..
Fish, son of the former distinguished
secretary of state. Mr.. Fish had IN de-
ference to ancient practice placed his
position at the disposal of the new ad-
ministration, but like other persons
named, he was ready to remain at his
post if permitted to do so. All these
officers, save only Mr.. Cramer, are cit
liens of New York. 1t was proposed
to displace them all, not for any al
legged faults or for any alleged needs or
advantage of public service, but in
order to give the great office
of collector of the port of New York to
to VIM. HI. Robertson, as reward for
certain acts of his said to have aided in
making the nominations of Gen. Gar
field possible. The chain of removals
thus proposed, was broken down by
Gen. Bodeaus promptly declining to
accept the new place to which he was
to be sent. These nominations sum-
moned every member to say whether
he advised such transactions. The
movement was more than a surprise,
as all had been told only few hours
before that no removals in New York
officers were soon to be made or even
considered, and requested to withhold
the papers and suggestions bearing
on the subject which had been sent to
us for presentation, should occasion
arise, until we had notice from the pres
ident of his readiness to receive them.
Learning that the vice president was
equally surprised, and has been equal
ly misled, we went to Mr.. James, cabi-
net officer, from our state, and learned
that though he had spent some time
with the president, on the morning of
fhn lou hn
disclosure Of the intention to send them
had been made to him, and that the
first he knew of the matter was
by hearsay. Upon earnest re-
Election and consultation, We be-
lieved the proceedings unwise, and
wrong, whether considered wholly in
relation to the preservation and in
tegrity of the public service. and the
public example to be set, or in relation
also to the integrity of the republican
party. No public utterance of COM
ment or censure was made by either OF
us in the senate, or elsewhere. On the
contrary, we thought that the presi-
dent would reconsider the action so
sudden and hasty, and would at least
adopt less hurtful and Objectionable
modes freqesting personal or indi-
vidual service in this hope. The fol-
lowing paper was prepared and signed,
and presented by Mr.. James to the
president, who was subsequently in
formed that you had authorized your
name to be added also.
| To he President:
| We beg leave to demonstrate against the change
in the dictatorship at New York by the removal
of Mr.. Merritt and the appointment of Mr.. Rob-
ertson. The proposal was wholly surprise, we
heard of it only when several nominations in
volved in the plan announced in the senate;
we had only two days before this been in
formed by you that a change in the customs of
| flee at New York was not contemplated, and were
quite ignorant of your purpose to take any action.
Now that we had no opportunity until after the
nominations to make suggestion we
do not believe that the interests of the
public service viii be promoted by removing the
present collector and putting Mr.. Robertson in
his stead. Our opinion is quite the reverse, and
we believe that no political advantage can be
gained for either the republican party or ITS prin-
| ciples. Believing that no individual has claims
or obligations which should be iquidated in such
| mode, we earnestly and respectfully ask that
| the nomination of Mr. Robertson be withdrawn.
TSignedl CHESTER A. ARTHUR,
L. G. PLATT,
THos. l.. JAMES,