Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-12
lancaster f,1tellgencer.


THURSDAY EVENING. NAY "a, 1881.
4 Wrecked Party.
The remarkable narrative in the New
York Herald concerning Garfeld's du-
plicity is attributed to John Russell
Young, who is notoriOusly, Of newspaper
men, nearest to the Grant regime. This
no less than the tone of
the article, points irresistibly to the con-
clusion that all of its statements which
relate to matters of fact are inspired by
Mr.. COnkling Indeed much of its SUBJ
stance, set down as authorized announce
ments, is Of such nature that Mr..
Conkling only could furnish it or au-
thenticate it. 1t might almost as we'll,
for the purposes of its challenge to the
president, be over the initials r. e."
In this view, what ordinarily would be
only newspaper sensation, becomes
document of national interest.
In the first place it exhibits very plain
ly the desperate straits of Garfield before
the late presidential election; how he
was squeezed by the Grant faction into
a shameful bargain for their votes and
their money in consideration of his
promises to them of the patronage; how,
as SO often before, the weakness of his
mora: nature succumbed to the appeals
to Lis hopes and fears, and how he furth-
er illustrated that weakness by refusing,
in the hour of his prosperity to fulfil the
bargain made in his distress. There is
very much of the politician in all this,
and particularly Of the weak politician
Of the Ohio type, who is so apt to lie
and make volub!e promises to get place
and then forget them. The elder Cam
eron, it will be remembered, has told us
how Hayes went down Oh his marrow
bones to the THE FAMILY, and even ac-
cepted his pocket money for the CAM
paign from Don, and then would neither
appoint the old man to the English min
istry, nor the young man to cabinet
place, as his readiness to accept aid from
them had led them to expect he would.
In that part of the Herold's narrative
which we reprint to-day, the bargain
made by Garfield with Levi Z. Morton,
head of the syndicate which raised the
corruption fund for his election, is vivid
ly set torth. How nobly the finer fabric
of the real statesman, Hancock-with
the integrity of Jefferson and the firm
ness of Jackson-contrasts with the pitt
full attitude of the Republican candidate
peddling his prospective patronage on
Wall street.
The narrative goes On to tell that as
SON as elected Garfield suffered " par
alysis of memory" and the contrast of
affairs before and after the November
ides is picturesquely told in this Conk-
lingesque sentence The pledges and
promises of the campaign loaded down
the Mentor mail, so that it required the
labors of three or four secretaries to send
back statesmanlike notifications of their
dishonOr and reputation" Conkling
was sent for to have the news broken to
him gently. His lip curled at the diluted
tea-table talk which he was obliged to
un dergo; and then Judge Folger was
sent for, and disguised at the offer of Il
subordinate cabinet place which he in
dignantly declined; and the upshot Of
it all was the offer to Morton of the
secretaryship of the navy, the one place
which Conkling had expressly asked
should not be rendered his state. 1t is
further related that Garfield distinctly
promised Conkling to make no changes
in the New York custom house at pres
ent, nor without consulting him, and
broke his word. As all this is offered to
beproved as soon as challenged by any
responsible party, it rests with the
friends of the administration to make
that call or admit its truth. =.
The whole situation shows the pitiable
condition Of our politics under Repub-
lican manipulation of them. Here is
party which had won victory out of the
jaws of defeat and seemed to have taken
a new lease Of life, all its factions ap-
parently cemented in support of one of
its strongest men intellectually who was
weakened by no factional affiliations
and yet in less than three months his
administration is shipwrecked and his
party drifting on the rocks. And all for
what ? Upon no question of high prin-
ciple or national concern, but in a
greedy, hOggish scramble for the spOils
of Office The cohesive power of plum
der is strong tie: it has held that Or
ganizaiton together when all its vitality
was extinct and its limbs were rotting.
Now it is snapped and can never be
spliced.
PEOPLE who talk about an independ-
ant judiciary and Of keeping the bench |
out of politics. will do well to remember |
that that does not consist solely in the |
accepting the candidate of the
party, or in the people electing
the choice of the politicians without a
protest or an appeal for a better man if
le can he found. Political independence
n the selection of judges, which is
most excellent idea, means that
he people of judicial district
n the majority of them shall