New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-18
REELECTION NOT A CERTAINTY.

TIE CoNKIING PARTY IN @r1I LEGISLATIVE NOT AZ
STRONG IN MAY AS 1T WAS IN JANUARY-A RE-
VIEW OF THE CAUSES THAT LEAD TO THIS con-
CLUsIoS-FIGUREs THAT WILL BEAR STUDY.
iBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l
ALBANY, May 17.-Ex-Senators Conkling and
Patt must by this time be aware that the fervcnt
support of their attack on President Garfield by the
Republicans of the Ncw-York Legislature. for which
they confidently looked, will not be given. 1t
would add to their discouragement also, if they
told as is now evident, that there is doubt Of
their reelection Their friends here have either mis-
represented their strength in the Legislature to
them or they have been deceived by an appearance
of strength which they did not POSSESS.
The attitude of the Legislature toward them
now is vastly different from what it was
in January last. Then the designs Of the
National Administration unknown. 1t
was deemed possible that they might
have all the Federal patronage, and with the
patronage it was well-known they could absolutely
control the course of State politics for years 10
come. Those ambitious Of political honors did not
dare to run counter to their wishes then. but the
limit of their power is now known the policy of
the Administration is revealed and with its revela
ton there has come courage to take an independent
position on party questions Political allies. like
the Governor and the Speaker of the Assembly also
members than they did in January. Members have
passed the bills in which their constituents in
terested. The bills have become laws, and are.
therefore. beyond the reach Of anyone TO mar. All
these causes render the COnkling party far weaker
in MAY than ii was in January, when Thomas {.
Platt was elected United States Senator chiefly by
their votes.
An analysis Of the votes cast at the last
Republican Senatorial caucus shows that
even then the Garfield men could have
caused deadlock in the Legislature over
the choice Of a United States Senator if they
had chosen to adopt this course II is well known
that Senator Robertson carried over TO Thomas {.
Platt the votes of eighteen members There were
three Conkling candidates for United States Sena-
tor, namely. Thomas c. Platt, Richard Crowley and
Levi p. Morton. Deducting the eighteen votes
taken to them by Senator Robertson, they only had
sixty-hree votes 1t takes eightyone votes to elect
United States Senator in joint legislative session
H. therefore, the Garfield Republicans had remained
away from the caucus, gone into the Legislature
trammeIed by it's laws and voted for some other Re
publican candidate, there would have been dead
lock and Thomas c. Platt would probably not have
been elected The Independent Republican voters
at that caucus were divided as follows: William A.
Wheeler, 10; Sherman Rogers, 10; Elbridge Lap
ham. a Senator Robertsons following, 1S-total,
AZ. There were therefore, in January last when 1t
was dangerous to be an Independent Republican
forty-two men who dared to stand out against
Conkling the State Administration and the
chief officers of the Legislature. 1t is deemed
preposterous that their numbers have been
lessened since that day. II only twenty-six OF them
should remain away from the approaching Republi-
can Senatorial caucus and should in the Legislature
vote for an Administration man for United States
Senator they could produce deadlock in the Legis-
lature and, unless the Democrats interfered, pre-
vent the reelection Of ConkGng and Platt.
The most ardent friends Of Conkling in the Legis-
lature do not have the audsciy to claim that eighty
one Republicans, the necessary number to reelect
him, have determined TO vote for his
They claim the votes of twelve
Republican Senators and sixty Republican Assem-
blymen, but this makes only seyenty-two, or nine
abort of the requisite number The claim OF sixty
votes in the Assembly Is based the wobblerS let
ter TO Conkling and Platt in relation to Robersons
nomination. But that letter examination is
found to contain only ffty-eeven names. Somo Of
these men to-day openly declared that they ahould
oppose Conkiings reelection One acquainted with
the Legislature, by gancing down the list OF names,
can perceive at least fifteen men upon whom Conk-
ling cannot rely to vote for his reelection.
After visit home TO their constituents this week