The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-05-14
THE REPUBLICAN FAMILY QUARREL.


here and treasured up for further use"
THE REPUBLICAN FAMILY QUARREL.
The end of the deadlock in the senate a
Washing was the breaking of the l0ash tina
let the warning republican factions at eacl
others throats Up to that time all on the sur
face was calm and peaceful. Are we not al
brothcrs-are We not a unitY' said Dawes bu
minute before he made the momentous mo
ton that broke the deadlock 1t was SO de
had been swcety manipulating for two month.
Just one more turn. II move that the senate
proceed to the election of It's own officers
said Dawes, and every republican voted aye
ate 60 into executive session instead, every re-
publican voted no. But the hour had come
and Dawes Is again on his feet, this time him
self to move that the senate 60 into executive
session, and now every republican stultifes
himself and votes "aye!' A more disgusting
exhibition of abject party servillty was never
witnessed in the previous history Of the senate
And still every senator is calm, but with his
hand on his rapier. They daily on the outer
edge The only business they venture to
touch is uncontested nominations. A score or
two Of these are taken up and calmly disposed
Of, but IN an absent uneasy frame. Several
days are spent in this way But like black
cloud there ever hangs over them the name of
Robertson, and the uneasiness it produces can
be endured no longer
Again Mr. Dawes and his Steering commit
tee" wait on the President and implore him
to withdraw that name" and "iet us have
peace" The President Is memorable at is
a question OF life or death between me and
Conkling and 1t must be fought out here and
now" says Garfield; and to show that he
means business" he wIthdraws the names of
all the friends OF Conkling he had sent to the
senate and leaves them that of Robertson alone
of the New York appointments to act upon
With blow between the eyes like this of
course Conkllng has no alternative but to fight
What IS his case2 He calls 1t senatorial
courtesy" Garfield laid the foundation for it
n his letter of acceptance when he said his
should consult the proper representatives of
the localities interested in making appoint.
ments. But Conkling has stronger case than
even that He tells the caucus that it was
agreed between lin and Garfield at Mentor
that no appointments offensive to him should
be made IN New York, and distinctly that
New York should have the secretary of the
treasury. The agreement had not only been
disrcgardcd IN placing Window over the treas.
ury, but he had not been consulted in the New
York appointments that had been made until
finally there was not only breach of good
faith but direct and studied affront offered
him in the appointment of Robertson, his biz.
terest enemy, The President had even to-
seek special occasion and 60 beyond the law
to make the appointment, for Merritt's time as
collector of the port of New York was not outI
until next winter and IN strictness he could be
removed only for cause Is there any senator
so craven that, under such provoca,on, he
would not flght9
And so the bclligercnts sand arrayed on op-
posing sides. Conkling with his third term
stalwart band, pleading piteously with the
democrats for help, on one side, and Dawes
and the Blaine administration force on the
other side, But OF course the advantage is all
on the side OF the administration, and Conk
ling's defeat is foregone conclusion.
But what can be the dAimuS the philosophy
-ot the brawl9 1t Is evidently not of Conk
ling's seeking and 1t can do Garfield no good i
for however eileclualy he may imagine i'll
will end ConklIng's control of the machine in
New York and thus lessen his influence in the
manipulation of the party machine generally,
he Will at least always have power enough toI
LAY OUT Garfield, should he have any second
term aspirations which he doubtless has. The
only plausible explanation we have vet seem
offered of tins singular fcud is, that 1t IS theI
work of Blaine. After all 1t was Conkliug
who made Blalne's nomination at Chicago
impossible, and 1t is only by killing off Conk.
ling that his nomination is made possible in
the next republican national convention
while the manner of Conkling's taking of by
Garfield will by the same token so effectually
dispose of Garfeld's second term possibilities
that comparative open field will be left for
Blaine!
One of the ways the Chicago Times has of
showing its independence" is to take the OBJ
posite of the obvious or commonly conceived
view of almost any given topic Of the day
Thus while even brother Swing, of the ANi.
dnce, admits thatthe Hubbell letter of Garfield
is disgraceful one, and few but the most
hide bound and devoted administration organs
pretend otherwise, the Times affects to see III
II nothing TO indicate that Garfield expected