The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-12-30
1T MAKES A DIFFERENCE WHOSE
OK Is GORED.

through the course taken by Presi-
dent Garfield in the appointment of
Robinson to the Collectorship of the
port of New York, and the subse-
quent ignoble action on the part of
Roscoe Conkling and me.to Plat in
resigning their seats in the u. S.
Senate, are matters still fresh in the
minds of our people.
Among the leading papers land the
only Western journal of note) that
vehemently characterized the actions
of the President In refusing to be
guided by the arrogant and pompous
Conkling, was the Chicago Inter
Ocean, which took the ground that the
President was stepping outside of all
precedent and common decency in
not granting senatorial courtesy"
to Mr.. Conkling in the right to name
the successor to Mr.. Merritt. the then
Collector of the Port. But President
Garfield was not a man to be dictated
to by one whose career and record
had been to "rule or ruin" and who
owed his high political powers to
such weakened executives rs Grant.
and showed the world by this one act
of self.independencs that he had pre-
negatives that demanded respect even
from Senators-especially such DOM
ineering and charlatan politicians as
Conkling, whose highest ambition
was self-aggrandizement. 1t was
through this contest, it will be re-
membered, that the factional split in
the Republican party occurred-those
siding with the Conkling or boiling
faction taking the title of Stalwarts
while those opposing it were called
administration supporters or anti.
Stalwarts.
AS we before remarked, the Inter
Ocean went from the majority to the
minority side, by taking up with the
Stalwart wing, and it has never
missed an opportunity to throw stones
at the administration during the brief
but pure reign of President Garfield's
career. 1t is II long road that has no
turn. and righteous man indeed
who commits no sin. A Collector
for the Port of Chicago had to be
appointed, and for the lucrative and
powerful position-pOlitically speak.
ing-there were five very ardent
aspirants Jesse Spaulding; William
Aldrich; Col. George r. Davis; Hon.
c. b. Farwell, and Mr.. Penn Nixon,
the manager-in-chief of the Inter
Ocean. There is one Senator Sher.
man hailing from Illinois who, &C.
cording the Inter Oceans previously
expressed opinions should have the
appointing power" He did not,
however, favor such men as that
paper would have named, and neither
did President Arthur's views of the
case warrant him in selecting either
of the Inter Oceans aspirants. The
result was that Jesse Spaulding, a
man whose capabilities for the posi-.
ton rank the peer of any of the other
gentlemen named, was chosen, and
now the wall of remorse and chagrin
that eliminates from the columns of
the Inter Ocean are woeful TO contem.
plate. President Arthur has shown
himself man possessed of individu.
ality second only to his illustrious
predecessor, and instead of catering
to the whims and caprices of a mi.
nority faction of the party that
placed him in power, he is gaining
the confidence of the whole Amer.
lean people by representing the whole
country regardless of party or fac
tions.
1t will be observed, however. that
Mr.. Sherman favored and recon.
mended the appointment of Mr..
Spaulding, and the President being
impressed with his fitness for the
position had no hesitancy in recon-
mending him to Congress. Here he
differed from President Garfield's &C.
ton in the New York appointment
but carried out the long-established
precedent of Senatorial courtesy
SO ardently supported by the Inte'
Ocean pending the Garfield. Conkline
controversy. No word of fault il
expressed with the qualifications pos
sessed by Mr.. Spaulding, but the Inter
Oceans man.of-all-work was ignored,
and thus it is that what was all wrong
in the New York case is quite the
reverse in the Chicago case. What
ex-senator Conkling would have done
and what the Inter Ocean sturdily up
held him in doing, is now all wrong
as to Sherman, and the aggrieved
organ is teeming with denunciations
of his action.
1t seems to make a wonderful diff
ference whose OK is gored.