Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-06-11
ROSCOE.s GAME.

The lady or gentleman who sets
Mr.. Roscoe Conkling, of New York
down for a fool, it seems to us, has
mistaken the man.
If Mr.. Conkling simply desired
to create a sensation and spite some
one by resigning his seat in the
United States senate, and expected
to be vindicated promptly by his
legislature and sent back once more
to his place among his brother SEN
atOrs and there let the performance
end, then he has acted certainly in
n very childish manner, and wheth-
er he succeeds or fails in his effort to
return to Washington, has made
himself ridiculous in the eyes of the
world. But Mr.. Conkling is play
ing for much larger stake than his
old seat in the United States senate.
He was a great man during the
eightyears of Grants administration.
He might have had almost anything
he wished for the asking. He was
offered, it is understood, the high
place of Chief Justice of the Supreme
court after the death of Mr.. Chase,
and refused it. He was undoubted-
ly a power in the land.
Under the administration of Mr..
Hayes, Mr.. Conkling was a cipher,
was inglOriously snubbed on all
occasions, he had fallen from his
high estate and the years between
1S76and 1880 were gallingon to him
All men know how he struggled
for the nomination of Grant at Chi
cago last year-how he failed-hOw
he sulked in his tent, how Maine
went wrong for the republican par
ty and New York was considered
HOPELESS, and at the eleventh hour
he aud Grant were called on to save
the party, and how they I'M
doubtedly did save it from disaster
and defeat and made Mr.. Garfield
president. Now Mr.. Conkling is
snubbed and more, his voice is once
more without influence in a repub-
lican administration. More than
that he understands he is not deal
ing with "that man Hayes" His
old enemy Blaine is laying the pipe,
and skiIlfully using the means at
his command to give Mr.. Garfield
a second term or grasp the prize
himself in 1884. Mr.. Conkling has
it in his power to defeat this little
game and proposes to do it. New
York is a very large and very close
state, il is the pivotal state. No
democrat or republican can hope to
be elected without it. Mr.. Conk-
ling can at least run such an oppo-
sition to Blaine and Garfield in the
state of New York that the next re-
publican convention will not dare
to nominate either of them for pres
ident.
John Kelly made the democrats
afraid to nominate Tilden and
Conkling is a greater man in many
ways than Kelly.
Three years hence a great cry will
go up from the republican ranks ev-
erywhere that the dissensiOns in
New York must be healed and the
party reunited. To do this one man
will have to be cOnciliated-Mr.
Conkling. He will not be able to
get the nomination himself for pres
ident he may not be able to name
his friend Gen. Grant, but he will
be able to name any one else for the
place. The next occupant of the
White House, TIA republican, WILDE
his open friend. Garfield and Blaine
will be bowling in outer darkness,
and Lord Roscoe will be avenged.
This, at least, it seems to us is the
stake for which he is now playing,
and his defeat before the present
New York legislature will not be
the end of the game.
Come what may the democrats
have cause to rejoice at the row and
the country at large has everything
to hope from it.