New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-16
GARFIELD AND CONKLING.
-,cuor. ov THEIR DIFFERENCES.

AUGUST.
TO the Edltor Of The Tribune
SIN Please hermit me to make 4 somewhat
t,,,er statement OF matters pertinent to the present
status of the contest between the President ana senator
Conkling than contained In NY brieI cOnlntiiof
tion of few days ago l believe the people OF TINS
country are In state OF mind TO relish morsel OF truth
about prominent public men aud important pnbhc
events propose to tell a few plain iacts
ain plain way, that folks can understand thein
am aware that ths may seem very un|ise 10 son'oo
our Inexperienced politicians" for the ethics OF '"o'
school is that be good politician one must DC Sui',
end the smart thing IS so deceive somebody II" 'o
the real facts motives Of both men ond
and send to the public sham and pretence. 80 ''e
concluded TO try the experiment OF tciIhg 're '''
about Some matters with which am familiar tha1 nave
been alluded to recent correspondence IN suoh man
pcr a. 20 keep up and increase false IMPRESSION
ORIGIN or TIE PRESENT CONTEST.
The present contest originated With The nomination Of
Judce Robertson 10 bc Collector of the Port OF Now
York Why should there be any such contest 1874 peru
nent question Is the nominee not competent man. IN
every way worthy OF and qualified for the phcef NJ
one an all the discussion tina, has followed ms nomi-
ton has denied that Is attempted 60 prove that nc
1snot Why then Is this contest! Because Senator
Conklinc doesn't Ike the nomination Why doesn't TIC
Ike ~ Because the President didn't consult him about
It. and primarily, because Mr. Robertson asserted ms
manhood and his ri ghts al the Chicago Convention
1t ia worth while 10 consider whether Mr.. 'onkihS i
not solely responsible for all this fuss aud whether he Is
worth il all or not II he had objected to MI loO-
ertson would anybody else have oJectedf haTd!' II
he would withdraw hs objections now "ouid any poH1
else be dissatisfied keep the contests MOI hAo!
Then he alone responsible for all this delay ana tu'
MOL, which puts many people to great inconF
and anxiety rcards the public business OF the Gov
eminent
Has he sufficient cause 10 Justify such conduct 80
grave matter the creation and continuance OF such
strife going and is likely to continue ana
earry with IL very serious consequences can only DO
justified on the ground that the public interests are I'M
periled or somebody's rights violated. What public
interest is mperillod by Mr.. Robertsons nomination
None-aobody pretends it. Whose rights are violated
Mr. Conkllng's, If any bodys Where does he get bis
right to dictate control nominations II he has H.
whore does il begin and end or il it defined and lin
lied only by his sweet will = IL would seem So
From among Mr. C0nklng's friends in the State OF
New-York President Garfield appointed one Cabinet
officer one rstclass foreign minister the Postmaster AT
Albany and We other Of the most important officers in
the State Then he vonturcd make appointment Of
personally eminent, competent and worthy OF
consideration any of the others, but who doesn't train
with Mr. Conkng politically 80 he objects, aud great
National is the result Eight OF hs friends ap-
pointed 10 whom he rcckOns not his friend and he
objects Where would he stop Obiectingi Would II be
10 TO 81 to l, where TO viii not SATISFY
him. what would oris there any reason TO believe that
anything would short Of absolute control OF New-fork
appointments which means absolute subserviency on
State Of New-YOrk are concerned
THE METHODS OF THE CONTEST.
But II il OF of the methods Of the contest and side
issues questions Of fact raised In it that desire
more particularly speak Within few days after this
one nomination made, Objectionable TO this one
man part Of the press friendly TO Mr. Conkng teemcd
with the indecent and scurous attacks upon the
President Up 10 this time these papers had been
loud praise of the President and of his conduct
during the campaign and since the election Everything
was lovely till Robertson nominated. and then the
man whom they had compimented daily statesman,
scholar gentleman aud a President who wanted 70
do the fair thing by all factions suddenly denounced
as woahling, wr.sgler," and trtocAerous be-
trayer OF faith.
Now here we touch bottom, here we have something
tangible, something that can De proved or dsproyed
We are lifted out of the mere ir0th OF scurriOus ana
ANONYMOUS correspondence and brought square mp 10
question Did the President make pron.es and
II so old he keep break thcml Let Dc LITTLE con-
crete when, where. and 10 whom did lie make promises,
and why did he make them The only definite state
ent we had about this the truth or falschood OF
which can be tested and which furnishes test
for the merits of the whole controversy. and
test OF somebody's veray IS the assertion in The Her
aids ive-colunn Wriggler article that Garfield in
sort of despair suggested the NewHork conference
oflas summer when he thought his election hopeless
came TO NevYork 70 beg support and make all
of pledges to IT, And this the only definite spec
IAcation made in support of the general charge OF
pledges made and broken have already denounced
and do again denounce as an absolute and sanderoUs
falsehood. That New-YOrk conference alto
gether the most significant and important move
tnent OF the campaign IL was q vital moment and when
we get al the IL get at the ytas Of this
controversy Moreover II Mr. Conkine his friends
will fal<fy that they VIII fslsify anything and every
thing carry tler point and possible break down
the peoples confidence IN the President.
WHY TIE CONFERENCE WAS HELD.
fho Ea -Nork voe hQ1
at the earnest solicitation of Senator Ccnkngs friends
In order to ind ont II possible whether he going
support the Republican ticket oppose f. or sulk
he did in $40; and General Garfield consented to it and
attended eouneraot and stamp out this treachery
which he had reason 10 believe was contemplated. Mr.
Conkngs friends" it seemed had not the TO
nsk him what he going do they had he hadn't
enough respect for either them himself TO
answer frankly Ike a gentleman, and 40
they had 10 60 to all this trouble and
have people dragged from all the country settle
that with other man in the country could
have been settled with question OF ten words and IN
answer OF
Now don't intend that the Significance oft con
ference OF any OF the Important facts connecte with
IL OF growing OF II, OF the he told about ia Inc
Herald shah be lost sight o. obscured even, by
questions as TO my size looks the quality and no Of
my clothcs my past record or previous condition"
These are quesiOns which the American people have
no specal interest and not In dispute part OF
this controversy. Think all the public cares TO know
nhout me Just now Ia whether l know what am
talking about not; and IL so, whether | am
telling the truth not n satisfied that point the
public will not care much just about SIZE looks
clothes OF even how much or little brains may have,
or how much little Information on other subjects.
Mr. CcDklDgs writers" would be glad 10 divert aen-
real issue Joined by substituting personal
when and logical rodson what the people
want
have heretofore stated that part OF my limited