Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-05-27

The United States senate having reached a
final adjournment, the political interest of the
country now centres at Albany, N. Y, where
Roscoe oonkling is engaged in a life-and-death
struggle for a reelection to the senate for him
self and his colleague. When the New York
senators first resigned Mr.. Conkling under
took 10 pose before the country, in a role of
injured innocence, as a man who was anxious
to retire TO private life, or who, at the very
least, was sublimely Indifferent as TO whether
he should be returned to the senate. With
the development of the fact that the people
of New York were more than willing to take
him at his word and elect him to stay
at home, this bearing of lordly indiffer-
ence speedily changed to one of heated and
vulgar anxiety lest he should fail of the vim
dication which, at the outset, he had evident
ly felt so absolutely sure that he should re-
ceive. On Sunday last he was in con-
sultation with a select circle of friends in New
York city; on Monday it was soberly announc-
ed that Mr.. Conkling had consented" to be-
come candidate for reelection and on Tues
day morning, in response to an urgent mes
sage, His Primary left post haste for Albany,
accompanied by Vice President Arthur, to
enter into personal contest of wire-pulling
and intrigue for a reelection.
The contest which now RACES at Albany is
bitter and exciting one. Under the law of
the state, the election of senators takes place
next Tuesday. 1t is very evident that the
people OF the state are anxious that Conkling
should be allowed to remain at home, and two
strong men chosen in place of him and Plat.
The Conkling men in the legislature assume
tone of loud-mouthed confidence, and pro-
fess to be fully assured that both Conkling
and Plat will be reelected. The Administra-
ton members, as the supporters of the presi-
dent are called, ON the contrary maintain
stoutly that the ex.senators cannot be return
ed and steadily refuse to go into caucus with
the Conkling men. The dispatches of Thurs
day morning state that the call for O caucus
has received but 43 signatures out of the log
Republican members of both houses, and 40
signatures have been appended to the pledge
against voting for Conkling or Plat or going
into caucus at ALL OF the % unpledged legis-
lators, the Conkling men have to secure l / to
have majority in favor of the meeting of q
party caucus, and, consequently, to have a
majority of the caucus recorded in favor of
the reelection of the senators resigned. The
chances which Messrs Conkling and Plat
have of receiving the necessary 81 votes in
| joint convention of the two houses are there
fore decidedly slim, unless, as the New York
Times significantly suggests, the Democrats
can be brought to see that the surest way to
divide the Republican party is to assist in re-
turning the ex-senators.
Whatever the outcome of the fight may be,
the spectacle is q sorry one for Mr.. Conkling.
In order to have reelection amount to any
thing as 'vindication," he ought to receive,
practically, every Republican vote, and he
should be in quiet retirement at his Utica
home, awaiting in serene dignity the sum-
mons of the people to another term of public
service. Instead of this the ex-senator of
"matchless ability" has found himself CON-
PEELED TO put himself on level with the
meanest politician. He is at Albany working
desperately for his own reelection and using
all the ordinary methods of ambitious men
who pertinaciously seek office because they
know that Office will never seek them. He
has his headquarters" at the principal hotel,
is surrounded by crowd of retainers, and is
using every art of the willy politician to win
and keep friends, his best hope now being
that he may secure a bare majority of votes
for the return of himself and Platt Another
week will doubtless show the outcome of the
fight, but whatever it may be it can amount
to nothing as vindication of Roscoe Conk.