National Republican., 1881-11-23
AN INSIDE VIEW
OF THE LATE ADMINISTRATIONS.
How Blaine BROUGHT the Late President TO Grief
Tho Truth About the Star.Iouto Affair
The Matter Discussed In the Csbi-
net-Ex.SenatOr Conkllng.

Events are beginning to proveh how much
Of trouble there was In store for the administration
Of President Garfield If he had lived. His best
friends see more aud more clearly how unfoflu-
nate was his choice In making up portion Of his
Cabinet There nre two things that those who
cung to Garfield as a real friend now greatly re-
gret. One was the appointment Of the New York
collector. Tie other was the methods pursued In
dealing with the star.route scandals. The action
OF the administration III these matters was due
to three members Of his Cabinet. and weeks be.
fore he was shot, Garfield was urged to see how
sadly he had been misled In proceeding with
these matters. In view Of the undoubled fact
that Guiteaus real motive in killing Garfield
was to revenge himself on the President because
he had been driven out OF the White House,
and that he only seized on the Stalwarl
aud Half. Breed issue as cloak for his mallgniy,
II may be non seqaftr to declare that, If Gar
field bad not brought on the contest over the New
York colcctorship, he would not have been shot
But firmly believe TINT such Is the fact. and that
the cowardy william would never have fired the
fatal shot II he had not perceived an opportunity
10 gorify himself as a "Sawart," and thus to
cover up his real motive. The appointment OF
Robertson as collector Of New York was Inspired
and procured by James g. Blaine 1t was thing
wholly unnecesSary-an act out of Seasonal part
Of cunningly devised scheme to win per-
sonal triumph over Conkling and the Grant coteric
In New York. How was i .donei Cranily,
sbrewdly, very skillully, indeed, IL II had not
worked out into such calamltous crime III the
end connected history of the inner workings
OF the Administration last spring will show care
fully studied and persistenty developed
PLAN TO ovERTuRS cosKiISG
and secure control OF the Republican machine In
New York. The changes on the Republican side
of the Senate on tile ith OF March favored aud, in
decd. invited. such scheme. The entry OF such
men as Hale aud Frye, of Maine; llawley Of Com
nccticut; Scwal, ct New Jersey; HARRISON. of In
DIANA Congcr. of Michigan, and Miller, Of Call
forma, not TO mention sherman, of Ohio, fOrcbod,d
n marked loss Of prestige TO Mr. COukllng. The
NV York Senator knew thal, when once these
vain for him TO seek Though n party caucus to
make amy issue with President Gariiclds ndminis.
trnti0n. Ills rcul leadership was gone There rc
aimed in the Senate tire mcn Who had stood hy
him in hls contest fnf Gfant at Chcayo-Cam
eron, OF Pennsylvania LEsn, OF Illinois
who might have bcon in sympathy with
him. was cold IN the to.ab. Mr Blaine saw
two things TO bc dc, btiofu Dee cOu,d iis i."i",.
time enemy III ,he dust, Que wgs 10 win away
Logan and Cameron fTom Cpukliug; Jones he
cared nothing about The other wis 10 make ail
apparent cxigency for the act which should
eron he felt little conCeTn. lie knew that patron.
aye would determine them IN Garlelds favor
that l., they would not Join Conkliug IN any wal
on the Administration, II they could get all he
offices they wanted. Blaine urged Ga field 10 yield
them most generous share III the appointments.
IL Is well known that, during the months oi March,
April, aud May, Senator Logan got practically
everything he asked for IN tie way of appoint
ments from Garfield. lie proicsscd himself abun
dainty satisfied. lie was the Administrations
friend. Senator Don Cameron WAS sent for by
Garfield and personally Gesonsht to let II b,
known what would please him. He said Their
were some appointments III which he was Inter
e,ted. He was asked to bring up his list To the
White House. lie did so. Dpn Cameron carried
to Garfield
ttsr op TutpTy.Tuprp APPOINTMENTS
NIL writ ten on one sheet fpaprr. which lac said
lie would like to nave nude. Garfield took tn
paper, glanced oyer II aud, withOutn word of hest
laiion, said: You shall have them" lie Went
away, thinking Garfield almost equal 10 Grant.
Thus COnking was shOrn. The next Thing was to
get un excuse tor putting cut his cyes-politcall!
speaking. II was DlHinc's cunning idea TO secure
the appointment of RObtrson-nnd Conkl.ng's
oyertlrow-by getting up u little panic among his
bers that nearly all the appointments first made In
New York we've friends OF SENATOR Conkling. He
seemed 10 be getting, not everything lac asked for
but more than tno men who had gone ngnlnsl
Grant at Chicago. He suspected nothing, AMI was
lulled into sense of security. Eleven OF hls
henchmen, 1t viii be remembered, were up.
pointed one alter the other, anu the solicitude f
the Garfield men grew with each appointment
They We're getting nothing, IL appeared. The
scheme worked wei. They began 70 cry out that
they were slaughtered IN the house of their friends
Letters and telegiums, protesting against the APP
poin,ments which pleased ling, began to pour
In from New York city aud State. Mr.. whitelaw
Reid tcleg apc cd Garfield that their friends IN New
York wnuld not stnnd such treatment; that tue
Grant people were boastlns that they controlled
the administration, so far as New York was cpi-
cerned aud that something cOnspctluuS and strik
ing must be done to show The independents" aS
Robertson and his friends were then called. thai
they were not to he abandoned by the adm lnitra-
tion which they nd brought into existence through
their fight against Grant ANA Conking Then
BLAINE AND GARFIELD HAD A TALK,
and the nomination was decided on. 1t is true
that Garfield had pledged himself 70 consult Conk-
ling about New York appointments, aud TO take
no important step without sending fnr him. But
of coiirsc he would protest violently, and people
who are setting traps for other people do not
usually send for them and tell them what they are
about Mr. ConElng was still unsuspecting-so
uns,lSpeCtiug, In fact, that he was in the net Of
iudictlng telegram TO an anxious friend In New
York, telling him that he (CUnkling) WAS Ia posi-
tiun to take care of his friends, and had the dis
ger from the White House wHlkcd inlo the Seliae
Chamber, bearing the nomination of Robertson,
Mr.. Conkling,s dispatch - his New York friend
was never finished. Is it so much to be
il the Senator Now for a few more f,cts
abuse M as % %Uoukngs "MStoS S' wns elected to 1G IL"
Senate lat winter by The help Of the votes Of the
anti.Conkling men, as nsaillSl Mr. Crowley, who
IN the Legislature. He ut that time made
promises % the men who afterward came To be
10 iavOr the Conkiing men in tho party ut NuSh-
ingtun. and that he would, far Us he could, see
t,ut all clements In the parry were nlrly treated
1nla ~ NHut SNVuIcu
votes and won the election, which was so much
wondered at at the time When he got To WASH
ing,on in March he found, to his dismny. that
neither Mr.. Guriield nor Mr.. Blaine desired to
consult him, and, AS the weeks went on, he was
annoyed 10 iind that even Mr. Conklng seemed To
have more influence NJ the White House than he
had. The Hnti-Conkling men, 10 whom he had
made promises, came here und filled his house Ia
DEMoRAILzED CROWDS,
and his position became thoroughly disRgrceable.
Al the same time he found that ho must sacrifice
m IN nriynia >
to iemaim IN the Sennte. Then, when Garfield
nominated llObertsVu, his position became still
more unbearube. lie was then forced 10 decide
outright whe her to side with the Administration
or with Mr. Cunkling. Ilc could not do either
without bringing on himself the celisure of men
who had voted for him. lie uien told Conkliug
he was going to resign anyWny, ana Conkling sail
he would do the sune and they would seek II vim
dicGtion u, home. How much Of wisdom there
was in Mr.. GuTiieds action In this allair, aud
how cunningiy c was led on 10y Baine, any
reader can see. That Blaine would ncdcvii MS
leved in March. aud | entertain no doubt
that with safer and wiser cu,lir es, Mr.. Garfield
would have been alive aud in the Exl culve Man
| sion to-day. Now that 10 ollly pari. Take the
stal-rOulc matters next, und sec how far from wise
| and safe GAriields action there was. For his
course IN THESE matters he did not At inst take hs
advice from Mr. Blaine. Mr.. Garfield had In ms
Cabinet man vno was Intensely hostile both 10
Blame und G,ant-Mr, MacVeagh. lie hmd Post.
master General who WIS much praised business
man. These gentlemen discovered, soon aitor
they came into office, that there had been huge
| amount ot money wASsod on expedited sar"
routes during recent years. Certain sO-calie,l
"eXperlS got the ear OF these gentlemen anu as.
| surud them that thcre had been iut only waste
| but stealing, aud that II great deal OF capital
could be made by investigating aud prosecuting
THE SUPPOSED THIEVES.
| These experts were then told 10 20 IN " irk aud
get the evidence IN shape. lhe experts sUCietui
| themselves III room In highly scn'atlunal fash
| ion, aud proceeded ~ assure AlnuNungh james,
| and all tile newspaper correspondents that ,huy
had discovered the mos! astonishing evidence 0l
| fraud and robbery, and that MIR. Brady and Alr,
| Dorsey, aud u great many other people nluSt gO 10
| the peuitentiary Whenever they Uhe expertsJ said
the word Mr.. MacVeagn aud Mr., James, aud sune