Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-06-07
ROSCOE CONKLING'S FALL.
An Obituary Notice Exact in Fact
and Detail.

LII AGs III I HAOD0bAAAA. "A NAgnO
of Roscoe COnkling's career in Amer
lean politics. A more sudden and
%ruinous collapse of power, apparently
so great as was his a month ago, has
never been seen in our political his
tory. 1t is obviously the work of pub
lie opinion. If weexamlne the causes
which have led to the downfall we
find some interesting facts. The
power OF the ex-senator may be said
to have repOsed on three bases, ueces
sarily not wholly distinct, but sufi
GENTLY defined. One was the in
tensity and persistency Of party feel
ing among republicans during the
period in which his power was built
up. This was the natural consequence
of the condition of public sentiment
after the war. The republican cause
was identified with hat of the union.
The chief purpose of the party was
the complete establishment of the re-
suits of the war, the vindication of
the sovereignty Of the national gov
eminent in all national affairs. and
the preservation Of the public faith.
So long as this purpose was directly or
indirectly contested, repuhlicanism
was ielt by the body of the party to
be the same thing as patriotism. 1t
was Mr.. Conkling's fortune to be the
conspicuous representative of this
sentiment at the time when it was
strongest.
The second basis of his power was
the machinery which he largely organ
lied and still more largely controlled
to shape the political expression of
his feeling. To a great extent the mo-
tive force of this machinery was pa
tronage. Mr.. Conkling certainly did
not invent the use Of appointment for
personal and political purposes. That
continuance was mostly the work of
Aaron Burr, a man not unlike our
late senator in many regards, but in
intellectual caliber and in originality
incomparably his superior. But Mr..
Conkling has known how to use with
signal success the machinery which he
found ready to his hand. The civil
service of the federal government, i'm
meDsely augmented by the necessities
OF the wal and the wonderful growth
Of the county, gave him unexampled
resources, and it must be said that he
exhausted them. The millions paid
out of the federal treasury in this
state were to him as a military chest.
From them political zeal, skill and
efficiency we're rewarded. The army
Of O~ficehOlders was Offered by his
adherents and recruited in his in
terest. Fidelity to his purpose, i'm
plicit obedience to his commands.
were the conditions for many years of
admission to the federal service and
OF promotion or retention in it. Such
a state of things involved many evils.
1t was the prostitution Of the govern
ment's authority, the diversion Of the
public money, the degradation of the
officials. That it gave to the arch
leader great political power, no one
will deny.
But these bases of his power would
not have sustained the superstructure
resting on them had it not been for
his peculiar personal qualities. Mr..
ConkliDg has been called a natural
leader OF men, and he has been-of a
certain numerous clsss of men. He
has boldness, decision of character.
profound confidence in himself, untir.
ing energy and frmness Of purpose
lie has a conviction OF his own SUI
periOrity t. those about him, without
any troublesome elevation OF view or
refinement of ideas. He ezcites the
admiration without at all taxing the
understanding Of his followers. And
ne has the really great quality Of firm
fidelity TO his friends, without too
much scruple as TO their character,
and the lesser but useful quality oil
.lmplacable resentment with no scruple
whatever as to the justice of direction.
1t IS not difficult 10 see how these
qualities, acting under the conditions
OF political life existing tor the past
dozen years, have made Of Mr..
OongliDg a singularly successful poll
nor how they have failed com.
to make Of him a states
man. Nor is it difficult to see in
these sources Of his success the
secret Of his sudden fall. His
ardent nature placed him in close
sympathy with republican sentiment
when i was strongest and most sim.
PIE His ambition impelled him, and
ms gifts enabled him 10 use that SEN
TO the utmost 10 furthering his
personal advancement; but the limi-
tatlons Of his mind and character pre-
vented him from seeing the changes