Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-06-08
The New York SenatOrshlps.

The developments of the past week con
firm the view expressed in the last WATCH
MAN, that there would be no election of sue
cessors to Messrs. Conkling and Plat by the
present legislature, that deadlock would
be the result of the ballotiDg and the refer.
ence of the matter to the legislature to be
elected next November would be the out
come of the present contest. The anti
Conkling forces have go-as-you-please style
of voting, scattering their strength upon a
list Of dozen candidates. This fact de-
notes the existence of personal rivalries and
ambitions which render impossible the con-
centration upon any two men of all the re-
publican elements of opposition to MIR.
Conkling and Mr.. Plat. In the first joint
ballot Mr.. Conkling had thirty-fve votes,
Mr.. Wheeler twenty-five, Mr.. Rogers fifteen,
and Mr.. Cornell eleven, Mr.. Jacobs receiving
the democratic strength, fifty-two votes.
The remaining republican votes were scat
tered in lots of one, two and three each on
nearly a dozen individuals. Mr.. Platt on
the first Joint ballot had twenty-nine votes,
his principal republican competitor, Depew,
receiving twenty-five, and Herman, demo-
cratic, ffty-three votes. A ballot has been
taken each day with relatively similar re-
suits. No shifting of votes has been made
that indicates probability of breaking the
deadlock. Many of the scattering votes
would undoubtedly be gladly cast for Mr..
Conkling, but for reasons which are as nu'
merous as the persons casting them the votes
are thrown in the air.
The democrats and the Conkling faction,
as matters now stand, have everything to
gain and nothing to lose by reference of
the case to the people, The democrats will
gladly accept the chances which new cleo
ton may bring, chances that can be made
no worse and may be improved. Mr. Conk-
ling will welcome an adjournment of the
whole matter to the stump, where his unri-
vailed powers will have full play to create a
reaction and to turn the tide of popular feel
ing which has set so strongly against him.
He manifests disposition and determine
ton to fight the battle out on the line he
has chosen if it takes all summer and there
is possibility that in contest of this kind
he may conquer vindication. The people
may be induced to see that they have been
led into hasty condemnation of their SEN
ators by the concerted action Of press
skillfully manipulated against them. 1t is
claimed that the associated press under the
control of Jay Gould, and the machinery of
Mr.. Blaine's literary bureau have been
worked to their fullest capacity in manufac-
turing popular indignation against the dis
tinguished ex-senator. The striking har.
mony in the tone of the old Blaine organs
would seem to warrant the charge that the
tune they are grinding out is inspired
by their old master, that this spontaneous
bursting out of feeling" is not wholly apart
from the methods of machine that rival;
MIR. Conkling's, in the complexity of its
mechanism and the celebrity and smoothness
with which it works. 1t is simply contest
of machine against machine. The constant
and obstreperous preaching by certain anti
Conkling journals against "machines and
"bossism as exclusively identified with Mr..
Conkling's political methods is the rankest
kind of cant and hypocrisy. If out of the
strife senators like Mr.. Wheeler or Mr.. Ev-
arts or Hamilton Fish could be elected, this
struggle would not be in vain. Their elec-
tion would be genuine triumph of anti
machine politics, but we are sorry to say
that the character of the ballotings thus far
shows no encouragement for contamination
of the strife so devoutly to be wished for.