Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-17

lanrastfr fultelllgenrer.
TUESDAY EVENING. NAY II. 1891.
.Csakllng's Strike.
Failing to defeat the presidents NOM
ination to Office OF q collector Of the port
Of New York, who is unfriendly to them,
the New York senators resign their
seats, with the supposed object of sub
hitting the question at issue to the de-
termination Of the New York Legisla-
ture. The wisdom of their action il not
generally conceded. The New York
Legislature is not the body to decide the
dispute between the president and the
New York senators. It is one between
the administration and the party that
elected it. Not even the body Of the Re-
publican party in the state of New York
can possibly determine it. The party
in the state must submit to the
control of the party in the country, the
organization being national: The New
York senator's idea seems to he to place
the party in their state in opposition to
the administration. II they succeed
they secure a division of the national
Republican party; for obviously the
dictation of one state cannot be ex-
pected to control the administration, and
restore the unity of the party by con-
cession that is demanded by but small
fragment of the party. II the New
York senators had been sustained by a
majority of the Republican senators they
might fairly have demanded the submis-
sion of the president to what could have
b,en maintained to be the party voice. But
they we're not thus sustained and it is
not easy to see how they greatly bettered
their position by an appeal to their state.
If they are sustained by the Legisla-
ture it simply shows that the Republi-
cans of that bedy join with the senators
in disagreeing with the Republican ma
tiOnal administration. 1t may make
them feel more comfortable in their re-
belliOn; but it accOmplishes no good to
the party, but only evil. 1t makes its
division more apparent, and shows the
New York Republican legislators to he
sOreheads in company with their sena-
tors. There is comfort in having SYM
pathizers in mis- fortune, but where is
the help to the party in arraying it in
one state against its brethren in the
others And if the New York senators
fail to get the endorsement they seek
from their state, they take nothing and
lose a great deal by their movement. In
the conflict they invite they will encOun-
ter great odds, and can hardly succeed if
the Republicans of the Legislature are at
liberty to exercise an ordinary degree of
judgment. They are asked to advise and
approve u schism in the party. The
issue is between the administration,
which has been sustained by majority
of the United states Senate, and mi
nOrity of those senators. Supposing that
it is the minority of the Republicans Of
New York who are sustained by the ad-
ministratiOn, that minority is in rank
with the majority of the party in the
country: and every sensible Republican
in the Legislature must see the folly of
combating the position Of the national
party in Il national issue. The state of
New York does not select the officers of
the United States, and when its Repub-
licans find that the president and
the Senate, who do appoint them, choose
to appoint men whom the state Republi-
cans do not like, they will show their
wisdom by accepting the situation with
the best grace they caa command.
There is nothing IN the question to
justiiably disrupt party. 1t is simply
question of spOils and about the power
of men. The New York senator's, in
giving the reasons for their resignation,
make no issue upon any principle; un-
less the right of the senators of a state
to have the appointments in it made to
their liking be considered one. It is at
least certain that it will take no hold
upon public sympathy. There is moth
ing in it which frees these New York
senators from having the attitude, in
popular estimation, of men who are
creating division and trouble in their
party out Il mere matter of distribution
of lOaves and fishes. Senator COnkling
himself, at a time when it was not his
OK that wa being gored, was ready
enough to denOunce such conduct by
disappointed placemen. On August a,
1871, he said in a letter to Congressman
GriSwOld:
"Shall Republicans in the face of the
enemy refuse to stand by their cause,
which in effect is to desert to the other
side, merely because lOaves have not como |
to their baskets or fishes to their nets
Men stand talking about federal patronage
and differences among leaders and person |
al feelings between individuals and the |
like. What do the people care about |
them? or what public consequence are
the personal aims, Objec: and mishaps of |
individuals 90
Senator Conkling has stood by his |
party when he knew and declared it to |
be wrong in vital matters. He believed |
the party was wrong in forcing the ele-
walton of Hayes when it knew him not
to have been elected but he did not then
have the courage of his convictions,
when he would have done himself great
credit and the country great good and
saved his party infamy, by boldly stand
ing up for what he felt to be the right.