, 1881-07-17

Inc beginning OF the emu mas come IN tht
struggle ut Albany. Congressman Warner
Miller, one Ut tie regular caucus candidates
was elected yesterday. Mr.. Miller was tht
candidate for the long term, vacant BY rea
! son OF Me-too, t1fius Platt's. resignation
| C0nkln.'s vote was a remnant Of 20, urlG
ILaphan, the regular Republican candidate
| for the same term, came within five votes o
! the necessary majority,
! The events of yesterday warrant for the
| first time genuine confidence that the rue-or-
| ruin nlarpl0t will not be able to prevail In his
dog~ln-thc-manger policy to prevent the elee
tion Of two Republican Senators because he
Is not able to secure one Of the places for
himself to make war on tbs Administration.
The election of one Of the regular Repub-
lican candidates will be the strongest posi-
BILE argument against adjournment until the
other vacancy shall BE- filed. Even the bolt
ers who have been willing to defy the edict
Of the helnajorityin the interest of their Boss -
will scarcely dare to go back to their con-
stituents with the responsibility of risking
the election Of Democrat to the short term
after it had been demonstrated that there was
50 strong chance for agreement. Party
discipline is strong, even when an ex-Boss
kicks against it, and it ia oil the stronger i'll
the present case because it is backed BY the
popular sentiment in the State and through
out the country.
The most significant incident in yester-
days proceedings was the detection of
Speaker Sharpe from Conkling's cause. No
man has bee1l more closely bound to Conk-
ling than Sharpe was. Ills steadfast atlller-
ence to Conkling's candidacy has probably
been more effective than that of half dozen
other Conkltnsites in the Legislature, But
the Speaker could no longer hold out against
public sentiment, which has been pressing
hardly upon him from the very beginning.
In announcing his intention to abandon
Conklng, he said. he would have bowed to
the will Of the majority before this had he
not believed the caucus had maue mistake
in selecting two members of the, House Of
Representatives as candidates fof the Senate.
This indicates that liz has been ready for
some time to drup Cnnkttng's hopeless strug-
gle, and was not willing at any time to assist
Conkllng's treacherous policy Of obstruction.
Even If this disposition be credited to
Sharpe, his detection, along with other cir-
cumstahces, seems to signify that the Conk-
ling faction has virtually abandoned the
struggle. Vice-President Arthur has al-
nounced that lie intended to take no more
part in the contest, and Conkling himself is
sojourning in Washington, apparently
passive spectator. Two other Conkling men
followed Sharpe LII voting for Lapha1n, and
Strahan, who voted for ConkIing, only de-
clilled to vote for Laphaln because he con-
tended that the caucus hid not been "reg,-
larly" called. Nine Ut tile irreconctl.lble
Bucks voted for Miller yesterday, while only
three VOTED for Laphaln. IT twu-thir.ls Of
those who have thus avowed the tope1csness
Of the fight shall vote for Lapllaln on Mon
day he will be elected. Such Il result may
now be reasonably expected. and then the
long agony will not have been In vain, for
Roscoe Conkllng will be out Of politics.