The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-06-11
THE ALBANY CONTEST.

Is effected nuer TINS requirement ABOUT wv
ballotngs day have taken place during tn
} past week, showing no variation in TIT
strength of Conkllng and Platt, the former re
cciving steadily So and the latter % votes. Flo
a day or two, indeed, Conkling had lost on,
vote but on Thursday representative Brad
ley, Of Cattaraugus, the supposed recusant
said he had been given $4,000 to vote for DE
pew and handed the money to Speaker Sharp
demanding an investigation. But there have
been changes in the votes Of the half breeds
or anti Conkling forces, that begin to look ON
nous Whereas for the first two weeks theil
votes were scattered among some twenty can
ddates, during the past week they have shown
disposition to concentrate, Depew's vote on
Thursday running up to SO, as against Plat
When his vote reaches 50 or GO, the half breeds
MAINTAIN that the contest is ended, tor then
they can afford to 60 into caucus and Conk
! ling and Plat stand pledged to abide Its de
cislon. On the other hand, however, 1t is
limited that some Of Conkllng's secret friends
are voting for Depew to inyeigle the halt
breeds into caucus, where, once Conklng
has got them there, he will know how speedily
to "lay them out" 1t Is manifest however
that the contest cannot be kept up much long.
err If the halfbreeds cannot unite upon De
pew who has perhaps fewer enemies than any
other man equally prominent in the state, and
is the especial iavorite Of Wan street and the
big railroad corporations, who are ready to
shell OUT in his behalf if necessary, there is
no hope OF getting together on any one else,
and the only alternative Is an adjournment
and going before the people and new legis-
lature
| And it is not correct to say that in such an
appeal to the people no important issue, asiGe
from the distribution Of the spells, would be
involved, The point certainly arises to the
dignity of principle whether as Garfield con.
tends, the senate has nothing to do with ap-
pointments except to act on them in the order
dictated by the president, so that he even has
the right to coercc the consent of the Senate
to appointments by withdrawing nominations
which senators approve, until they agree to
vote for nominations which they do not ap-
prove; or whether, as Conklng contends, the
previous advice and consent OF the senate are
necessary, not merely to an appointment but
to a nomination, and for this purpose the two
senators from a state are the senate so far as
appointments within that state are concerned
Thus on the one hand, President Garfield
'IypplI mako tbn nGiInpt a Ia o1
political boss, using the offices for political re-
wards and punishments;" while on the other
hand, Mr. Conkling would compel the Pres
dent to divide that bosship with the senators
from the different states
Thus much as to principle, Practically
however, 1t is no doubt true, that no principle
is thought of but the struggle is purely tor
spolls In this light however, Conklng suf
fcrs injustice, for in point of fact perhaps no
republican senator in all the Union has had so
little to do with spells as he. Certainly dur
ing the Hayes administration he was never
able to control single appointment from cabi
net officer down to country postmaster nor
can Garfield claim that, except in the case of
Robertson, he has attempted to influence u
single cabinet or New York appointment that
has yet been made under his administration :;
and he objects solely to Robertson as a bitter
persana enemy, and not because he want
ed friend in his place, for he was satisfied to
leave Merritt in the custom house, though
Merritt was not his friend
In this view, 1t IL certainly true, AS the New
York W0rld suggests, that the cspousal of Mr.
Conkling's cause by so many wel.known poll
texans comes as near, when we consider the
attitude openly taken by the Federal Admins
tralion, and the attitude very commonly be-
lievcd to have been taken by the State admin.
stratlon, to political dsinterestedncss rs we
are ever likely to see professional politicians
come. There is, indeed, something almost
chlvalrous in this, while, on the other hand,
what Is there chivalrous IN the action of any
section or clique of the halfbreedsS Some OF
of them have personal grudges to avenge.
Some Of them have personal ambitions TO
crafty A large majority of them are evil
IDENTIFY moved simply by the consideration that
they are much surer to be fed if they vote
with Garfield than if they vote for Conkling.
They are simply ranging themselves on the
side on which leaves and fishes are most
likely to be distributed
But for this very reason-the high ground
on which ConklIng stands as compared to the
groveliag position of his opponents-the
Worid insists that the democrats cannot afford
to assist Conkling in achieving triumph, for
II would make him forever hereafter invincl.
bic, while the partisan interests of the demo
Gratis lie IN destroying the influence Of the
most capable and most courageous leader
whom the republicans of New York have ever
had. The division OF the republicans at AL.
bany shows that when the followers Of Conk-
lin arei roat ont of tho M m ar 5anri 40