The Republican journal., 1881-05-19
Conkling's Childlshness

Conkling's Child1shness
Senator Conklng has given to the sit
uation in Washington an unexpected turn
| by resigning his seat in the Senate, drag
| ging with him into a retirement which he
no doubt hopes and believes will be but
temporary, his colleague Senator Platt
Heretofore Senator Conkling has shown
himself to be selfish, dictatorial, egotistic-
al and vain. His latest demonstration is
simply childish. There is another aspect.
| however, to his conduct, which Republic
cans will not fail to take note of and re-
member. He has shown in this instance,
as on former occasions, how little he has
at heart tie interests of the party which
has supported and honoreG him. When
| Republicans were fighting in Congress.
against heavy odds, for resumption and
honest money, Mr.. Conkling, the senior
! Senator from the great commercial State
OF New York did not raise his voice OF
! lift a finger to aid them. Then. as since,
and now he has had no thought save for
securing and retaining spells and for
| promoting his personal ends and aims
He has abused the confidence of his
party and by his conduct of late forfeited
the respect of all sensible and honorable
men. The commission he has resigned
in a fit of childish petulance should neN er
be returned TO him. The country is tired
Of his posturlng, grimacing and quarrel
ling. The party can we'll spare the ser
| vices of man whose motto has been
rule or ruin" As for Senator Platt he
has made of himself a mere cypher, and
may therefore be SO regarded.
| The long letter OF resignation address
ed to Governor Cornell by Messrs Conk-
ling and platt is a very weak document.
1t shows, however, that Mr.. Conklng
| deliberately attempted to dictate to the
President whom he should appoint to of
flee; and failed. The letter does not
justify Mr. Conkling's course. 1t cannot
be justified. He provoked a quarrel and
has boasted that he would have Robert
sons nomination rejected by the Senate
Before the case comes up in any way he
eEades the issue he himself made by re-
signing. This is cowardly as well as
childish. For the past week Conkling's
alias anl his tnn1c ~, H..
assailing the President as he stood by the
| bedside of wife sick unto death, and
striking oNer the shoulders Of the Pres-
dent at Secretary Blaine, who is not in a
position to strike back, 1t will be re-
membered that Mr. Blaine once left the
Speakers chair and administered to Mr..
C0nkling, then a member OF the House,
a castigston from which it is evident he
is yet smartng. When Mr. Blaine was
IN the Senate Mr.. ConkIing roared as
''gently as any sucking dove But now
that Mr.. Blaine is out of the Senate, Mr..
Conkling's courage mounteth With oc-
caslon' and by the abuse of irresponsi-
Die pennyaliners, by intrigue and inso-
lence, he seeks to drive Mr. Blaine from
the Cabinet. That this motive underlies
his resignation is clearly shown by the
fact that the New York Herald, which
enjoys the unenviable notoriety of being
C0nkling's organ, "calls for the retire
ment of Secretary Blaine and a reorgan-
Zatl0n of the Cabinet as a solution of
the present difficulties" It might as well
demand the resignation OF the President
and the abdication Of Queen Victoria.
W hat are the ''present difficulties - We
know OF none. Mr. Conklng and his man
FRIDAY, Platt. can play at their little
farce without disarranging the universe.
The storm they have endeay0red to raise
is but tempest in Il tea pot. They have
made themselves ridiculous that is all.
What Mr.. Conllling expects to gain by
his foolish performance is not apparent
If he thought to bulldoze the President
or the Senate, OF both, he will surely be
disappointed. He may secure the re-
election Of himself and Plat by the New
York Legislature, and claim this as an
endorsement of his course, but such game
would ha:dly be worth the powder. 1t
certainly would do Mr.. Conking no good
in public estimation, nor would it reflect
| ~ |
nomination OF Judge Robertson for Col
lector with resolutions of enthusiastic ap-
proval. Mr.. Conkling has simply bitten
off his nose to spite his face, and his pre-
dicament will only excite laughter. He
any quarter, and certainly not from the
| Republicans of Maine