Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-05-27
RESERVATIONS.
senators Conklinx and I'Iatt OF New
York Resign Their Seats in,the u. -
Il


senators Conkiinx and E'Iatt OF New /.
York Resign Their Seats in,the u. -
senate 5kaA
On the 10th inst, the United States
Senate was thrown into fever of ex-
citement, by the vice president laying
before that body the following COM
munieations:
WASHINGTON. May Is, 1881
Hon. c. A. iitEa-
SIR: You will please announce TO the senate
that my resignation as senator OF the United
States from the state of New y ork has been for
warded to the governor of that state have the
honor to be- with great respect,
Iour ebedient servant
RoscoE CoNkLiSG.
This communication was read with
great sensation, which was heightened
when the vice president laid the follow
ing before the senate;
WASHINGTON, SENATE CHAMBER
May Ii, 1881.
Hon e. A. .ir4aMr-
SIR l have forwarded to the governor of the
state of New York my resignation as senator for
| the state Of New York. VIII yon please announce
| the fact To the senate With great respect.
Your ohedient servant
L. {. PLArr.
4 hum of aStonishment followed the
reading of these communications, and
Hill, of Georgia, suggested that this
would be a good time to elect officers
of the senate.
THEY ASSIGN REASONS.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., May II. 1881.
To Aloneo g. Cor7aeH, Gouernor II The
State Of Netc York
SIR: Transmitting as we do our res
ignations respectively of the great
trusts with which We have been hon
ored. it is fit that we acQuaint you. and
through you your legislature and the
people of the state with the reasons
which in our Judgment make such
step respectful and necessary
Some weeks ago the president sent
to the senate in group the nominations
of several persons for public offices
alr6 ady filled. One of those offices is
the collectorship of the port Of New
York, now held by Gen. Merritt; an
other is the consul generalship at
another is charge d'atlaires to Dem
mark, held by Mr.. Cramer; another is
mission to- Switzerland, held by Mr..
Fish. son of the former distinguished
secretary of state Mr.. Fish had in de.
| ference to ancient practice placed his
position at the disposal of the new ad-
ministration, hut like other persons
named, he was ready to remain Mt his
post if permitted to do SO. All these
officers, save only Mr.. Cramer, are cit
izens of New York. 1t was proposed
to displace them all, not for any nj
legged faults or for any alleged needs or
| advantage of public service, but III
order to give the great Office
of collector of the port of New York to
to VIM. IL. Robertson, as Il reward for
certain acts of his said to have aided III
making the nominations of Gen. Gar
| field possible. The chain of removals
thus proposed, was broken down by
Gen. Bodeaus promptly declining to
accept the new place to which hc WAS
to be sent. These nominations sum
moned every member to say whether
he advised such transactions. The
movement was more than Il surprise.
as all had been told only few hours
before that no removals IN New York
officers were soon to be made or even
considered, and requested to withhold
the papers and suggestions bearing
on the subject which had been sent To
us for presentation, should occasion
arise, until we had notice from the pres
ident of his readiness to receive them
Learning that the vice president was
equally surprised, and has been equal
| ly misled, we went to Mr.. James, cahi-
net officer, from our state, and learned
that though he had spent some time
with the president, on the morning Of
the day the nominations were sent, no
disclosure of the intention to send them
had been made 20 him, and that the
first he knew Of the matter was
by hearsay,. Upon earnest re-
tiection and consultation, we he
lieved the proceedings unwise, and
wrong, whether considered wholly i'll
relation to the preservation and in
tegrity Of the public service. and the
public example to be set or i'll relation
also to the integrity Of the republican
party. No public utterance Of com
ment or censure was made by either ef
us i'll the senate, or elsewhere. On the
contrary, wei thought that the presi-
dent would reconsider the action So
sudden and hasty, and would at least
adopt less hurtful and Objectionable
modes reqesting personal or indi-
vidual service in this hope. The fol
lowing paper was prepared and signed,
and presented by Mr.. james To the
president, who was subseq uently in
formed that you had authorized your
name to be added also
| To The President:
We beg leave to demonstrate against the change
| in the eOliectorship at New York by the removal
| of Mr.. Merritt and the appointment of Mr. Rob
ertson. The proposal was wholly n surprise
heard Of il only when severa! nominations in
volved in the plan was announced in the senate;
we had only two days before this been in
formed by you that change in the custOns Of
flee at New \ ork was not contemplated, and were
quite ignorant OF your purpose to take any action.
Now tha. we had no opportunity until after the
nominations to make n suggestion.
do not believe that the interests Of the
public service will be promoted by removing the
present collector and putting Mr.. Robertson in
his stead. Our opinion is quite the reverse, and
we believe that no political advantage can be
gained for either the republican party ITS pm
cples. Believing that no individual has CLAIMS
or obligations which should be hquidated in sucn
mode, we earnestly and respectfully oak that
the nomination of Mr. Robertson be withdrawn.
lSigned] CHESTER A. ARTHUR,
7. G. PLATT,
THos. l.. JAMES,
| Roscoe CoNKIISG.
After this follows a lengthy explana-
tion Of the acts of the two senators from
New York, the president, Postmaster
James, Vice President Arthur, ex-
President Hayes, in fact all parties
mixed up in the unpleasantness from
| the so-called fight between President