Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-03
Garfield and COnkling.

Garfield and Cenkling.
The indications are that the admins
tration and Conkling will have an early
opportunity to engage In the hand-to-
hand conflict for which events have been
preparing for several weeks. Thanks to
the patriotism and the pluck OF the
Democratic senators the consideration OF
the business for which the Senate was
called together is to be no longer put OF
to aid the elevation Of a politi-
cal adventurer, and the upbuilding
of q reputation party in Virginia.
There never was q more indefensible
cause, nor one upheld by moro corrupt
coalition, than that of the Republicans
and Malone for Gorham and Riddleber-
ger. Against it the Democrats made .
brave and a patriotic stand. Our repre-
sentatives have made such a stand be.
fore, but they have not always 80 well
maintained it as this time; and
the position to which Gar
field and the administration senators
have now come is an admission Of the
tenability of that which the Democrats
conscientiously took and have steadfast-
ly adhered to. A caucus committee of
Republican senators appointed to get
their party out Of the mud into which
that caucus has plunged it, were in
formed verbally and by letter from
Garfield, that while his sympathy is
with his party in the Senate in the effort
to break the solid South and the encour-
agement Of the independent movement
in Virginia or elsewhere, he cannot in
dorse the mode adopted by the Senate
nor cooperate in any scheme which has
for its conclusion the elevation of such
a man as George GOrham at the expense
of the administration and to the exclu-
sion Of the most pressing and necessary
business. He rehearses the fact that
several important treaties are awaiting
their action; that the wheels of the ju-
dietary are blocked, and that his admin
istration is greatly embarrassed at every
turn, while the Senate of the United
States is wrangling over the election of q
man who is daily denouncing him per-
sonally and this same administration in
his newspaper" in Washington.
This has had the effect OF bringing the
committee to the recommendation of the
following order to the caucus:
First. To refer to appropriate commit
tees all the nominations now on tho table.
Second. To take up for final action the
various treaties which now await ratiflca-
tion, and, in the next place, to consider all
uncOntested nominations already reported
or that may hereafter be reported from the
Senate committees
Mr.. Conkling is represented to be
quite willing to take up the fight over
the New York collectorship, and quite
sanguine of winning it and Garfield is
willing to accept no compromise which
will not carry over the nominations of
Conkling's friends as we'll Is his enc
mics. Mr.. Conkling is not much given
to compromise, and he has social and
political relations with Democratic SEN
ators which may justify his confidence.
On the other hand Garfield cannot evade
the issue nor afford to yield to COnkling
without compromising that element of
the party which looks to him for recog-
milton enough to give it vitality, and
without dragging down Blaine. On the
whole the Democracy can regard the
row with the cheerful satisfaction of the
man who saw his old woman and the
bear in dire conflict.