Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-01-20

here, whatever way he interfereS he is
going to make enemies"
What is the matter with Conkling 81
| asked. "How do you account for his
continuous and successive repulsions-
first with Hayes, next with Garfield,
and so on?'
wv ell, he Is a man of narrow pur-
poses-intense and deep, but without
latitude. He never secs but one object
ahead of him, and works for that, and
when 1t fails he gets no philosophy, and
Is good while coming to another view.
his ambition has been to be president;
failing in that, to occupy the same re-
latlon he did to Grant. Grant gave him
everything he asked for-gave him
blank commissions, tiguratively speak
ing, to fill up as he liked; and he
thought his power would make him
Grants successor; and he sent n full
delegation TO Cincinnati in 1876 with a
brass band, Cornell at the head of it,
and Arthur in the ranks, To nominate
hun. To his great modification he was
the weakest ct four candidates, and
Blaine led them all, though his enemy,
and really plucked several delegates
like Robertson, Hustled and Pomeroy-
out of Conkhng's own delegation He
did not make al good run as Bristow
His friends had to 20 sohdly over to
Hayes in order 10 beat Blaine, though
nearly every one of them at heart want
ed to vote for Blaine, whose talents they
admired and whose open and generous
nature they burned to respond to. But,
although Conkling's friends had assist
ed to elect Hayes, he did not forgive
Hayes for being successful, regarding
him as the triumph of Charlie Foster
and the reform element OF the republi-
can party. Consequently, Conkling
assailed Hayes with real delight,
his genius for destructiveneSs be-
ing superior. The political class, re-
senting Hayes estimate of them. fol-
lowed Conkling, who for time re-
covered his popularity; and he then
showed the poverty of his resources by
putting up Grant again for president,
instead of finding candidate who
might have been nominated. Al
though all of lis supported Grant, we
were about half glad he was beaten, be-
cause we could not help admirng that
sturdy spirit of the western republi-
cans which would not overthrow the
traditions of their country and con-
sign to us to what would have been, in
spite of ITSELF limited monarchy in
all but name. Grant being beaten, and
Blaine, too, Conkling ought to have
taken Garfields accidental nomination
in good humor. Everybody knows that
it was an accident. Whether Garfield
hoped to be nominated or not, or
whether some few of his friends CON
sidered that he might have a chance,
does not alter the general fact that his
nomination was an accldent.-mOre Of
an accident than Folks nomination by
the democrats in 1914. Mr. Conkling
then persisted in his acrimonious
course, refusing to allow hi1 friends to
have their part in the nomination; and
when the national committee was
made up he wrote or sent to several of
the members, telling them 10 keep off,
and have nothing to do with the Gar
field campaign. For four years his
friends have Obeyed him by asking
scant favors of President Hayes; but
when it came to asking them to he
abstinent for eight years they would
not have it. Mr.. Conkling probably
discerns the fact that Gen Arthur is
more likely to be president of the
United States than he is. 1t is not a
remote contingency that he will renew
his relations with Cornell to head
Arthur off" GATH.