The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-05-21
CONKLING AND PLATT RESIGN.

nation, accompanied by that of his colleague,
Senator Plat
Two explanations arc Offered and generally
accepted of this singular movement. The first
is that which is given most prominence in the
letter of Senators Conkling and Plat to Gov.
Cornell transmitted with their resignation,
This refers wholly to the conduct of President
Garfield in regard to the nomination of Mr.,
Robertson to the New York Colectorship.
That conduct involved such bad faith, such
an underhaadcd procedure, giving the sena-
tors and representatives from New York no
opportunity to offer any papers remonstrances
or considerations on the suhJect-as to amount
to an interference with the proper responsible
10y of senator's, to an unwarranted assumption
of executive power and TO an attemptto reduce
the senate to servility. The senator's therefore
have no choice but to submit the matter by their
resignation to the power to which they are
bound and ever ready to bow,'-to wit, the
New York legislature who are asked to ap.
prove or disapprovc their action by returning
or refusing to return them to the senate
The second 10, that having had a four years
contest with one republican administration
that he dcspised and now finding himself
| forced into Il similar conflict with another re.
publican administration which he had been
personally so largely instrumental IN placing
into power, he is sick of the business sees IN it
nothing but the destruction of the republican
party, and unwilling to share in the RESPONSE.
blity FOR such a catastrophe, he prefers, in
sorrow and disgust, to turn his back on poll
tics and resume the practice Of his profession,
leaving to others more competent the work of
Legislation and party leadership.
He does this the more readily because as
the case now stands, the President and senate
have resolved TO appoint to that Office in his
state which controls the votes of the largest
number of men a determined enemy, and at
the same time cunning and adroit politician,
involving the policy of unsparing hostility to-
wards the two New York senators and their
friends, thus leading to innumcrablc bitter and
irrcconclable feuds IN the party and to lis
hopeless disruption, a contest forwhich he has
no inclination or taste.
1t is not, therefore, if this view IS correct
surprising that Mr.. ConkliDg has intma,ed to
his friends at Albany that they shall not at
tempt to return him to the senate What he
really means Is that he desires to be regarded
as done with the republican party as represent
ed by Jas Garfield, his cabinet and following
in the senate. AS Mr. Storrs puts 1t, from the
time il was announced that Mr.. Blaine was &c
be secretary of state, Mr. ConklIng realized
that sooner or later the republican party must
go to pieces, Mr. ConklIng knew that it was
the intention Of Mr.. Blaine to crush him. Mr.
Conkling has said that he was impressed with
the fact that only The most skiltul guiding
could save the party from inevitable disaster
His close friends represent that has been his
desire to stave this off as far as possible, and
that he hoped that the nomination of Robert
son would DC either defeated or withdrawn, SC
that the inevitable might be delayed" The
republicans in the senate having decided other
wise, he prefers to step outside of the pale.
This is, perhaps, as much as Conkling cares
to say openly. Bat if he could go a step fur
ther and unveil thousand things that lie be
hind the curtain,--the Fifth Avenue and the
Mentor agreements and the dozen of private
consultations to which he and Plat were In
vited by Garfield before and since his inaugur
alton, and the broken faith wriggling in and
wrlgglng out, violated promises, trcachery
mc&nncss, discrimination and downright lying
which it all involved, the action of Conkling
and Plat would be vastly simpltied and Its
rationale infinitely more easy of appreciation
But what OF Mr. Conkling's future 1t does
not look at present as If the New York lcgsa
turc intended to re.elcct him TO the senate, or
that he really desires it, What then ? A week
ago he said; THE President compels me to
choose between suicide and murder" As he
has no idea of the former, whom does he pro
pose to murder" "Thc only victim IN sight"
says the Chicago Times, us the republican
party, Have his disappointment embitcred
him against the whole body of his political as.
socrates: lie has doubtless had evidence
enough that Tor him there is no future in the
party beyond or above the honors of senator
ship. 1t seems to be not more improbable that
he Is determined to do what he may in bring
ing down the whole fabric, in order that some.
thing more to his liking may be constructed
from the ruins, than that he has been silly and
childish enough to resign merely for the pur-
pose of seeking a vote Of confidence from the
New York Legislature"
THE OTTAWA POsT-OrFICE.
The following comes To us from the West