Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-06-11
Tne Dnt1 Of pemocrats.
New York World.

New York World.
The effort of the Republican ene-
mics of Mr.. Conkling in the Legis-
lature at Albany to pose as advo
Gates of c1vil-service reform is as
dishonest as it is ludicrous. All
that the half breeds say about Mr..
Conkling as Republican nanipu-
lator of patronage is quite true.
But ii is only by his adroit manip-
ulatiOn of patronage that the Re-
publican party has been kept in
power since 1874. New York was
Ethe pivotal state in 1880 in the con-
test between Garfield and Hancock,
and Mr.. COnkling won the day for
General Garfield by the very prac-
ticeS which the Garfield Admins
tratiOn, being in power, now pro-
feSSeS to condemn. Garfield pledg-
ed himself at the Fifth Avenue con-
ference to Grant that he would
leave the Federal patronage for
New York in the hands of Senator
COnkling in order that New York
might be kept in the column of Re
publican states. In the canvass of
1880 the Republican party present.
ed no issue or principle whatever.
The Democratic party went to the
country on distinct demand for a
reconciliation between all sections
of the Union. The canvass OF Gar
field was essentially dishonest and
scandalous. Not a prominent Re
publican venture1 in that canvass
to demand civil-service reform.
Does anybody question this? Let
MIN SISK himself W 1TIt ali tho pros
ent uproar at Albany is about! It
all comes from the determination of
the President to remove Collector
Merritt Why did the President
remove Merritt and nominate Rob
ertsOn? On what issue of principle
was that change demanded and
made? On none whatever ! There
was nothing at stake in the remov-
al of Merritt and in %he appoint
ment of Robertson but ''spoils"
The strength and the only strength
of Mr.. COnkling's contention re-
sides in the pledge made by Geler-
al Garfield 10 Grant that he would
not take from the Conkling ma
chine the ''spoils' of New York.
General Garfield coVenanted and
agreed with General Grant that |
Senator COnkling should continue |
to be the Republican "Boss" in
New York. President Garfield
has ''gone back on" the promise of |
General Garfield. Hence all the |
woe! Hence all the !
noise and confusion at Albany |
What led to the Administration |
with Senator Malone but |
an arrangement about the ''sp0ils''?
What issue of principle do Mr..
RobestsOn and Mr.. WOOdin repre-
sent at Albany other or better than
is represented by ex-senator Conk
ling? They are all ''tarred with
the same stick" the stick of the
"spoils" Deprive the Republican
party of patronage and the spOils,
and the Democratic party will in
Stantly come into possession of the I
Federal Government. 1t is simply
silly of the Republicans to revile
Mr.. Conkling for acting on his con- t
viction of this great truth as he has
acted, unless indeed the Republi- /
cans are angry with Mr.. COnkling
for defeating General Hancock. /
Did President Garfield want to see
General Hancock elected?
When President Garfield nOmi- |
mated Mr.. Robertson, the World |
saw as clearly as it now sees that
the confirmation of Mr.. Robertson
must rend in twain the Republican
party of New York. If Mr.. Rob-
nomination had been rejec-
ted the President would doubtless
have given up the contest and
surrendered the "spoils" in
New York to Mr.. Conkling, as he
agreed before he was elected to do.
The duty of Democrats amid all
this Republican uproar is plain and
clear. Let the Republicans man
age their intestine scandal and
strife as best they can. "When
rogues fall out, honest men come
to their own" New York is Il
state, and New York is
entitled to be represented by two
Democratic Senators in Washing
ton. New York can and will be
thus represented if the voters of the
state can ever get control of the ap-
pOintment. But suppose the choice
of Senators cannot be postponed
and committed to the next Ligisla-
ture? That question must not be
or even considered until
every possible effort has been made,
and made without success, to secure
the postponement. One Democrat
ic Senator, of course, will be better
than two half-breed Senators, but
New York is entitled to two Dem
Deratic Senators Why is New
York not to have them?