National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-31
GREAT MoNoPoLIEs.
Would Senator C0nkling's Defeat BE .
Victory for the Republican Partyf


Should Mr.. Conkling's return to the
United States Senate be prevented by dead lock
in the Legislature. brought about by an obstinate
and selfwiled Republican minority, or if he
should be beaten upon the vote when vote is
reached. whose victory would that be? Who
would have the benefit of the overthrow of this
vigorous champion of the principles he has
hitherto sustained in the great conflicts that have
been waged in the Nation since he has been upon
the stage? Whose interest would be especially
served by his exclusion from the great arena Of
legislative and political struggles at Washington
It is worth while for the men at Albany, who are
steep ed in the passion of quasi personal conflict
TO consider that point little more naturely than
they have perhaps yet done. Would the defeat of
Mr.. Conkling be victory for the Republican
party, or for any legitimate pure, or worthy prin
ciple or purpose Of that partyf Andif So for what
principle or what purpose? Is he inferior to any
man in great station or any other station in the
spirit in which he has upheld the principles Of the
party be sustsins and with which he has been
identified with from its origin? Has the party
more vigorous, sterling and upright champion
Has it in the number of its defenders g man of
greater integrity or of such recognized character
in the Nation that even the Viler voices never hint
that his fingers have been smirched by that kind
of gain which has contaminated so many would
be great ones?
To ask these questions is to answer them. 1t
would not be victory for the Republican party to
defeat this gentleman unless that party is so con-
scously saturated with corruption that it wants to
exclude honest men because their presence is re-
proach to the others, Whose victory, then, would
it be to defeat Mr.. Conkling? 1t would be the
victory of the railroad influence. 1t would be the
triumph of that power of great corporate monop-
olies which already dominates so many parts Of
our political system, and that necessarily and in
sdiously labors to control all and to crush every
force and every individuality that stands in its
wsy. Hitherto the railroad influence has not had
the greatest difficulty with the scruples of poll
ticianS between their duty to the people and their
duty to their personal finances. 1t has even
required only exceedingly small sums to con-
vince some great men in the Republican party of
the wisdom of giving railroad influences the
preference over their public obligations in legisla
tive and similar concerns. Mr.. Conkling is man
conspcuously pure in all these respects-a man
who has not crooked the hinges of the knee to
these dominant elements-and ne is in their way.
They will make the most of the opportunity pre-
sented by the conflict at Albany, and the men
upon whom the responsibility turns are not of the
sort that the people could expect to be beyond
temptation. Ifmen have no convictions that are
superior to the temptations of the custom house
they are within reach of the railroad power, and
the railroad power will use them.-NelU York
Herald