Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-19
WILL cosKLIaa BE Reflected


member Of the Republican party. OF
course Mr.. Conkling has perfect right to
leave the Republican party; but assuredly
+he has no right to expect that Republicans
will elect him to the Senate on any other
than party basis. II Mr. Conkling in
tends to feave the party he is taking very
singular way of notifying his intention, in
asking Republican Legislature to make
him United States Senator Nor is it pos
sible to conceive how the Republicans in
that Legislature can justify to themselves
and their party the Endorsement ola caudi-
date who openly declares that he will no
longer go into the Republican caucus, but
will hold aloof from the party altogether,
and devote himself entirely to fighting its
head.
We understand that at such time as
this all manner of wild and irresponsible
statements are liable to obtain circulation,
but we observe that the strange reports
above referred to have all been put forward
either as coming direct from Mr.. Conkling,
or from some of his most intimate friends.
This necessarily increases their singularity,
and makes it obligatory to inquire whether
in fact Mr.. Conkling looks fer reelection
in the special character of a man who has
left the Republican party. If he does it
will be in order for the constituents of the
New York Republican legislators to ask
them under what authority they propose
(if they do so propose) to vote for candi-
date who confesses himself to be no longer
Republican. The situation, so far as
both Mr.. Conkling and the Legislature are
concerned, is difficult one. Even sup
posing all the reports about his leaving the
party are destitute of foundation, it is still
difficult to understand what motive the
Legislature can have for re-electing him.
For whatever else may be obscure, it is
perfectly clear that if he goes back to
Washington it will be to create discord in
the Republican party, and it is equally
plain that the Legislature cannot re-elect
him without declaring war itself upon the
Administration.
Why it should do this, or what it should
expect from such a course, are questions
which we cannot answer satisfactorily. If
the Republican members are all machine"
men, they of course must perceive that in
adhering to COnkling they are sacrificing
their political prospects. They must
know that Senator who sets out on
campaign against the Administration will
necessarily be compelled torely entirely up
on his own resources. That he will not only
be deprived of all the Federal patronage,
but that whatever influence is derived from
that patronage will be given to his enemies
in the party. Mr.. Conkling's reelection
involves the transfer of the entire patron
age of New York to the anti-machine Re-
publicans of that State and every man OF
them is anti-Conkling. What the Legis-
lature has to expect from the programme
he offers it, therefore, it is difficult to I'M
derstand Practically it is asked to go to
war with the Administration, if it is not
asked to elect as Senator man who is no
longer Republican.
There are indications that the reelection
may net after all be so simple and easy a
matter as Mr.. Conkling appears to have
considered it. Judge Robertson is the Pres.
ident of the Senate, and naturally he is not
anxious that his chief enemy should be re-
elected. There is nothing in the sugges-
ton that the Legislature can legitimately
refuse to elect United States Senators, but
it is certain that if either chamber declines
TO go into caucus or convention, there is 40
power by which it can be compelled to do
SO. The fact that the United States Sen
ate will adjourn in day or two answers
all OBJECTIONS arising from the deprivation
OF representation, and the theory that the
people ought to pass upon the issue sub
mitted by Mr.. Conkling is very plausible.
If we may judge from the figures alleged
to have been given by Mr.. Conkling him
self, moreover, he would seem to have no
very great preponderance of strength in
the Legislature. In fact it would not be
difficult, even under ordinary circum.
stances, to change these proportions, and
these circumstances are not ordinary.
Mr.. Conkling goes to a Republican
Legislature, and says to it, in effect, 81
:" want you to re-elect me to the Senate
" as a rebuke to the President, and in
ordor that may fight him the more
" effectually." He says this if he is still
Republican. II he is MT, he says, " have
" determined to abandon the Republican
party, and to join myself TO this new
" antimonopOly movement, to the end
" that l may be able to inhict damage
/" upon the Republicans. And now l ask
90 you to make me Senator on this propo-
" sition." How can the Legislature do
this, unless they too are determined to
leave the party? How can they assent to
either OF these.programmes without stulti.
flying themselves in the grossest manner
We confess that we are unable to perceive
any other way out of the dilemma than
the postpopement OF the election, or the
election of some new man in the place of
Mr.. Conkling. No party can afford to
forge weapons for its avowed enemies.
No politician can afford to proclaim war
upon the Administration of his own party.
Mr.. Conkling has isolated himself by his
resignation, and his friends appear now to
he laboring with all their might to make it
impossible for the Legislature to re-elect
him.
THE REVISED TRANSLATION.
EDS RECORD UNION: In reference to the
specimens of the revised translation of the