Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-23


ling and Platt, in regard to endeayoring to
induce the legislature to return them to thell
seats in the United States Senate, which they
voluntarily relinquished week ago to-day
is definitely decided. The two gentlemen be-
gan an active campaign in Albany to-
day for the office and vindication
Conkling was consulting with friends infor
mally until very late hour yesterday after
noon. It was well towards sunrise when the
distinguished ex-senator sought repose, and
when he did SO his plans for the campaign on
which he is about to enter in behalf of him.
self and Platt were thoroughly matured.
At 10 O'Clock yesterday morning Conkling
and Platt entered carriage and were driven to
the residence of Vice President Arthur. Here
they were met by the Vice President, Assem-
blyman Carpenter, Speaker Thorp, of the as
sembly, Police Commissioner French, Charles
Dennison, Arthur B. Johnson, of Utica, F..
Smyth, of Albany, ex-United States Marshal
Louis F. Payne of New York, and Columbia
counties, and Senator J. P. Jones, of Nevada,
and the anxiouslyexpected conference was held.
This conference was suggested and arranged
by the governor. He promised to be present
himself and personally urge Conkling to
again become candidate, and he was expected
on the II o'clock train from Albany,
but he failed to appear
and the conference proceeded without him.
One gentleman present, however, assured the
Times reporter that Gov. Cornell was heart
lily in favor of the proceedings. and they were
taken with the full knowledge that he wonld
endorse them in every particular.
Conkling announced that personally he pre-
ferred to retire to private life to again
entering upon the duties of
Senator He had served his State in
the Senate to the best of his ability for many
years, and he was ready now to step down and
allow some other man to take his place, but
Notwithstanding his personal feelings in the
matter he felt it due his friends to take their
advice on a question of SO great
sacrifice his personal feelings to their de-
mands He wanted 1t distinctly understood,
however, that in case of his again becoming a
candidate for the Senate Mr.. Platt must be
united with him. He would not be a party to any
arrangement by which he should be returned
to the Senate and Platt be sacrificed. The
cause of the younger man was his own and
the two must stand or fall together. He would
countenance no combination which should
send to Washington as his colleague any other
man than the man who acted with him in de-
manding the State should be respected by the
President.
In the discussion which followed II was held
that to allow another at this juncture to step
into Conkling's place would be to endanger
the safety of the Republican party in this State,
and that would endanger its safety
throughout the land. The question
of the differences which had arisen between
the administration and Conkling was COM
mented on a. great length. It was argued it
was the President who grabbed at the patron
age in the case of the collectorship of this
port He removed Collector Merritt against
the protest of 1000 merchants of the city,
and for no other reason than to reward
political friend, and il is because Conkling
objected to this act and advised the President
against it, he was trying the steal patronage.
The drift of the argument brought the ex-
Senator to the front for moment. Pointing
TO the hat of one of the gentlemen lying
on the table, he said, Suppose man should
come in here and attempt to take the hat, and
one of you gentlemen should say don't do
should arise, and then suppose the
man who was trying to take
it should accuse the man who
was endeavoring to prevent him OF being the
thief and assert he was the man who was do
ing it. That is parallel case to this of the
trouble with the President. ! have not tried
TO steal the colllectorship. l have tried my
keeS it in the hands of the man who
has right 70 it until his term expires, but
am the man accused of being the thief. l am
accused of grabbing for patronage. l have
simply tried TO prevent Others from succeed
ing in the grab.
1t was the opinion of Vice President Ar
thur and other gentlemen present, that both
Conkling and Platt should go to Albany at
contest before the legislature. This
scheme was somewhat distasteful
to Mr.. Conkling lie said, of course | am In
the hands of my friends now, and feel boun d
to defer to their wishes, but | don't like the
idea of going to Albany on this mission.
However, it shall be as you please.
A very CAREFUL canvass of the members of
both houses of the legislature was made dur
ing the conference, and the result the gentle
men came to was unanimous conclusion
that both Conkling and Platt could
be elected. Platt announced he had received
letters from a great number of members
pledgiEg their votes to him, and Conkling has
received assurances from many more, some of
whom are claimed to be pledged against him
by the half:breeds. It was argued that
the administration Republicans cannot
afford to bolt caucus and the election will
undoubtedly be turned in the caucus.
The conference ended about 6 o'clock, and
Conkling and Platt went directly to
the Fifth avenue hotel. Vice President
Arthur and John +. Smyth
went to dinner at the st. James as guests OF
senator JOhn L. Jones and speaker Sharp.
Assemblyman Carpenter and Marshal Payne
started for Albany to begin the campaign for
the reelection Of eX-Senators Conkling and
Platt.
NOT so ROSY.
New YORK, May 22.-The Tribune says
Senator Conkling, in answer to inquiries of
friends, said he was in the hands of his friends,
and would do what they thought best. He
did not think this State approves
the course of men who proved traitors to
Gen. Grant at Chicago, and the State would
show that its Senator's did right in protesting
against rewarding them. Notwithstanding
the confident talk of the Conkling men last
night, they were all willing to admit that
hard fight would have to be made at Albany
blythe extraordinary precautions they have
taken TO prevent disclosure of the plans. They
admitted that any vindication that Conkling
should receive would not be of
much benefit to him. Previous talk
of Conkling resigning to practice law was
never so much as referred to. The $4,000
offers were not mentioned. 1t was not ques
tion any longer as to the candidacy of the Sen
ators, but could they be elected?
A number of administration representative
were about the Fifth avenue hotel
last evening, but they were not
in the least cast down by
the commencement of ihe candidacy of the
ex-Senators the ants claim SO Republicans in
the legislature are pledged against the ex-
Senator's