, 1881-11-05

Cuca special TO the chicago Tribune
ssys: There has been considerable spec
ulation as TO the reason for Mr.. Conk-
:ings going to Washington. Of course
the quidnucs have assigned all sorts of
reasons very vide Of the marx. The long
and short of il is, Mr. Conkling wants 4
job, and you can set it down at that, and
nothing less. He can't hope for polite
al job, except we term an appointment to
the Supreme Court bench such, for there
is little doubt but that he would be will
ing now TO accept even 4 Judicial retire
| ment of this sort But he does want
something to do, and for the very reason
that he sadly needs 1T. When the ex-
Senator came home last spring in a huff,
and went to Albany to prevail upon the
legislature TO return hun TO the seat he
had undigui6edly left, he seemed quite
confident he would secure what he sought
but, as is well known, disappointment
sore followed his footst, ps, and left out
in the cold by the very ones upon whom
he had depended for support, he began
to east about for livelihood in some
other channel A man of extravagant
habits, he had in the past lived up very
closely to his income, and w:.h extraord-
mary demands upon his purse from
source not necessary to mention here, he
found that he must have an inflow to
maintain his social and other demands
The la., therefore, must receive him TO
its fold again, and the retainers from i'm
portant cases must nil his eXchequer. IL
was reported at the time Of his senatorial
defeat that one firm in New York had Of
used, SO that fat casts might be gathered
in upon the strength Of the sx-senat"rs
great reputation as i jurist hut this Is
known to be untrue So the tex senator
came home to chew the eud of disappoint
ment and make ready for the p1nderOus
litigation which would come up 10 him
for his counsel and defense prosecution.
He came home ignorant, apparently, OF
the deep seated feeling prevailing against
him in central and northern New York,
engendered by his political record, and
he has not until quite recently been able
to interpret the cause Of his failure to re-
ceive the legal support that he believed
must come To him. The long and short
Of it is, he is getting to bedrock. The
retainers have not come to HIM is he ex
pected they would; he hasn't had u case
yet, and he now realizes that he must do
something, and that right soon. Mr.
Conkling had of course tiattrred himself
with the belief that because Ohce rs Il
United States senator he had been re-
aimed by i great railway company Tor a
round sim, he would now as simple
lawyer, npon his political reputation, be
as eagerly sought after and rs handsome
ly paid Here he has been disappointed.
A friend Of Conkling's who MAS here only
a short time ago, and who is now a United
States senator, was recently spoken to ON
on. His reply was, that Mr. ConkiInS
a was great statesman, but n" lawyer
which certainly reduces the ex-senator To
the position of 4 lawyer among statesmen
and statesman among lawyers. With
no fees coming in, and no pr spect of any,
but, on the contrary, the case lacking
eloomier every day, Mr. C"nklns has
gone to Wts.,ineton IT, hunt Job, to
secure a retainer, To- gel some one 10 hire
him to prepare a case, I" make some
money. IN word. Whether he has any
thing speciai III view is not known here,
but If he can interest some of his old
time friends in his behalf he may get
something to do. Ii is certainly sorry
snectacle to see man voluntarily s'eL-
ping down from his proud political posi-
tion to find himself severely ignored, and
even his capabilities as an attorney at Ia"
| questioned 10y the public.