The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-07-29

The Senatorial contest at Albany Is end
ed, and the page Is turned down ON one ~
the least credifable chapters Of American
politics. Roscoe Conkiing. one Of the ablest
aud purest men IL the country, and his c"l-
league Plat, are returned to isaie life, and
Miller aud Lapiam. who, To say the least,
are obscure men, are chusen Senators for the
most import ant State In the Union. The
succession uf mistakes, blunders and crimes
that led Ia this result, Is a marvellous mys-
terry Of politics without parallel in The his
tory of the country. General Merritt, who was
not friend Of Coukling, had been app,nird
Collector Of the Port IL New York by Pfesi-
ide,a II, YES, under the Civil Service reform
theory. lie was not Conkinig man. lie
made good officer against whom there was
10 rrproacb. On the incoming If Garield's
administration Merritt was Displaced with
out apparent caus. and sent into honorable
exile and Judge Robertson appointed Col
lector. II was known aud conceded 10y all
men that the election of President Garfield
vas due 10 New York having been carried
by the Republicans, and that large portion
| If the credit for Wrestling this victory from
the jaws Of defeat was due to the efforts Of
Roscoe Conkling aud the Grant Wing OF The
Republican party Of which he was the r-c'g-
| nized leader In New York. Judge Robert.
son was a known irreconcilabe enemv III
| Conkling, and had been the adherent II Blaine
al Chicago. There was no evident cause for
Merritt's removal, except to make a pacr for
| Robertson, and no evident cause for Robert
sons appointment except to humiiaie CoIik-
/, ling and his fiiends, who had at least the
right 10 anticipate that the office with
the largest patronage Ia the Safe
would not be placed IN hostile hands. There
was the great aud grand mistake If the adj
tninisiiation. ConkliDg resented IL and
dead locked the Senate for weeks against
Robertson or any other cent? ion. The
| President insisted on the nomination, and
public business finally necrssir aied break
| ing If the dead lock, winch involved Robert
sons conf nation. Cobkling aud Plat re-
signed. Ifthey had desired 10 retire TO pri-
vate life, this was their privilege. But cir
| CEttlsldnCts fdNt Sintt pi'Nth aHat th'g VIC
sired reelection 10y the Legislature then In
session, and In rpsigning under these crcnm-
stances, without having al first made sure that
their appeal to the Legislature would result
In vindication by reelection, was their great
blunder, and which Is totally inexplicable In
men Of I'll. political sssaciiy they were re-
parted 10 possess
| The history Of the Legislative canvas Is
too recent to require recapitulaiion. C"ik.
ling could not command a caucus. The
whole patronage power Of the administration
and almost the entire influence If the press
was turned against Conkling aud Platt. The
Independent press that hal so vel-men'ly
supported Merrtt's appointment as Collector
Joined III Ghe hue aud cry Of the a'lministra.
ton papers for Robertson, and C"nkling. the
Richard Occur de Lion Of the Republican
party, has been set upon, si.matized, sland-
cred and bounded by nine-tenihs Of the Re-
publican press In the country. with q vehe-
m-nce and yindictiveness that is Infamous.
II this Is not crime, the crime Of base IN
q altitude and venonous self interest, then
there has never been an instance of 1t M pol.
itics. We believe there Is a crime greater
than killing the physical body; on. more
cowardly, contemplate aud Infamous; more
:nsitlious than poison, krener than the knife,
deallier than the ball IL Is the assassina
ton If char acter. But while the world Il
filled with horror when an eminent ma is
stricken down by fpol or tiend with distem
tempered brain. It looks conplacently on
when one equally eminent and great is assas
sinaied In cha a,:ter day by day, In cool, de.
liberate malignity. Why Is II that men seek
mort al combat TO avenge an insult Because
life is held less valuable by them than good
name and reputation. And yet, day by day
side by side, we have seen the press gushing
with sympathy far ~, assassinaed President
aud rerkins with defamation Of Cnkling.
Guitean Is not alone guilty Of attempted as
sassiuat Ion.
What effect the New York election will
have on American politics Is yet to be .l-s-l
oped. Whoever thinks that Roscoe Cork.
ling Is dead or disnay-d 81 the tnrn II affair,
mistakes the man He is not ~ the kint
that Is sat down on, and despite the result al
Albany, despite the power of patronage ant
money and the majority of the press, we be
lieve he can command to-day a larger FOL
lowing than any enemy he has. The Lilli
putians hound CULVER when they caught
him mapping, but he saved their palace after
wards and delivered them from their enc
mics. Conkling is not without ambition. IL
has passed through the ordeal Of Albany a
, unscsthed and ursoiied as he has durins
long service in the Senate. He Is still au Inn
portant factor In American politics and Their
will BE- day when he will be victor.