Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1881-06-08

Infamous bargain by which they were
deprived of their lawful majority
They resolved they, the Republicans
should never consumate that bargain
by Democratic votes-never
Malone became national issue that
absorbed everything else for the time
being. Without Democratic votes il
was impossible for the Republicans 10
carry this point Thus began the ia
nous deadlock" of the Senate, which
lasted for six uninterrupted weeks, du-
ring which bitter sectional strife was
reopened and waged relcntlessly.-
Meanwhile all public business was at n
stand-still. Nominations were sent in
to lie on the Vice-Presidents table.
The Chinese treaty, of the most vital
interest to the people of the whole Pa
cifc coast, was Enacted upon and the
limit for such action was fast approach
inc. The deadlock was maintained by
the Republicans under many disad-
vantages; first, the Malone alliance
bore every evidence on its face as being
as charged by the Democrats cor
rupt bargain; second the Democrats
daily moved to transact the public bus
mess for which the President had called
them together, while the Republicans
demanded the Senate officers before
they would so consent third, the pres
sure of place-hunters and the friends of
place-hunters all over the country who
were impatient of delay, and insisted
upon having a show for Office, va, i'm
mense and fell almost wholly on the
Republicans fourth, this extraordin-
ary stand was being made by the latter
for an unrepcntant rebel Of the worst
type, q Republican bolter who had
done his best to defeat his party in Cal
ifornia, and these to please a rebel
brigadier and rcpudiating Democrat
who represented Virginia politics in
the Senate. What more could have
been offered to make the Republican
position untcnable!
4 wheel within a wheel and not
realized by the general public, was bus
ily whirring and whirring all this time,
and it was this secret machinery which
kept the other in motion while all the
world wondered why it didn't stop.
The President had sent to the Senate
the nomination Of Judge William ii.
Robertson, of New York, a. Collector
Of Customs for the port of New York.
This nomination was we'll understood
as the reward of the President o. the
man who led the bolt from the unit
rule in the New York delegation at
Chicago which had the effect 10 beat
Grant and make the nomination OF
General Garfield possible Ii was from
that reason alone highly distasteful to
Senator Conkling and the >talwart
wing. But there was another reason
more potent still with Mr.. Conklmg,
and that was Robertson was the leader
of the anti-Conkling rule element Of
the State Of New York. The patron
age of the New York custom house Wa,
to New York politics what the whole
Federal patronage of the United States
is to the politics of the States and Ter
ritories. The fine hand of Blaine, the
premier, was observable in this attempt
to snuff out the stalwart power and
kill off Conklinism. 1t was regarded
as declaration of war from one boss
against another boss.
Naturally enough Mr.. Conkling de-
clined to be snuffed out without active
and determined resistance. As long rs
the deadlock continued he could make
this resistance successful. The great
New York Senator therefore set two
wheels in motion-one to present an
organized front of Republican opposi
ton TO the Democratic stand in the
Senate, the other to secure the with
drawal of Robertson or the support Of
enough friends and Democrats TO beat
him. The great stalwart got control
of the Republican caucus and carried
his first point very well for season.
Meantime the administration grew res
tive and anxious under the possibilities
of the other. 1t had warm friends in
the Senate, but these friends were be-
ing misled by the pretended issue in
the Senate known as the Malone issue
1t was not until Garfield fully real
lied the figh. he had on hand that he
set about means to break this deadlock.
Having succeeded in this by peremtory
demands based upon the public bust
ness and the Chinese treaty, he was
met by the other point, the slaughter
of Robertson. But Garfield was equal
to the emergency. He foresaw that
the Conkling nominations in the State
of New York were likely to be con-
frmed, and by reason Of the rule Of
the caucus, still governed by the stall
wart leaders, the contested case of
Robertson would be left over till next
winter. BY a clever coup d'etat the
names of the Conklingites were with
drawn and the Senate was given to un-
derstand that until the nomination of
Robertson was acted upon no further
nominations should be sent in. Gar
field was within an hour from that de-
cisive action master of the situation.
Senators who had supported Conkling
were thunderstruck at this sudden ex-
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