The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-05-14
SECOND EDITION
TOM NICHOL AFTER CONKLING.
General Garheld's Former secre-
tary Materially COrrects Some
ttStalwarf, Campaign History.

Thomas M. Nichol, ex-ActiDg Com
missioner of Indian Affairs, and General
Garfield's secretary at Mentor last sum-
mer, writes to the New York Irib bune
as follows;
Sir "A five-column article, accom-
panied by over column Of editorial
comments, appears in the New York
Herald of this morning. Being some
what familiar with number Of the
matters alluded to, wish to make O
| few corrections and comments.
First. The whole article bears inter-
| nal evidence of the Senator's assistance
| in Its preparation. Who but Senator
Conkling or the President could have
told the writer OF that article what pas
sed between these two gentlemen In
private conversation at Mentor? Now
il Is absurd to suppose that Garfield
| told the correspondent of the Herald
such things so logical conclusion is
that Conkling furnished the material
and the inspiration. At one point the
writer informs us that Mr.. Conkling
''smiled" during the conversation be-
| tween himself and General Garfield.
Now who but himself would have told
that he "smiled," or cared whether he
smiled or not Then he did not 60 to
tea. Who told this tremendous fact
Only Mr.. Conkling or General Garfield
could, aud only Mr.. Conkling would,
and only Mr.. Conkling would set so
much store by his smile or his going or
bis not going to tea, as to remember
them or produce them 10 factors in q
great political contest. l dwell upon
the smile and tea part of this remarka-
BILE article only because of its signifi-
canoe as TO the source and motivs of the
whole.
Second. The tone of the article treats
the President as the tool of Mr.. Blaine.
This is simply disrespectful and undig-
nified. Mr.. Blaine is not in position
to take part in the present fight II he
were 1t would not be 80 persistently fore
ed on him. He drubbed Mr.. Conkling
once eighteen years ago and that great
man has never found an agreeable op-
portunity to renew the contest till now,
when Blaine cannot reply, and when, by
so doing, 1T helps him In disgraceful
effort TO skLlk the fire of his real oppo-
nent by seeming to force q fight with
one who cannot reply. "Strategy, my
boy, strategy"
Third. The article directly charges
General Garfield with being profuse OF
promises during the campaign and even
Of going to New York in August on pur.
pose TO make promises. How / happen
TO know something on the promise sub
ject, and good deal about the trip tc
New York. During large part Of the
campaign, l had general charge OF Gen
eIal Garfields correspondence. My gen
eral directions were to make no promise
to any one. II General Gsrfieid's person
al conduct was consistent with these in
/ structions, no promises or pledges wer'
made, beyond the general statement tina
be desired to treat all Republicans fairly
As to the trip 70 New York wish to b.
somewhat particular. The Herald cor
respondent says, after describing tn,
doleful prospect of the Republican party
at the time, "General Garfield, III scr
Of despair, suggested conference in the
city of New York, Ut the Leading men oi
the party from all sections of the coun
try.n This statement is sandwichei be
tween two paragraphs setting forth thu
| desperate straits of the Republican caus'
at the time. And why was the peril
Because, as this article admits, 1t wa
! not known whether CoDkling and hll
, friends would support the Republican
ticket. Now, the facts are, that the onlI
man there ever were serious dDubt
, about was Senator. Conkling, and 1t wa
his friends, and not general Garfield's
|, who suggested the New York confer
ence, and who pressed General Gal fell
. to consent to 1t and attend 1t. First the,
: urged him to att. nd the meeting Of th
National Committee in jury, which h'
[ declined TO do, the desire Of Conkllngi
friends being to have him meet Mr.
Conkling. After the National Com
mittee was organized, Mr.. ConklRg'i
friends still did not know whether ht
was going to take part in the campaign
; and heartily support the ticket, or not
So they suggested the August conference
! and insisted ON Genelal Gartield's at
tendance, while many others were op
posed to the conference, ,or, ii 1t vas held
were opposed to General GAried's at
D tendance.
Il Iwent to New York at General Gar
/ fields request to see what the situa'
. tson was that demanded his presence
7 beso Q he would decide whether to at
tend or not, the le tiers and kilograms
that reached him both sides of the
case being generally vague and unsat-
/ isfactory. was told by Senator Dor
J sey, Secretary of the National Com
. mittee, that they didn't know what
+ Mr.. Conkling was going to de in the
0 campaign, ard that they wanted q
0 meeting between him and Genera
0 Garfield which they hoped would bt
satisfactory to Conkling, and at leas'
would settle the question as to hit
course. Mr.. Dorsey did not seek e
disguise the fact that he thought Mr.
: Conkling wanted some sort of condi,
tlons or assurances befole he would
: actively support the ticket. lie de,
sired me to urge Garfield to come, anc
said that he did not think Conklinp
would demand pledges" but hs
thonght he wanted to talk with Gar
Garfield on q general policy, ant
= wanted to shave him where he coulc
, look him in the eyes," l asked Mr.
Dorsey to send for General Anson G
McCook, and state the same facts tt
!. him saying that if he would unite will
t me would urge General Garfield b
: attend the conference. General Nc
Cook was sent for. He came, ant
! Senator Dorsey again stated the case
MoCook told him It meant that MIR
!. Conkling was contemplating treachery
: that to either impose conditions befor
J: he supported the ticket or to skulk, d
= nothing, was simply treachery. MI
/ afU oil mi n