The Fremont County record., 1881-06-11
ConkIing and Blaine.
rom the Ncw York Tribune.

The machine organs, absurdly as
suming that in some way contest is
in progress between Mr.. Conkling
and Mr.. Blaine, are constantly CRYING
out that Mr.. Conkling carried his
state in the presidential election and
Mr.. Blaine lost his. Even if tine facts
were as they allege, they have no
particular pertinence to the existing
status. But the organs do not tell
the truth. On the same day that
New York gave Garfield plurality
OF %, 900 Maine gave him a plurality
of 10000. In proportion to the total
number of votes Maine's plurality for
the republican candidates was four
times as large as that given by New
York. So much for that as a mere
matter of fact and figures.
1t is true that in tile state election
in September Maine gave about 100
plurality for the opposite candidate,
PfH1steSen whom the democrats,
greenbacSers, screheads and sfrrg-
glers had all coaleSced, against the
regular republican candidate. Maine
was fighting on the skirmish line and
was compelled to go under fire before
the lines of battle in the national
contest had been well drawn. What
would New York have done had she
been compelled to vote OH the same
dav? Instead of the epublicans be-
ing defeated, as in Maine, BY a hun
dred votes, they would have been
buried under an adverse majority of
thousands. Up to the time of the
Maine election MIR. Conkling had not
raised his hand or spoken word for
General Garfield. He declined even
to meet him and speak to him when
he came to New Y ork. For three
long months Mr.. COnkliug left the
country under the impression that he
was either Indifferent or positively
hostile to GaTtield's election. One OF
the principal elements of the political
stock-in-trsde of the democratic par
~ was that New York was hopeless
IL lost to the Republicans, that Conk-
ling and his followers intended to
put the knife to Garfield, and that
the republicans of the country were
in helpless condition with New
York joining the Solid South in the
democratic column. That Mr.. ConE-
ling designediy fostered and encOur-
aged this conclusion for three months
is beyond all doubt true.
In the latter half of September.
many DAYS after the Maine election.
MIR. ConkIing graciously condeSceud-
ed, at the earnest solicitation of per-
sonal frienGs, to appear before the
fOOtliTEtS at the Academy OF Music,
with tickets carefully distributed
among his followers and with claquers
y ell seated in the prosenium boxes
and ihe orchestra chairs. lie deliy-
cred a long haraugue, with not Il new
idea ii, with no inspiration for the
tuture--a diairibe ON dead and gone
issues. He made not the faintest al
lusiou to General Garfield until he
was forced, by calls IRON the gallery
10 respond IN still, formal and heart
less eulogy of the great candidate.
No speech OF Mr.. Conkling's ever fell
SO dead or did 80 little good. lie re-
allied that himself, for lie was in
towering rage all the way back to his
hotel, and with those who called on
him aflerward. He felt that he had
made a failure which could not be
redeemed by all the praises of the
sympalhiZing political papers.
Ii it were not childish TO pit Mr..
Blaine aud Mr.. Conkliug against each
other one might recall the fact that
the very next week Mr.. Blaine woke
the whole country by the presenta-
tion OF the tariff question at monster
meetings in Newark aud Philadel-
phia. Mr. Coukling had so little ap-
probation of the political situation,
and SO little understood what was in
the peoples mind, and what would
evoke enthusiasm tor the republican
campaign, that in his elaborate speech
at the Academy OF Music he did not
make the slightest alIuSiOn TO the
tariff. But from the moment Mr..
Blaine struck the kCy note at Newark
and struck il again at Philadelphia,
before q larger audience than that ad-
dressed by Grant and COukliug at
Warren, it became the absorbing is
sue OF the campaign. Mr.. Coukling,
IN his Ohio speeches, followed ON tue
line laid down by MIR. Blaine, and
discussed the tariff. But in the light
of facts, to say that Mir. Conkling led
the campaign or plotted the ground
on which il was fought, is simply to
ialsirY the record. Mr.. Conkling
never strikes out new thoughts lie
only elaborates with seSquipedalian
rhetoric the thoughts of other men.
We might add that n comparison of
the history of the TWO men as repub-
lican leaders would be no more to
Mr.. Conkiing's credit than that OF
the part they took in the last cam
paign. In twenty-foUr successive
years Mr.. Blaine lost his state but
once, whereas in the past thirtcen'
years Mr. Conkling has lost his
nine times.
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