Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-06-17
THE PARTISAN ASPECTS OF THE AL
BANY DEADLOCK.


doing their utmost to throw the State OF
New York into the hands of the Demo-
Gratis. The truth is that Conkling and his
followers have been for some time separat-
ing themselves from the Republican party,
and the men who now stick by him should
be called no longer Republicans, but Conk-
lingites. We have now three parties,
namely, Republicans, Democrats and Conk-
lingites The latter are Mr.. Conkling's s
personal adherents. They stand for no
platform of principles. They represent no
convictions. They merely and solely
maintain the proposition that Mr.. Conk-
ling is in some mysterious way more than
the Republican party, and that the party
must bow to him, and not he to the party,
whenever difference of opinion arises
between them. The New York Times
says of the present situation at Albany !:
"The tactics of the Conkling machine
81 are too well known to cause any doubt.
''The constant boast of It's managers is
that the party cannot get along without
''Conkling. II an extra session was held,
there would be enough doubt as to the
s'validity of an election of the Senators to
'make their admission to their seats by
50 the Democrats, to whom Platt and
"Conkling have turned over the United
50 States Senate, extremely doubtful. The
situation therefore which the Republi-
" cans in the Legislature have TO face, is
perfectly simple. They must either
select two Republican Senators before ad-
'journing, or they must consent to sur,
''render the Legislature of the State of
'New York and the Senate of the United
estates to the Democrats. Aud the
Times proceeds to point out that 6 a
'month since the Republican party was
sin practical possession of every branch
{" of the United States Government, and
+" in undisputed possession of the govern
''ment of this State, with every prospect
"of consolidating and Strengthening its
'power throughout the country. To-day
sit has lost the Senate, and is threatened
"with the loss OF the State, all through the
"egotistical folly of Conkling."
There can be no dispute as to the main
facts here stated 1t is indeed the most
singular phase of the situation that though
Mr. Conkling has from the beginning ex-
hibited the most contemptuous indifference
to the fate of his party, and has from the
beginning put his personal caprice far
above its interests, he and his followers
appear to think that his chief claim to
support lies in his loyalty to partisan re-
quirements. It may be doubted whether
any other prominent American politician
ever exhibited so conspicuous disregard for
the interests of his own party as Mr.. Conk-
ling has, and this is not a new thing in his
public career, but has always been charac-
teristic Of him. 1t is therefore the more
singular that his followers should have
become filed with the delusion that he is
somehow a perfect exemplar of partisan
fidelity. To outside observers his attitude
and that of his friends appears that of
some guerrilla chief and faction, unembar.
rassed by any regard for consequences,
fighting, ike Dugald Dalgetty. for their
own hands, and intent only upon accom-
plishing a factional success, Indifferent to
its consequences. The Conklingites are
to-day deliberately jeopardizing the po-
litical position OF the State of New York,
as they had previously sacrificed the Re-
publican majority in the Senate. How
can these men continue to think them
selves Republicans How, hereafter, will
they be able to justify their present course
to their party
1t is of course perfectly clear that what
ever notion of "vindication" Mr.. Conk-
ling may have entertained when he first
sought reelection, has been completely
dissipated by the prolongation of the con-
test at Albany. 1t has been apparent
from the first that neither he nor PIatt
could obtain enough votes to re-elect them,
and that though they might be able to
prevent an election, they could only pro.
long the struggle from a standpoint of
hostility to the Republican party, and
with distinct and unmistakable purpose
to Illustrate the election of two Republicans
in their places. They cannot be elected
themselves, and tney will not let anyone
else be elected. Is there any party prin.
ciple which justifes such position !
What it implies is that these men are su-
perior to the party, and that it must yield
TO them. Is there any trace of party 10y
atty in that hypothesis: But it implies
more than this. 1t implies determine
tion to throw the election into the hands
of the Democrats rather than allow any
other Republicans than themselves to be
elected. This is the rule.or.ruin policy in
its most naked and shameless form. Mr..
Coukling actually, and without any dis
guise, asserts his right to dictate to the
Republican party whom it shall elect, and
threatens the par.y with defeat as the al
Tentative with submission to his dictation.
We have here a striking illustration of
the demoralizing Influence of "Boss -
politics. The men who cling to Conkling
have lost their capacity to distinguish be-
tween party discipline and fealty to a
4" Boss" They have consequently become
guerillas, have drifted away from their
party, and are now doing their best to
break it down because the majority will
not yield their prerogatiye and elect men
who are notoriously not desired by the or
ganization. 1t is perhaps as well that this
spectacle should have been witnessed by
the country, for it conveys very timely
and serious warning It shows to what
extremes the insidious "Boss" system
will carry men, and how dangerous and
unrepublican a system it is. The Conk-
lingites have shaped themselves uncon-
sciously into faction hostile to the Repub-
lican party, and their so-called "stalwart-
ism " is as absurd a misnomer as was ever
anpliaI -