Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-16

Garfield replied that 1t was business.
At this point Gen. Garfield went to tea, Mr..
Conkling declining to accompany him. When
that important repast in the Garfield house |
hold was over the political threads were again |
taken up by Mr.. Conkling's host. What Mr.. |
Garfield said was of very little importance one |
way or the other, but it was characterized |
throughout by want of frankness. He never |
once, I am assured informed Mr.. Conkling |
why he summoned him to Mentor.
FoLGER MADE ANXIOUS.
The New York Senator left on the midnight |
train. At Syracuse Judge Folger, who, of
course, had heard that Mr.. Conkling had been
in the presenc, of the august Ohio statesman,
boarded the train and sent his card to the
Senator. He was exceedingly anxions to find
out what Lad taken place. Mr.. Conkling
pretty frankly told him, without, however,
disclosing certain questions that had been
asked him by Mr.. Garfield. They travelled to
New York together, Senator Conkling going
to the Fifth Avenue hotel and Judge Folger
to the St. James. When Judge Folger got to
his hotel he found dispatch awaiting him
from Gen. Garfield asking him to go on to
Mentor Judge Folger, in view OF his CONVEX
sation with Senator Conkling, thought the
whole proceeding was exceedingly strange;
that either Garfield had been playing sharp
game on him or that Mr.. Conkling was not
dealing with him in the proper spirit. 10 set
his mind at rest on the subject he went to Mr..
Conkling and asked him if he knew any
thing about it, Mr.. Conkling, of course,
said no; he had not the most remote idea why
the President-elect called him to Mentor ex
cept it was to offer him place in the cabinet
the treasury, he supposed, as there was no
other office he could offer New York, the state
department having gone to Blaine. Judge
FOlger started for Mentor and had his famous
talk with Mr.. Garfield about which SO much
was said and written at the time.
WHAT FOLGER DECLINED.
In view of all the Misrepresentation and
misconceptions on the subject perhaps had
better give you the whole thing in brief. Mr..
Garfield said that he had sent for him to offer
him one place, or, it might be, another place,
if things could be arranged to the satisfaction
of certain persons. He wanted to offer him
the attorney generalship, and he might be
able to give him the treasury department. MIR.
Folger Immediately answered that he could
not think of accepting the attorney general
ship or of resigning his position on the New
York supreme bench to take any place less
than that of the treasury department, for
which office he might have some fitness, but
he instantly and emphatically declined the at
torney generalship.
The article proceeds to give instances OF
Garfield's duplicity, one of which was that he
promised VIM. II. Vanderbilt to appoint FL
lott F. Shepard district attorney New York
and then deliberately repudiated the pledge.
Another was that he told Conkling that he
thought of appointing Robertson district at
torney. Garfield stated that he was anxious
to recognize the man who made his nomina-
ton possible. This correspondent gives the
following as Conkling's reply:
Perhaps the services of the gentlemen to
when he attributed his nomination were over
rated. In his Senator Conkling's) opinion it
was not to the so-called Independent Republl-
cans, or, as they are popularity STYLED, the
"half-breeds," that Mr.. Garfield was indebted
for the nomination so much as to the three
hundred and six gentlemen through whose
firmness, consistency and devotion at Chicago,
Sherman and Blaine were driven from the
field and the nomination of a new man like
himself made possible and desirable. Besides
that, Mr.. Robertson and the men who acted
with him had been guilty of violation OF
thire pledges to the convention of the party
who nominated them.
MORE BAD FAITH.
The narrative continues until Garfield is
fairly seated in the White House, when the
following, relative to the New York appoint
ments, is given:
During all this time Senator Conkling ex-
pressed sincere desire to Mr.. Garfield and his
friends, to make the administration success,
offering to do everything in his power to aid
him. Finally an interview was brought about.
One Sunday night a New York Congressman
came to Mr.. Conkling with the message that
the President was anxious to see him about
important matters affecting the adminlstra-
ton. Mr.. Conkling agreed to go, and kept
his D omise. The New York appointments
were mentioned by President Garfield, who
said he was very anxious about certain places
and would like to have his ideas on the sub
iect. Among other Offices mentioned was that
held by Internal Revenue Collector Weber,
| whose place he was anxious to give to Judge
Robertson. He desired to know what Mr..
Conkling thought of it. Mr.. Conkling said it
was matter to be seriously considered. There
were no charges against MIR. Weber. He was
a German; the German Republicans were very
| important and the removal might offend them;
| in fact, he preferred not to express an opinion
on the subject. The President then said:
"Mr. Conkling, I am extremely anxious
| that you and your friends should
agree upon some project by which |
| can get in the Independents. He said he wished
Senator Conkling would consult with Mr..
Arthur, Mr.. Platt, Governor Cornell and other
prominent gentlemen belonging to the party,
and draw up some plan which would enable
least injury to the public service, and at the
| same time with as much satisfaction as posi-
| BILE to the gentlemen interested" After some
| further consideration Mr. Conkling agreed TO
propose plan or number OF plans for him,
any one of which he might adopt under GER
| tain contingencies. Under No. he might do
so and so, and under No. 2 there would be an
| other line of policy. Mr. Conkling then
asked him if he cared to do anything in re-
gard to the New York Custom house.
THE NEW YORK CUSTOM HOUSE.
The President replied he did not; that he
had been considering that matter and
had arrived at the conclusion that the best
thing to do was to allow the present officers to
remain; that some of them, he understood, had
| year yet to serve, and perhaps it gave him
satisfaction to allow these men to serve out
their time. Senator Conkling answered he
was mistaken, that some of them had two
years. The President professed ignorance OF
that fact; at all events he did not intend to do
anything with the custom house at present
and when he did resolve to do go he would let
him know and consult with him, Mr.. Cornell,
Vice Precedent Arthur, Senator Platt and the
other gentlemen who were entitled to be
heard on the subject in the State of
New York. He declared further that he
thought President Hayes had made a great
mistake in the policy he had pursued in an
tigonizing one wing of the party; that blunder