The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-05-19

THR PRESIDENT AND C0NKLMa.
) Such frequent reference has been made by
newspapers to sletter from Washington to
the New York Hsrsld touching the trouble
between the President and Senator Conk-
ling, that we herewith reproduce the princi-
/ tie sensation. It is ConkIins's side Of the
story, and one we don't believe. The writer
| says:
GAS an inducement to M. Morton to under
take the labor Of raising money for the cam
paign, General Garfield then and there Offer
ed him, In the event Of his election, choice
Of one of four places, as follows: /. The Sec
rctaryship of the Treasury; 2. The headship
Of the new syndicate then contemplated for
reirnding the debt; 3. The English mission;
or, 4. The French mission, II he preferred
that. This offer was made to Mr.. Morton in
language SO clear and unmistakable that there
could be no doubt IS to its meaning. The
next question considered was the distribu-
ton OF the patronage Of New York, and the
promise was given by General Garfield In an
equally emphatic way that in the event OF
his election the wishes Of the State organiza-
ton 10 all the appointments should be fully
consulted, and that their advice and recon-
mends should govern him in all that he did.
Alter the election had been won, says the ar
ticle, Gen. Garfield forgot his promise and
pledges 10 the New York stalwarts. Finally
it came to be the turn OF Mr.. Conkling to be
invited TO Mentor, and, like loyal Republi-
can leader, lie went to see how he could aid
and assist the struggling statesman in the
Western Reserve. There has been good
deal said and written about that memorable
meeting, but the true inwardness Of It is this
morning for the first time explained,
General Garfield opened the dialogue with
a series Of interrogatorics in regard to the
character of personages who had been spoken
Of for various Offices. Among the curious
queries was one concerning Folger. "What
| sort of man is he:" said the President-elect.
To this Mr.. Conkling very quietly replied
that he chad known Judge FOlger for thirty
years, and in all that time had found him to
| be man of the highest character. But"
said the sen.tor, "why you ask Z" "wen,"
! said Mr.. Garfield, ''thc fact is, have heard
| some queer things about Mr.. FOlger-bad
| things-and want TO know what you think
about them and him." To this tn. answer
| was made that he Senator Conkling) Ibid
not think it fair 10 discuss mems characters
in that way. What were the charges?"
"well," said the sorely perplcxed President
bc fan of f1ao IL I,
said by some people that Judge Folgcr is q
man who drinks, and also that he is man
who is corrupt
Mr. Conkling, am Informed, smiled at this
terrible charge, and said that he had known
Judge Folger good many years, and never
before had lie heard any thing of the kind in
connection with his name.
The conversation then turned upon Mr..
Morton. Mr.. Conkling said he did not pro-
pose to ask him for any position. II, how
| ever, he intended to give a place to the State
of New York he thought the Treasury De-
partment was the one to which the State, be-
cause of its dignity and importance, was en-
titled. Then, in his opinion, the State was
entitled to it because Of its great services in
the campaign.
Mr.. Garfield replied that he had been con-
sidcring the name of Mr.. Morton in connec-
ton with the Treasury, but he had conclud-
cd tor many reasons that it would be very in
convenient for him to make him Secretary
of the Treasury after he had promised him
either the headship Of the syndicate or the
| mission to England or France. Mr.. COnk-
ling remarked upon this "that altogether
there were seven Cabinet appointments. If
New York cannot have the Treasury, have
only one request to make, namely, that you
| will pass New York over; at all events, that
you will not give us the Navy, when there is
no navy. That department would probably
satisfy some other State, and the multiplica-
| ton table will explain why New York is left
over"
The history of FOlger's trip to Mentor is
given, and it is said that he declined to ac-
cept the position Of Attorney General.
Senator Conkling, some time ago, learning
| that Gen. Garfield had caused to be written
letter, which was to be shown to Mr.. VIM.
ii. Vanderbilt, in which it was stated that If
Mr.. Vanderbilt desired 1t MIR. L. +. Shepherd
would be made United States district attOr-
ney for the district of New York. In a con-
yersation between General Garfield and Sem
| a;or Conkling, subsequent to the writing of
| this letter, General Garfield spoke about his
| obligation to the gentlemen in that State, like
Mr.. Robertson, through whose Instrumental
ity his nomin .tion became possible. lie said
that he desired TO reward them in some way
which would be least detrimental to the pub
tic interest, while at the same time he salts
fled their legal demands.
In his Senator Conkling's) opionon, it wa
| not to the so-caled Independent Republicans
or as they are popularity styled .'half breeds
that Mr.. Garfield was indebted for the nomi-
nation SO much as to the JOG gentlemen thro'
whose firmness, consistency and devotion at
Chicago, Sherman and Blaine were driven
from the field, and the nomination OF new
man like himself made possible aud desirable
Besides that, Mr.. Robertson aud the men
who acted with him mad been guilty of Vi
olation of their pledges to the convention Of
the party who nominated them.
Mr.. ConSling. it is understood, then refer
red 10 the Shepherd letter. and said that il
had been asserted that he was under a Hedge
to give Mr.. Shepherd the position. The
President answered that the letter had been
misintcrprcted, and no matter in what terms
it may he couched. he could not how give
Mr.. Shepherd the office.
A few days before General Garfeld's de-
parture from Mentor to the capital. he tele:
graphcd Mr.. Morton: "Thc cast OF nv Cab.
met must be made before 10 o'clock; please
telegraph me instantly that you will accept
the post Of Secretary Of the Navy"
Now. that was the one thing Mr.. Conkling
had asked Mr.. Garfield not to do. and it was
the only thing he did. II was for this that he
dragged him thousand miles at the most in
clement season Of the year. all the way to the
snow BANKS Of Mentor, in the absence of
friends with whom he could consult.
Mr.. Morton, whose name had been men,
toned for all manner Of places--the Treasu-
ry. the English mission, the mission to France |
not wishing to make himself ridiculous, |
accepted il in moment Of hesitation. This |
became bruited abouf Washing fou and Of /