Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-28
CONKLING As A SAGE.
An Acidulous Essay In the Nations
Best style.


The attempts made to explain the
meaning of Mr.. Conkling's speech al
Utica are natural, but at the same time
unsatisfactory. The Hcra,d's Washing
ton correspondent declares that in Wash
ington, where the matter has been most
carefully considered, his friends think il
means that he is going to run for Con-
gress, and that the speech is "back.
handed blow" at the Republican party.
This must mean that he is either going to
run as Democrat, or as a Half-Breed,
for he is not the man to deal back-handed
blows at the party from which lie expects
the nomination but the idea of Mr.
Conkling going to Washington as Judas
is so painful that almost any other plaus-
ible explanation ought to be readily nc-
ceptcd by his friends.
| We, therefore, venture to suggest that
the true explanation of Mr.. Conkling s
speech is not that he is going to come out
as Judas, but that he is merely going
to set up MS Sage. That there is an
opening for Sage in the party, and that
he may really do the party much good, is
evident to any one who will reflect for n
moment ON the origin and functions of
Sages. The idea OF the Sage in politics
at present suggests to the mind venera
BILE man, who has had long and active
political career, but has retired to DO
mestic life, and is spending his declining
years in watching the struggles over the
primaries and conventions which he no
longer tries to fix, the states that others
must make up without help from him,
and the platforms which younger and
more energetic men must rendcras mean
ingless as he and his friends did the
platforms Of his day. He occasionally
holds forth to the younger men, giving
them his ideas on tine progress of events
and the probable future course Of politics,
and he is always listened to with great
respect and attention, and his speech or
interview is published in all the newspa-
pers, and the announcement generally
made, too, that the Sage is going to run
either for Congress, for Governor, or the
Presidency, which the Sage, however,
never does. We have in this State, for
example. three well known Sages-Mr.
Tilden, Mr.. Weed, and Mr.. Seymour.
The South has its Sages in JEFF. Davis
and Alexander H. Stephens The belief
that Mr.. Tilden will return to public life
is SO deep rooted that not even the re-
pented admission by his friends that he
is incapacitated by old ago from anything
of the sort, or MS his enemies put it, that
he is mummy can prevent the
chances Of his nomination for high poll
tical Office being canvassed every year or
two. MI. Seymour's plea of physical in
capacity has scarcely relieved him from
the danger of being forced into public
life and nothing short of two or three
paralytic strokes or dementia can really
be considered as guaranteeing a Sage
against this sort of interference with his
chosen occupation.
When we say that Mr.. Conklings
speech shows that he wishes to become
Sage, We Judge from internal us well MS
external evidence. A Sage's speech usu-
ally consists of three parts in the first
place he dwells upon the great pleasure
it gives every politician who has devoted
himself to public life, far from the con-
genial scenes Of his childhood and youth,
to get back among his friends and ac-
quaintances, and see the old familiar
faces and grasp the honest old hands once
more. Then he goes into some general
consideration of the condition of the
country and of parties, showing that pro-
gress is being made all the time, and that
there is reason to look forward to the fu-
ture with the cheerful anticipations that
have been warranted by the experience
OF the past. The Sage is always some
thing OF a reformer, but by no means a
doctrinaire or theorist. He does not
believe in any particular REFORM but in
sort of great political law of progress,
which carries the country on to higher
and higher pitch of prosperity every year,
without the need of any individual effort
ut improvement or any noisy struggle.
In the third place, the Sage, if he under
stands his business, turns to consider the
dangers to which the country is exposed,
and these he always finds consist in the
habit of spending too much money. He,
therefore, recommends frugality and econ
omy, and usually congratulates his hear
ers that they at least are prudent and
saving, however wasteful others may be.
All these marks of the Sage we find in
years, he said, he had been banished from
back-got home, got back to Utica--and,
us Mr.. Conkling feelingly said, there is
no place like home s"fime, with his
frosty fingers, has silvered many brow,
and the turf and the SHOWS have hidden
all but the memory of many friend who
once bravely and gayly trod with us the
pathway of life, - but the survivors "comc
with warm welcome to private citizen
having no claim on your regard, except
his warm and abiding attachment to your
interests and your homes except Lis at
tachment to our beautiful city, and to the
neighbors and friends to whom for long,
long years he has owed SO much. Under
these circumstances, you will let me be-
lieve, without other thought, that your
presence here means the personal kind
ness of valued neighbors and valued
friends. 1t could mean nothing which
would be priced 30 much, nothing which
could be held in memory 80 long and 80
pleasantly"
After this comes the allusion to the !
country, which has attracted such wide
spread attention "The old party issues
have largely passed away-passed away
at least, ~ dividing party lines. We are
IN period of peace and great prosperity, |
but let us not forget that prosperity often |
tests and tries the wisdom of nations and
of men more even than adversely"
Then we have the warning voice raised ,
on the subject of economy. "The ten
dency is to spending largely, the tenden-
cy in Government is too profuse, per-
haps lavish, appropriations of the public |
money. In the affairs of Government,
and in the affairs of business, unless /
greatly mistake, the lesson, the need,
and the admonition of the hour is frugal |
ity, foresight, and care. We have more
need of the brake than of steam in good
many ways just now" For Utica, how
ever, the danger is less, because "Utica,
l am glad to know, is prudently planning
and saving up her sons capital. energy,
enterprise, Utica capital is building