The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-06-15
is THE PRESIDENT A LIAR!
n Terrible Question Asked by Ills Party
Friends.
New York YriJnac, J'me 4.

ton of yoracity between Mr.. Roscoe
Conkling and Mr. George II. Sharpe
The former appeals through the Hrdld,
cites an elaborate array of witnesses, and
demands the public verdict. Sharpe has
yet to be heard froli.
Meantime we take leave to say that the
really unimportant question OF yeracity
raised by these publications concerns not
Mr. Conkiug or Mr.. Sharpe, but more
important parsonage than eithcrIthc
President Of the United States. The
details are of enough interest to he here
set out.
Dir. Conkling arrived in this city from
Washington on Saturday. May 81, Of last
year, soon after he and his assistant,
Thomas C. Platt, resigned their Offices of
trust as United States Senators. On the
following morning the Tribune announced
that conference of SIR. Conkling's |
friends would be held that day TO con-
slider what course he should pursue. On
Monday morning, May %, the Tribune |
contained an account of conference |
held at Vice. President Arthur's house
on Sunday afternoon, at which the Vice
President, Mr.. Conking, Mr.. Platt, Po- !
lice Commissioner French, John +.
Smyth, Louis +. Fayn, 4. y. Johnson, !
Gen. George II. Sharpe, Senator Jones,
Assemblyman Carpenter and others, were
present. In an article of considerable |
length the most significant features of
the conference were described, and it was
stated that Mr.. Conkfing had decided to
90 TO Albany and Feek for reelection. |
The report of this meeting attracted the
widest attention and provoked :.iuch CEN
sure. The Rev. DR.. Howard Crosby and
other clergymen publicly denounced the |
Niro, DrnuiIpnf'a "a in nO,fipN n |
ference at his house on Sunday as "a |
needless desecration Of the Lords Day"
The subject was taken up by religious |
newspapers and the press Of the country, |
and disapproval was freely expressed.
Mr.. Arthur seemed disturbed by the |
storm which his action had raised, and |
concluded to meet it by denying that any |
such conference had been held. In the |
New York Lcrahl Of May 26 appeared |
the report Of an interview with Gen.
Arthur, which bore nil the marks of re-
vision by himself In this he denied in |
the most positive manner that there had
been any conference ut his house Oh the |
previous Sunday He said:
During the whole of last Sunday only
six gentlemen who called at my house
found me at home, and three of them
were social visitors from out Of town.
presume that there are few persons of
large social acquaintance in New York
who would not receive, as many, or more,
friends on coming to the city after con-
cnce at my house Of political nature or
of any other nature"
The conversation as reported did cot
end with this denial, but included also
the following question and answer:
"Then the editorial articles in the New
York press, predcated upon tho assump
tion of such Sunday conference, and
the published remarks Of certain clergy
men Upon the subject, did you gross in
Justice? Will you pardon me for asking
why you do not expose their falsehood Or
mistaken"
i am not very communicative per.
son, as perhaps you know,"I answered
Gen. Arthur. "In my relations with the
press it has been my habit to let tales of
the class to which these belong take care
of themselves. l have found by expe.
rience that the public generally reaches
correct apprehension Of the truth ut
last in matters of serious concern, and as
to other matters their own triyiality soop
disposes of them"
At q later date Gen. Arthur seemed to
think 1t desirable to clinch this denial, as
the following extract from the columns
of the New York Times of June 13, 1881
will show:
"a reporter of the Times was ushered
into the parler Of Vice President Ar
thurs residence lest evening. Gen. Ar
thur cordially received him, and asked
his mission. When the reporter said
that it was rumorcd that conference
had been held there during the day be-
tween the Vice. President and oiaer lead
ing Stalwarts, something like cloud
passed over the Generals smiling coun-
tenanco. "A conference, eh p he replied,
with snap that riveted tho reporter 3
attention. Cannot two men como into
this house without it being reported from,
one end of the land to the other that a
conference is being held in the Vice
Presidents house? 1t was reported
everywhere in the newspapers that q con-
ference was held here OH Sunday a
short time ago. Now, you know me, and
when say that no conference was held
ii this house on that .lay, you believe
mo Two or three gentlemeu were here,
it is true. The newspapers set forth that
the Vice-President Of the United States
desecrates the Sabbath by having politi-
cal conferences on that day. l tell you
there we're no conferences here.'"
Gen. Arthur took pains on other occa.
sions also to deny tho correctness Of tho
published statements that such confer.
ence was held. Now come o number of
the Stalwart friends of Gen. Arthur and
Mr.. Conkling and say over their own
signatures that such conference was
actually held ut the time and place men-
toned, aud that they were present.
Here is the testimony of Mr.. Platt as
ublished in tho Herald yesterday:
NEW York, May 81, 1882.
My Dear Mr.. Conkling In response
to your recent inquiry, beg TO say that
did participate in the conference OF
your friends at the house of (then) Vice.
President Arthur, in this city, on the 22d
of May last year, at which Gen. George
II. Sharpe was present.
Yours sincerely,
T. G. PLATT.
Hon. Roscoe Conkling.
The same issue of the Herald contained
letters from Senator Jones, John f.
Smyth, Louis T. Fayn, @. NJ. Dennison,
A. 3. johnson and Police Commissioner
French, all of whom say that they were
present at such conference. Can they
have been mistaken? Was there no
conference, after all? Is it not in order
for President Arthur to enlighten be-
wildered pnblicG He said last year that
there was no conference. Mr.. Platt and
his fellow-Stslwarts say that there was.
: Which Of them is telling the truth, and
which is trying TO lie out? That is the
real question of veracity raised, and the
OEt trASa ,as.I- IL