Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-09

Arthur does not contain any news. Ayear
Or more ago the Post was given all
the information that is now verified by his
signature. Mr.. MacVeagh's relations to
the GARFIELD administration we're peculiar.
He intended to deal strongly and justly
with the star route thieves, but he lacked
confidence in the administration. Al
though he was not himself politician, he
knew enough of the ways Of the breed to
doubt the purposes Of the administration
to pursue men of its own party, and es-
pecially men who had been leaders, and
who had done efficient work in the cam
paign by which the administration came
into power. Moreover, Mr.. MacVeagh
was on friendly terms with most of the
stalwarts. and especially with Mr.. Conk-
ling. aud he sympathized with the New
York senator in the difficulties in which
Garfield was led by Mr.. Blaine. He had
ais to fight from his first going into the
cabinet with the secretary of state, for Mr.
MacVeagh knew all the evidence against
the star ronte thieves, and he knew that
James G. Blaine had a very close connec-
ton with some of the most prominent
among them. At about the time when
between the secretary of state and the at
torney general promised to be decided in
favor of the latter. He had secured Gar
fields consent TO remove Corkhill from the
district attorneyship, and he had made
Garfield understand that the star route
cases could not be triHed with as long as
he remained in the department of JUS
tice. The question was whether Blaine
or MACY eagh should be the great man of
the cabinet and MacVeagh thought that
he had about Won The fight, when Garfield
was shot. at that moment he made up
his mind to leave the cabinet. He was
convinced that Garfield would die, and he
knew that. in the nature of things, the old
cabinet could not remain with the new adj
ministrat:on. He held on O his Office,
therefore, merely to keep the routine work
up, studiously avoiding doing anything to
embarass his successor.
THE CONTEST BETWEEN M'vEAGH AND
BLAINE.
Blaine and MacVeagh were natural enc
mics, but their first open disagreement
came through the New York difficulties.
Mr.. Garfield desired to be on friendly
terms with Mr.. Conkling, and had no sym
patty with Biaine's personal hostility to
Veagh what he wanted to accomplish, and
expressed wish that Mr.. Conkling should
be told how he felt toward him. Mr.. Mac
Veagh was the one man in the cabinet who
was III position to accomplish the union
of Garfield and Conkling, and at the pres
1dent's request he undertook the task. The
details Of the plan were all arranged in
advance, and whatever promise CT repre-
sentation MacVeagh made to COnkling
was made with the authority of the presi-
dent. 1t was on the Friday night before
the appointment of Robertson as collector
of New York, that MacVeagh and James
called on Conkling. The senator then oc-
cupied the lower floor Of large house on
Fourteenth, near G. street, and the then
vice president, Mr.. Arthur, occupied the
upper floor. The interview lasted far into
the morning, and began by a statement
made by MacVeagh, in his characterlstical-
iy blunt and pungent fashion, somewhat
as follows:
A NOTABLE INTERVIEW.
''Mr. Conkling, you may be on good
terms with the administration if you will.
You have been in he habit of recognizing
two departments only in the government
you recognize the legislative branch be-
cause you are member of the senate, and
you recognize the judicial branch because
you sometimes appear before the supreme
court; but you have not for four years rec
ogniZed the executive department.. Now,
you must recognize that, tOo.' Mr.. Conk-
ling was walking up and down the room in
his lordly way, and, turning around, said,
after pause: "Why, MacVeagh, You on't
mean to tell me that there was an execu-
tive department under the Hayes admins
tratiou2"
That broke the ice, and the conference
was long and free. The upshot of it was,
that MacVeagh told Conkling what he
could and what he could not expect. The
appointment of McDougal as marshal of
TIM northern district of New York, among
other things, was refused him; but he was
distinctly promised that no change would
be made in the New York custom house
at least. thatRobertson should not be ap-
pointed.
PROMISES THAT WERE NOT KEPT.
When Mr.. MacVeagh left that house on
Fourteenth street. he had laid the basis for
an agreement between the president and
Senator Conkling. MIR. Conkling was in
good humor, but stipulated that he would
make one more effort for McDougal. He
did that, and secured the renewal of the
first decision. Mr.. Conkling's call at the
White house was made on Sunday night,
and the president repeated all the promises
that were made by Macveagh, adding how
ever, that he would be obliged to do some
thing for Judge Robertson, and that he
would give him the United States district
attorneyship for the southern district of
New York. It was on this suggestion that
Conkling made his ever famous answer:
'ssI suppose can go into the lobby and
hold my nose while he is being confirmed"
However much ne may have determined
not to oppose the presidents nomination
of Robertson as district attorney, his in
terview at the White house did not con-
vince him that his enemy would not re-
-ceive the collectorship. Garfield stated
over and over again that Robertson should
not be made collector, but the very leffus-
iveness with which the promise was made
aroused Conkling's suspicious. Arthur
and James were with him, as they had been
when MacVeagh had his interview, and
they were astonished at Conkling's lack of
enthusiasm over what they considered a
victory for the New York stalwarts.
Finally one of them said to Conkling:
S'You don't seem confident that the presi-
dent will not keep his word not to appoint