Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-22
COnkling and Cornell.

New York are, so far from being healed,
growing wider daily, and the last report
ed difficulty between two distinguished
Republican leaders of that common
wealth is of peculiar interest to the en-.
tire country. This is the quarrel now
going on between ex-senator Roscoe
Conkling and Gov. Cornell. The Albany
EDening Journal, which we believe is
the official organ of the State, recently
published as a fact that Mr.. Conkling
had, on two occasions, offered the Gov
ernor a bride not to veto certain bills
which had been passed by the State Leg
islature in which he (Mr. Conkling) was
interested as representative of clients.
And this report has also been repeated
in another New York Republican jour
nal, the Times.
If these charges be true it places
Governor Cornell and Mr.. Conkling both
in no enviable light. The Governor, it
seems, was not influenced by the bride,
as he vetoed both measures. Still it is
evident that he must have been man
liable to be corrupted or else Mr.. Conk-
ling, who knew him so well, and who
had in times past, been his intimate per-
sonal and political associate, would not
have dared to approach him with cor
rupt proposition. The manner, too, in
which the Governor has made. or caused
to be made, public the charge is very
suspicious. Had he been a man of
high and lofty character, he would at
once have spurned from him with indig
nation his would-be briber, and, by
promptly ordering his prosecution for
subornation of bribery, have held him up
to public odium. But the Governors
long silence can not even be explained
away on the ground that he was unwil-
ling to cast stigma upon former
friend and the Republican party by ex-
posing COnklIng, since it is plainly evil
dent that he has, at this late date, con-
sented to the publication of the charge
so as to neutralize Conkling's OPP
position to his (CornelPs) re-
nomination by destroying his (COnk
ling's) reputation and influence. 1t seems
then that the Republican Governor of
New York is a man who can be
approached with bride, and that even
though he did not accept it, was willing
to condone the crime until he thought
his political interests could be advanced
by its exposure.
Not less disgraceful is the position
occupied by Mr.. COnkling, if these re
ports be true. He, an ex-senator of the
United States, a recognized leader of the
Republican party of his State, an init
mate friend and adviser of the President,
and a man who has been nominated to a
position on the United States Supreme
Bench, is reported to be a common
briber and corruptor of official digni-
taries-a man who, for selfish purposes,
was willing to endeavor to induce
the Chief Magistrate of his com
monwealth TO sign certain acts OF
the Legislature which the conscience of
that official told him were preiudicial to
the public welfare.
The entire proceeding reflects serious
disgrace upon the Republican party of
New York. OF course Conkling denies
the charges, and, it is stated, intends to
have the truth publicly made known
through the medium of libel suits which
he is contemplating instituting against
the papers which gave them publicity.
This is all surmise, however, and
as the matter stands at present,
the charges remain neither undenied by
| Governor Cornell, nor unrefuted by Mr.
| Conklinr II must indeed be a matter of
unusual interest to the people of the
country in general, and of New York in
particular, to know whether the Chief
Magistrate of a great State is so mean q
person as to permit the offer of bride,
or whether a man of the prominence of
Conkling is so low as to be willing to
resort to corrupt methods for the &C
complishment of bis wishes and the adj
vanCement of his personal interests.