New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-10
MIR. SH4RPE, MR. CONKLING And THE
PRESIDENT

The question of yeracity between Mr.. C0nk-
ling and his late henchman, Mr.. Sharpe, is up
again this morning. Mr.. Sharpe was hard hit,
the other day, by Mr.. COnkling's production of
seven letters from as many party asso-
ciates, all asserting that they were present
at the famous Sunday conference at the house
of President Arthur, and chat Mr.. Sharpe, in
their hearing, led in urging Mr.. Conkling to
90 to Albany and canvass for reelection. Mr..
Sharpe now admits the meeting, but denies
that it was conference" He says, in sub
stance that Mr.. Conkling took it for granted
he was to be reelected, and used the meeting
merely for convenience in issuing the neces-
sary orders. Mr.. Sharpe draws a ludicrous pic
ture of the preliminary caucusing rs to who
should bell the cat. They agreed that it was
madness for him to be a candidate, but each
wanted the other to tell him so. John f.
Smyth, Charles NJ DennisOn and Mr.. Sharpe
finally undertook to support each other in
representations intended to induce Mr..
Conkling to stand by-hs resignation y
But that remarkable person had no such pur-
pose, and neither Sharpe, nor Smyth, nor
Dennison could get the chance to insinuate
their opinion. Mr.. Conkling took command
from the outset. He must be reelected; the
reelection must come to him without soicita-
ton. He wanted nObOdy's opiniOns;-he wanted
the thing done.
Here at last Mr.. Sharpe did get in
little work. He served notice that
what was wanted wasn't easy, and
that Mr.. Conkling must see to it himself.
SO lie did urge the ex-senator who wanted to
be reelected but didn't want to be known as
wanting it, TO go to Albany. The rest of the
day was spent in canvassing lists of members
and deciding how each could be influenced, y
Mr.. Conking all the while taking the lead
and giving his Instructions But there was no
conference"
Mr.. Sharpe's story of the proceedings at AL
bany has equal interest. Mr.. COnkling went
thereto explain his resignation, he said.
The more he explained, observes Mr.. Sharpe
gently. the more his vote fell off. An effort
was made to get signatures enough to call a
caucus, but it failed Then Mr. Sharpe was
asked to call it any way, using some
carefully chosen formula which, without
saying that enough had signed the call,
would leave the impression that they
had. This was the point at which Mr..
Sharpe's long tried loyalty first faltered. He
refused, as Speaker of the House, to lend
himself to an effort to deceive the members.
Mr.. COnkling thereupon treated him with
great coldness" Small committees were now
sent, in turn, to tell the persistent candidate
the hOpelessness of his case. They all failed,
as Sharpe, Smyth and Dennison had failed
at the Sunday conference (where they did not
confer,) at President Arthur's house. Mr.. Conk-
ling talked them out of court. They tried to
switch off the COnkling vote on Grant and
Fish. Mr.. Conkling thought it an admirable
idea, but " it must come from the other side y!
The President was shot, and Mr.. COnking,
Mr.. Sharpe says, did not dare to return to
Albany. Still he urged his friends to brave
the public opinion he dared not meet They
refused, and the end came.
Such, in brief is Mr.. Sharpe's graphic and
instructive story. He fortifes it by letter
from the chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee, certifying to Mr.. sharpe's opposi-
ton, from the outset to Mr. COnkling's candi-
dacy. The questions of veracity now stand thus
The President says there was no Sunday con-
ference. Mr. Sharpe says certainly not; for
Mr. Conkling wouldn't confer-he would only
order. Mr.. Conkling says Mr.. Sharpe was
foremost in urging him to go to Albany. Mr..
Sharpe says, certainly there was no keeping
him from being a candidate, and of course he
told him he had then to go the front himself
though he didn't want to.
1t is only fair to add that Mr.. Sharpe's state
ment reads like q true story, and is curiously
confrmatory of all that the opponents of Mr.
Conkling have said of his ridiculous character.
The person left in the worst situation, if these
various statements are to be believed, is still
the present President of the United States
who held this Sunday caucus at his house, and
then, when the public indignation became