The Penn's Grove record., 1884-02-16
Ex-Secretary Blaine.

IN NLlCL Ht ldhGS inc ulOob pIlub ID lAb
Geneva Award debate. He made an
exhaustive study Of all the documents
bearing upon this case, and looked up
clearly all the law points bearing upon
the same. Nothing shows more thor
oughly the versatile powers of his mind
than his ability to master all the legal
technicalities of this intricate case.
Most Of the lawyers in the Senate had
given the subject but casual attention.
MI. Blaine had thoroughly equipped
himself for the very purpose of having
a bout with the great Senate lawyers.
He specially desired a bout with Thur
man, Edmunds, Conkling, and David
Davis. But the keen-witted lawyers of
the Senate soon saw that Blaine was
well armed, and so they assumed a posi-
ton of lofty contempt, not condescend-
ing to argue legal points with a ION
professional. Matt Carpenter and
Thurman, however, were drawn into
the debate. David Davis, to avoid
Blaine, fed to the cloak rooms
Matt Carpenter, a trained legal athlete
was set up to administer a lesson to
Blaine, but, as Carpenter afterwards
said, he had all he wanted to do to hold
his own. Carpenter said that Blaine's
impudence in assuming a superior
knowledge of the law in that case was
80 overwhelming that he could hardly
meet him. Carpenter did more, how
ever, than almost any other Senator
could have done. He maintained
throughout the most thol ough good
nature and self-possession He even
laughed outright, with genuine muse
ment, where almost any other man
would have boiled owe with indigna-
ton at Blaine's assumptions,
Blaine's great object in the debate,
however, was to draw out Conkling,
his ancient enemy. If he could have
succeeded in that he would have been
perfectly satisfied.
Conkling all that day sat at his desk,
apparently engaged in writing. He
rarely, if ever, lifted his head. Some
of the time when Blaine was speaking
he was not over two feet away from
! Conkling. Blaine's oratory voIleyed to
the right and left Of the New York
Senator without producing the slightest
impression. General Garfield came IN
from the House during the discussion
and took a seat directly behind Conk-
ling, He noticed that he was writing
very steadily. He wheeled his chair
in such a position that he could look
over Conkling's shoulder. He was
curious to know if Conkling was really
writing. He leaned over, apparently
to reach for a paper, and in so doing
took a good look at Conkling's manu-
script. He found that he was not really
writing a word, and the neat manuscript
piled up on the desk, to use a stage ex-
preston, wa mere property writing.
Yet Conkling kept up this fine bit OF
acting all day. At one stage Of the
episode Thurman came over and tried
to get Conkling to go for that fellow"
as he designated Blaine. COnkling de-
clined, saying that he would not on ac-
count of his peculiar situation.
1t really is an absurdity that Conk-
ling and Blaine have never spoken since
the day of their foolish, h~ot-headed
quarrel when they were young men in
the House. The memory of all the
feeling that existed at that time has
long ago died out. These men have
iostled against each other almost con-
stantly in their public and social careers.
1t has been much more awkward to
maintain this long silence THANH it would
have been to speak and ignore the past.
| There has never been any need for a
formal reconciliation. If the differences
between them had not acquired the
dignity of age and attracted unusual at
tention through their prominence, 1t
must have fallen long ago.
1t is not generally known that Mrs.
Conkling never fails to call upon Mrs.
Blaine when she is in Washington, and
that Mrs. Blaine promptly returns her
calls. Mr.. Blaine has repeatedly met
Mrs. Conkling out in society, aud has
often talked with hen when her husband
was present. Upon occasion, at a
dinner given in this city, Blaine was
asked to give Mrs. Conkling his arm to
take her out to dinner. He did so, and
in the arrangement of the guests he sat
directly opposite Conkling. He talked
with Mrs. Conkling all through the
dinner, but not a look, even, passed be-
tween him and Conkling. The person
who gave this dinner must have had
peculiar ideas about making upa list of
guests. But, after all, under the cir
cumstances the failure of these two
gentlemen to speakto each other reached
the limits of the grotesque. It's not
necessary for these men to ever meet
and be friends again. That is, of
course, impossible. But there is no
reason why they should not acknowledge
each others presence when brought in
close contact. MI. Blaine's friends
say that he has always been willing to
speak if he could have any assurance
that COnkling would meet him half
way, as he attaches no Importance to
the social chasm which is supposed to
yawn between them. A number of
meddlesome nobodies have tried at
various times to make themselves con
spicuous by bringing these two gentle
men together. The probability is that
they will never speak now, because they
have in the past been brought into con-
tact with each other under such cir
cumstances, where, if reconciliation
was not possible, it never would be.
The Claim Is made for Cleveland,
Ohio, that it showsa lower proportional
Ia.4. 1;-4 Co. 1909 thap any other pity