The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-24
CoNKLING NOT OUT OF POLITICS.
Some Idea of Returning to the Senate-Tbe
Plans of His Friends.
Wash in gton Special.

Washingto Special.
Mr.. Conkling is going abroad. When he re-
turns in the fall his friends will banquet him.
How and when to emerge from his isolation
politically has for some time been discussed by
Mr.. Conklings friends. Presumably the ques
ton has not at all times been absent from his
own thoughts. The idea of not returning to
political life has not dwelt with him. Returning
at no distant day has been settled purpose:
The opportunity and the way have been looked
for. Mr.. Conkling knows as well as anybody
what are the chances of game wherein victory
depends on the mountain going to Mohammed.
The mountain has as yet shown no disposition to
move, and SO he has begun to think about doing
it. Pursued too long, the game Of being out of
politics gets one out Of mind. That does not at
all accord with Mr. Conkling's purpose. 1t is
the very last thing that would afford him the
slightest pleasure 1t is contrary to his nature,
totally. Of late he has not been able to keep
from himself that it is, however, precisely what
must happen as the result of longer posing out
of poll Sics. Nor has it appeared to him probable
that after scuttling the ship to spite the mate he
will be called to command new one by the
survivors. To revenge himself on Mr. Blaine he
or his friends fox him claim that he beat the Re-
publican party. If he did no one has offered to
crown him as patriot for doing So On the
contrary Mr. Conkling has been drifting out of
sight of late and his friends here deliberated
how to bring him back into notice They will
do it in the fall when he returns from his vaca-
ton abroad.
AS king of the stalwarts Mr.. Conkling cut q
curious figure in the campaign from the time of
Blaine's nomination down to the day of the
election. That the action in which he led in the
last hours of the battle, whereby he feels or did
feel, not only justified but proud in claiming to
have beaten Mr. Blaine, was contemplated from
the outside or even any considerable time before
the day of the election is not probable. His
friends went to Chicago, where with an apparent
sincerity Of purpose they labored for Mr. Blaine's
nomination. They had his approval in doing so.
After the nomination, while nothing was known
to Justify tho expectation that Conkling
would take any decided part for Blaine, no
reasons were shown for the suspicion that he
preferred the Republican party should be beaten
rather than that it should succeed with him.
Indeed there was q time when his friends pre-
tended to believe that he would at the proper
time come in and help, as he had before done,
in his peculiar way to secure the victory which
it gave him pleasure to think was possible only
through him. A speech at Cooper Institute at
the right time was talked about as Mr. Conkling's
part i'll the campaign. True, there were doubts,
but there was always doubt about Conkling
when he was auxiliary and not supreme. 1t
seemed to be understood that could it be so
fixed that he could have the credit of saving the
day he could be depended on with the proper
amount of urging His friends, though not all
of them enthusiastic for Blaine gave no sign of
boiling
For some time after Mr. Cleveland's nomina-
ton the ex -senator begged to be permitted to
hold his nose as the procession passed and there
after his peculiar friends posed as the nose
holders. AT the Republican headquarters their
counsel was offered and frequently needed as
valuable. 1t was done apparently in the interest
Of Blaine's election. But there came late in the
campaign a change, Blaine denounced and
everybody was given to understand that Mr..
Conkling would not open his lips for him. On
what the about face movement turned has re-
manned mystery. There have been reports of
rejected addresses at the Republican committee
rooms in New York. Of too much stiffness and