The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-04-26

The sad news spread rapidly in the Hofr-
man House and was licked off by the wire
to a sorrowing country. There was a hush
In the corridors of the hotels near by and
peryading oppressive quiet and solemn-
ity All voices were subdued The friends
who came to make last call went away
with sorrowful faces
All the afternoon the sick statesman lay
mct:onless in his bed in the Hoffman House
annex He occasionally moved his arms,
which were under the bed covering. He
lay on his right side in order that the
wound on the left side OF his head Nigh.
not get irritated
BIOGRAPHICAL
Roscoe Ccnkling was born in Albany, n. ",
October 80, 1s.a. His father, Albert Conkl.ng,
was Representative In the Seventeenth Con-
gress, and afterward flied the position Of
United States Judge for the Northern dis
trict Of New York and Minister to Mex
leo. Roscoe received common school
md academic education Removing TO
Auburn and Geneva with his father. he studied
law three years under Ii tuition In 1916 he
entered the law Office OF Spencer Herman in
Utica, and IN is49 was appointed by Hamilton
Fish district attorney Of Oneida County. sew
crai months betor. lie attained his majority.
On the day h was u he WAS admitted to
the bar. During the next decade he dis
closed rare qualities of management, ana
became n leader n local politics. In law he
ranked with the first OF the profession as an
advocate. The triumphs he achieved at the
bar. and which were his passports to public
preference, were gained before he reached the
age of -. After that he accepted hut few cases,
but in these his success WAS marked. He mar
red Julia Seymour. sister CT cfcxGovernor Hora-
ito Seymour. In 1858 he was elected mayor
OF Utica. and IN November Of the same
yau h.a v-an afa ted st.ffy IN fhp
Th:r;y-sixth Congress and took h.s seat in that
h5ly 1T the beginning Of its first session, in
December Is q, Il session noted for irs long and
b tier contest over the ST eaaersaip. He was
ie-elec ed i'll ls6t. his brother. Frederick A.
Conkling being elected at the same time
for u New York district. The two
brothers entered the Thirty seventh Con-
gress at the opening of the special session
convened by President Lincoln, July 4, 1861.
In this Congress Roscoe conlllng was char
man of the Committee on the District OF Co
lumbia, and also Of special committee APP
pointed TO frame bankrupt law.
candidate for reelection 10 the Thirty
eighth Congress, he was defeated by his old
law Iartner Francs Herman. In 1864
Conhlng defeated h III. serving on the Conn
m ittees on Ways and Means and on Recon-
struction. He startled tie Nation by an attack
on the tactics of General Mcclellan. and gave
the keynote for carnestness i'll all future war
legislation ut a time when hesitancy and vacil-
laton prevailed. In February, leGa. he OPP
posed Mr.. Spauldng's Lcgal-Tender act by
speech and vote. sustaining. contrary TO the
prevailing rarity policy, Mr.. Horizons amcnd-
ment providing for the issue of al interest
bearing note. and against the final passage OF
the b II as amended by Thaddeus Stevens. In
the same session he voted for the payment
OF interest the debt in coin. Mr..
Conklng was firm upholder OF all
/ legislation tending to Upheld the hands Of the
Administration in pros Ac:ting the war for the
suppression of the rebellion In The fall OF
| 1866 he was elected TO the For,ieth Con gress.
but before that Congress met he was elected
| TO succeed Judge Ira Harris as United
| States Senator from the State OF New
! York. He took his seat in tho
f; Senate March 4, 1861. and was reelected
| twice. his second term beginning March 4, 1871
! and his third term March 1. lss9 He was .
jealous supporter OF General Gfaat's Admins
tration. Tae general policy OF that Admins
/ tration toward the South was largely directed
by Senator Conking, who advocated il with all
| the powers of his eloquence and all the potency
| OF his personal and political influence. He
| was also largely instrumental in the incen-
/ tion and passage OF the Civil Rights bill. In
! 1876 he took prominent part in forming the
act for the Electoral Commission, and in carry.
| ing it through. IL 1887 Senator Conkling led
| the Grant forces at the Republican nominating
| convention In Chicago, and made the speech
I
election OF President Garfield he differed
| from him on questions OF public policy aud
In 1881 he resigned his seat in the Senate
| and applied to the Legislature OF New York
for Endorsement and reelection. He failed in
| this, and retired from politics, resuming the
| active practice OF the law to redeem his fort.
unes, which were sadly shattered lie speed.
| lily assumed the foremost position at the New
York bar, and was engaged in n number
! OF prominent and remunerative cases.
| lis last visit to Chicago in
July, 1887, when he argued patent case
| In the United States Court, and received much
| attention, being rendered u reception by tho
| Grant Club. Or late years he had been repeat
| edly solicited to re-enter politics, and his re-
| cent replies had indicated that he might
reconsider the resolution he made
in 1881. Mr.. Conkling had narrow escape
! from death in the recent blizzard in New
| York. being almost overcome one night IN tho
| drifts and the binding snow, and only his
| magnificent physique carried him through.
! Although his hair and beard had whitened
| OF late years. Mr.. conkling still retained his
| fine physical proportions, which would have
made him q marked man in any assemblage.