The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-20
coNKLrNG AND BLAINE.
8. s. Cox Tells the story of the Famous Guar
rel Between the Two.

3. 8. Cox Tells the Story of the Famous guar
rel Between the Two.
Washington Special to Chicago News.
In an interview to-day s. ). Cox said: You
ask for some of my recollections OF Roscoe
Conkling. WAS member of the Thrty-stxtn
Congress, when he first appeared in federal lne-
/ was but a boy member from Ohio at that
time, but among the members of Senate and
House in the Thirty-sixth Congress there was
no one who commanded much attention BY
his modesty and>quietude in the first session IA
Roscoe Conkiing. He spoke little, but be had
a presence and personnel that any one who was
saeacieus to representative men might have
noticed. But after ALL he made no remarkable
impression either upon the American Congress-
people while he was in the House; and
yet he made an impression upon me.
1 presume it was owing to little vanity on
my part. for when he reelected to thd
Congress, which met in extraordinary session id
1861, after the war had become fragrant, and
the melancholy pleasure fell upon me 20 make
the eulogy on Stephen A Douglas, ut the con-
cusion of my forty minutes speech GRACEFUL
elegant, and accomplished form moved from tina
Republican side of the house 70 near where
sit now. and with considerable gravity, deliber~
alton and puuctilio, made his congratulations to
me on my obituary effort There was so much
measured courtesy ia it's utterance that in th es
little fervor of my hour transferred much kind
feeling toward the gentleman who had stepped
out from the throng of the Republican body TO do
this amenity. not much for myself as for N.Y.
friend, Judge Douglas.
.sWere You present. Mr.. Cox. when the cou-i
test occurred between Mr.. Blaine and MIR.
Conkline in the Housed"
II happened to be present on that occasion.
Il was the Thirty-ninth Congress-. was not ~.
member, but happened to be present. IL was
wild scene. 1t began with a little matter
about Provost Marshal General Fry. IL was
not great theme, but 1t aroused intense excite
ment, inasmuch as Mr. Coukllng insinuAted
some dishonesty against the General 1t
hot debate. We Democrats stood aloof and OBJ
served IL, not without some satisfaction. II be-
gan. as q great many of these troubles do in
Congress, about the report of the debate Mr..
Conking charged Blaine with frivolous imper-
Thence in putting into the debate an smputa-
ton upon his motives. IL ended some time in
April, 1866, about this, time twenty-five years
ago. But it was renewed on the Last day OF
April.
who were thoroughly iron-clad by that time. Il
began on that day with demand from Mr.,
Blaine TO have Gen. Fry's letter read. Mr.
Blaine contemptuouslv referred to Mr.. Conkling,
as the member from the Utica district Then
the debate began. Mr.. Conkling, in his meas
ured, quiet sardonic tone aud humor threw
his hot shot upon the member from Maine. Of
course. we Democrats enjoyed it The debate
showed Mr.. Conkling in his best light of repair
tee. SO far as the House was concerned Several
gentlemen interposed to stop. IL they could, the
blows that were given and taken. but mir. Blaine,
who skilled in the dialectice and rules of
the House, got the last word; and. after re-
which Mr.. Conkling was an expert.
no hoped that be would not be too severe in.
that mode of handling hts innocent
self The contempt OF that large minded gen.
tleman is whiting, his haughty disdain, his
grandiloquent swell, his majestic, supereminent.
overpowering, turkeygobhler strut has been so
crushing to myself and all the m embers Of thia
House that know it was act of the greatest
temerity for noe to venture upon a controversy
with him.
''Then Mr. Blaine referred to the man whom
I supposed to be the most eloquent orator
have met in Con gress-H Henry Winter Davis.
He referred to the little ioccse satire of Thso4
dore Tilton-that the mantle of Davis had fallen
upon the gentleman from New York and that
that gentleman had taken it seriously and IL
had given AN additional strut TO his pomposity.'
1T is striking said Mr.. Blaine, Hyperion to
Satyr Thersites to Hercules mud to marble,
dung-hill to diamond, singed cat to Bengal
tiger. whining puppy to a roaring lion These
phrases have never been repeated in the Houss
with so much vindictive luminosity. But tho
Democrats enjoyed it. It was not their fght.s