The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-04-20


man House and was licked off by the wire
to sorrowing country. There was hush
In the corridors Of the hotels near by and
a pervading 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
motionless 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 might
not get jrritated
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Roscoe Conkling was born in Albany, N. Y,
October SO, 1922 His father, Albert Conkling,
was Representative in the Seventeenth Con.
gress, and afterward filed the position of
United States Judge for the Northern dis
trict of New York and Minister to Mex
leo. Roscoe received common school
and academic education. Removing to
Auburn and Geneva with his father he studied
law three years under his tuition. In 1915 he
entered the law office of Spencer & Herman in
Utica, and in lS49 was appointed by Hamilton
Fish district attorney of Oneida County, sew
eral months before he attained his majority
On the day he was 81 he was admitted to
the bar. During the next decade he dis
closed rare qualities of management, and
became leader in 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 20. After that he accepted but few cases,
but in these his success was marked He mar
ried Julia Seymour, sister of eX Governor Hora-
ito Seymour In 1858 he was elected mayor
OF Utica. and November of the same
year he was elected Representative in the
Thirty-sixth Congress and took his seat in that
body at the beginning of its first session, in
December, 1859, session noted for it's long and
bitter contest over the Speazership. He was
reelected in 1869, his brother. Frederick A
Conkling, being elected at the same time
for 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 Con1ling was chair
man OF the Committee on the District of Co.
lumba, and also of special committee ap-
pointed to frame bankrupt law.
candidate for reelection to the Thirty
eighth Congress, he was defeated by his old
law partner, Francis Herman. In 1864
Conkling defeated M serving on the Com
mittees on Ways and Means and on Recon-
struction. He startled the Naton'by an attack
on the tactics Of General Mcclellan, and gave
legislation at a time when hesitancy and vacil-
latlon prevailed In February, 1862 he OPP
posed Mr.. Spaulding's Lcgal-Tender act by
speech and vote, sustaining, contrary to the
prevailing party policy, Mr.. Horizons amend
ment providing for the issue of an interest
bearing note, and against the final passage of
the bill as amended by Thaddeus Stevens. In
the same session he voted for the payment
of interest on the debt in coin. Mr..
Conklng was a firm upholder of all
legislation tending to uphold the hands of the
Administration in prosecuting the war for the
suppression of the rebellion In the fall of
1866 he was elected to the Fortieth Congress,
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 the
Senate March a, 1867, and was reelected
twice, his second term beginning March 4, 1873,
and his third term March a. 1879 He was
jealous supporter of General Grants Admins
tration. The general policy of that Admins
tration toward the South was largely, directed
by Senator Conlling, who advocated it 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-
ton and passage Of the Civil Rights bill. In
1876 he took a prominent part in forming the
act for the Electoral Commission, and in carry
ing it through. In 1880 Senator Conklng led
the Grant forces at the Republican nominating
convention in Chicago, and made the speech
putting him in nomination: Soon after the
election of President Garfield he differed
from him on questions OF public policy, and
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 CT the law to redeem his fort
unes, which were sadly shattered. He speed
lily assumed the foremost position at the New
York bar, and was engaged in number
Of prominent and remunerative cases.
His last visit to Chicago was in
July, 1887, when he argued a patent case
in the United States Court, and received much
attention, being rendered a reception by the
Grant Club. OF 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 a. narrow escape
from death in the recent blizzard in New
York, being almost overcome one night In the
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 proport' ons, which would have
made him q marked man in any assemblage.