The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-05-02
Life OF the Famous Senator.

Roscoe Conkling was born in Albany, n.
Y, on the 30th of October, 1928. His father,
Alfred CoDkling, was Judge Of the United
States District Court by appointment OF
President John Quincy Adams in 1925.
Roscoe attended the common schools OF AL
bany, and had no opportunity in his boyhood
to study the classics. His father removed
from Albany to Auburn and later
to Geneva, where Roscoe studied law. He
was not noted in those days as student, al
though he impressed all his associates
as young man Of ability. After he
had read law with his father for time
he entered the Office ot,Spencer & Herman
In Utica Conkling was prepared for the bar
before he attained his majority and made no
small impression as an advocate while yet
minor. His abstilities were so pronounced
that Hamilton Fish appointed him
District Attorney for Oneida County a
month before he came OF age. He was ad-
mitted to the bar on his twenty-first birth
day. He was already actively interested in
politics and was becoming local leader, but
even then bis leadership was of the same
quality that marked it when he had the en-
tire Republican party of New York State
under control In all his career he kept
himself at the front by force of his character
rather than by the condescending suavity OF
the ordinary politician. As a law
yer he was remarkably successful
from the beginning in criminal practice, and
the nature Of his public office in Utica kept
him constantly .busy, with criminal cases
In 1858 he married Julia Seymour, young
after his marriage Mr.. Conkling was
elected Mayor of Utica, serving as Mayor
and District Attorney at the same time.
In the fall of the same year he
made his first attempt to get
into Congress. His friends advised him
earnestly not to 60 before the ;., Con, m
his strength, however. and secured the nom
ination and eventually the election He was
not marked man In the Thirty-sixth Con-
gress He was reelected in 1860, and in the
extra session called by President Lincoln he
took leading part.
Mr.. Conklings attitude on the great ques-
tions Of the time was pronounced against
war, but not in favor Of abolition. In
Thirty-seventh Congress he was the
leader of the New York delegation, and
.-almost the only Northern representative
who used plain terms in speaking OF the
secession Of the Southern States. Never
tbeless Mr.. Conkling was in favor Of a COM
promise with the Southern States on the
slavery issue, If thereby a war might be
avoided.
When war was inevitable, he was one OF
tration Of President Lincoln.
He was re elected to the House in 1867, but
before Congress assembled he was chosen
successor to Judge Ira Harris in the Senate.
He resigned his seat in the House and entered
the Senate on March 4, 1867. He was re-
elected in 1873, and again in 1879.
Thomas C.. Platt was elected to the
Senate as Conkling's colleague on the under
standing that he would support the Garfield
hIpo;picfraf in ire onDoinfrnantS Almost
the first batch Of names sent to the
Senate for confirmation included poll
teal enemies of Conkling's Platt
stuck to his agreement for awhile and voted
for confirmation, but Mr.. Conkling retreated
to the lobby. Finally the name of Robertson
was sent in for the Collectorship Of New
York. This was the last straw, and
The New York Legislature was
strongly pro-Conkling at the time of the
resignation, and for one day few doubted
that both he and Platt would be triumphant
ly reelected. Such was the strength Of the
Conklng or "Stalwart" faction that strug-
gle of more than six weeks duration ensued
before Lapham and Miller were elected in
place of Conkling and Platt:
Since that time Mr.. Conkling has not ap-
peared before the public as politician II
happened that just at the time of bis res gna.
tion from the Senat, personal friend failed
in business Mr.. Conkling had endorsed
many of his notes, and with the failure went
every dollar that the Senator had accum
ulated.
He opened a law office in New York city
and business rolled in. It is said that in two
wears he made more money than he had
made in all his previous career. Since
he settled there he has lived mos
of the time at the New York Club
his wife remaining at her home in Utica