New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-18

later Nh Bsane's turn came and 10 lsllveeed sting
ins invectiys In which hs rstsrrsd 10 Mr. conknngs
ma,estas supsrsmnent, ovsrpowseng hrkoycock
struts The encounter was not only tbs shsrpost OF
tho xxxIxth Congress but one Of the most memorable
| in tho history Of that era
| HIS PROMOTION TO THE SENATE
Firmly entrenched in the confidence Of his
Oneida constituents, they elected Mr.. ConhnR
to tho xLth Congress- But before IL was
time for him to his scat no was promoted to
the United States Senate in January, 1857 Charles
Folger, then Senator. presided at the caucus which
nominated him. and his name was proposed by Ellis h.
| Roberta, then ap Assembymsn for the Id Oneida
District The other candidates before the caucus wore
Ira Harris tho incumbent, Nsah Davis, Ransom Balloon
| and MIR. Folser. Horace Greeley's name was pre-
sented but withdrawn before tho formal baoting
began During Mr. Conkllngs arst term In the Senate
what may DO regarded his most important vote was
Riven for the impeachment Of President johnson for
/ high crimes and misdemeanors.' In 1862 while
| o member Of tho House, hs had offered res
olutlcn, AFTER tho victory ct Fort Dcnelson, ~
turning tho Nations thanks to Generals Grant
and Hallsck and when Grant was called 10 the Pres
ldency in 1869 he found In the Senator an earnest
| and uncompromisng supporter. And before Grants
6rst term expired Nj Conkng had come to DO rocog
nlzod the special champion Of his Administration
| Tho reelection of President Grant in 1872 was FOL
lowed In 1873 by the reelection Of Senator ConKing
| In the momentous proceedings growing out of the
disputed election Of 1876 the Senator bore promi'
| nent part He was member OF tho committee thss
framed tho bill providing for the Electoral Commits
son he took charge of It IN It's passage through the
Senate and he advocated 1t In strong speech MS
| absence from the Senate when the vote was taken
| on the louisiana decision OF the Electoral tribunal
caused good deal Of bitter comment at the time
subsequently, in the course Of speech on ono OF the
tnb, In c1aUl
occasion explain the absence In question, stating
that 1t was due to his having been called out Of the
city.
At the end of this term-durng which
he declined invitation from the President to transfer
his public services to the bench of the Supreme Court
Of the United States succeeding Chief Justice Chase
deceased-Mr. Conkling again reelected. And
in both 1873 and 1879 he received a unanimous nom
| nation
HIS EXIT FROM THE SENATE.
Mr. conhng resigned from the Senate In May 1881,
for two First to exhibit In emphatic man
his dIsspprovd Of the policy Of President Garfield
In relation TO the NewYork appointments, especially
the nomination Of William H. Robertson to the New
York ColectOrshp. Second, TO appeal to the Repub-
| Leans OF New-York through their representatives
In the legislature promptly to return him to the
Senate and In so doing to vndlcate him and rcbuke
President Garfield The position Of the President can
be briefly stated Hs held that his nomination Of
Judge Robertson act Of simple party Justice,
the logical nomination in the circumstances. II was
conceded that to no other one man 60 much as to
Judge Robertson General Garfield indebted for his
success at Chicago since he Judge foremost In or
ganizing the movement against third term. I'm
pressed with this fact the President felt that he would
have been alike .rdly and unfair II he had set
Robertson aside to please the leaders OF rival faction
whose opposition was purely political and who bad
been generously recognized in the distribution OF the
Federal patronage. Judge RObertsJn's fitness for
the Coectorshp not denied his personal character
was unassaable and he was tried and true Re-
publican. Mr.. ConklIng laid great stress son the
courtesy Of the senae' arguing that 1t was the rule
of that body to respect the wishes of It's members In
relation nominations from their respective States.
For reply MI COnklDg referred to the Russell
Simmons Judge Russell was Collector OF the
port of Boston in 1874. Messrs. Sumner and Bouwen
were then the United States Senators from Mass
achusotts The Of Mr.. snmons-a friend OF
General ButleT-was sent to the Senate as The sue
cessor of Judge RUSSELL whose term had not expired.
But although both the Massachusetts Senators were op
posed to Mr.. Simmons Mr. Boutwell, going so far as
TO support adverse report on his nomination, Mr.
Conklng dsregarded their wishes and spoke and voted
for Simmons's confirmation. Senator Conklings des-
perate scheme failed mserably. HIS In resignDg
denounced bS Republicans generally all over the
State, who In It simply parts anship run mad and
who agreed that the President from any point
of view entitled The Tribune argued at the time,
to man of his selection in the great and
responsible Office Collector of the Port of NcwYork
Accompanied by Vice President Arthur, Mr..
Conkling appeared In Albany shortly after
the resignation had been transmitted to
Governor Cornell and made effort
to induce the Republican majority to vote to re-
elect him 10 the Senate. Mr. Conhing let It be said,
denied that he went to Albany to lobby for a
yindIcstiOn. Once when interviewed tha spe :ial
point he defined his mission 10 The State Capital AS
follows my going TO Albany Of the most
pcI.c nf =, al bora trft
votes; never asked any man To vote for me. Ny
presence there insisted By Others the ground
that it due 10 all that Information and eXplana-
ton should be given respecting the res gnatIon and
the causes which led to It, and that such info ma on
should come directly from me-"
Among the means employed TO secure hi return was
the publication of letter written by General Grant
to Senator Jones, of Nevada In this letter Grant
said:
ConkiIng and Plat are the chosen Senators from
the opposition of Admin, tratlon created BY the
same party that elected them This should give
them all the stronger claim to be consulted In the
matter of appointments in their stale. When It
comes filing the most Influential Office in their
Slight "' When he ' ths '' Pesdcn selects i
the bsco%s. an nss aaG ought be to be SO%e
scented The bitter end. | sincerely hope the Presl
dent VIII SEQ this and correct his mistake himself and
self and to those wit bout whom he could not have
carried the State of New York without the active sup
port Of her present senators. Their passive support
would not have answered without the ale of New
York General Garfield would not now be Prcsd mt.
His rewardng Robertson is moi only offensive to the
NewYork Senators, but 1t IS offensive to New York
Republicans"
THE CONTEST OVER HIS SEAT IN TIE SENATE
Tho struggle for the Senatorship in all that 10
implied must always remain interesting and sug-
gestive chapter in the history of NewYork politics
From the evening Of May 16. when Governor Cor
nell transmitted the Joint letter OF resignation OF the
two Senators to the legislature until the afternoon
OF July %, when Mr. Lapham was chosen to succeed
Mr.. Conkling, Albany in a state OF feverish
element and commanded huge share of the atten-
ton Of the country. The business of law making
practically abandoned the members finding themselves
engrOssed by the unexpected and duty
which they we're called upon to discharge clever
piece OF generashp at the start prolonged the contest