The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-04-26
Death Of Mr.. Conklirg.

by pain. Ills S0rr0W1Dg VIE
and daughter were weeping at his side.
Mrs. Conkling and her daughter both bore
up hrayely, but the elder lady was the
most Frustrated. n death the lines about
his mouth and on his face were slightly
drawn and he was much emaciated, but
still his face seemed natural. All the
afternoon he lay upon his.bed in the rear
Of his apartments of the Hoffman House
annex. Very little motion of the body
was noticeable except slight movement
of his arms, which were under covers lie
lay upon his right side in way that would
not irritate the cut in the side of his head,
which the surgeon had made as last re-
sort to save his life.
His last sickness dates from the day of
the great blizzard, March II. when Mr..
Conklng walked to his home on West
Twenty. fourth street from his office in
Wall street. He delighted in telling the
story of his struggle and how he nearly got
lost in a snow drift in Union Square. For
two weeks or so thereafter he continued
to work, but on March both had to give
up. On April Sd he called DR.. Agnew,
and on April 9th the operation involving
the cutting OF the mostd bone, the pro-
lection behind the left ear, was reSorted
to- to let out the pus that had accumulated
in the honeycomb formation OF the bone.
Many believed that his sickness dated
from his terrible blizzard experience.
Roscoe Conkling was born al Albany,
N. Y. October 80, 1929, and was a son of
the Hon. Alfred Conkling, who was a
member of the seventeenth Congress and
at one time minister to Mexico. He was
admitted to the bar at 81. and Immediately
commenced most brilliant career as a
lawyer. Before he was 80 years of age he
had been elected to the United States
Congress. Having married sister of
Horatio Seymour, he made his home i'll
Utica, Of which he became mayor in 1858.
He was defeated in IA second contest for
the mayoralty, but was elected to the
thirty-sixth Congress, taking his seat in
December, 1859. M. Conkling was re
elected to the thirty seventh Congress,
which met in 1861, and quickly took rank
as one Of the orators of Congress. The
day that Congress convened in December.
1861, he created a sensation by introduce
ing resolution requesting the Secretary
of War Ito report to the House whether
any measures have been taken to ascertain
who is responsible for the disastrous
movement of our troops at Balls Bluff. }
The debate which followed brought him
out in his first forensic effort. His speech
on this occasion gave him national fame in
| day. MT. COnkling, though one of the
youngest members, gave evidence of the
possession of strong conviction and rare
| courage, as in his opposition to the major
| ity Of his party on the thirteenth amend
| ment compromise, and in his vote against
| the dismemberment Of Virginia. In 1862
Mr.. Conkling was defeated for reelection,
but was successful two years later, and
| resumed his seat in the 39th Congress
His work during the sessions stamped him
one of the foremost debaters and states.
men Of the day. His speeches on ques
lions of the war, his opposition to the
legal tender acs, and his efforts in behalf
of various measures for the reconstruction
of the Southern States are a part of the
| history of that memorable decade.
In 1866 Mr.. C0nkling was elected to the
| q. S. Senate, and more than did justice to
the reputation which he had gained in the
House. He was strong in debate. and the
| galleries were sure to be filled whenever
he was announced for speech. He was
gradually assuming that leadership in the
party in New Yerk, which for ten years
was almost absolute, gaining full control
of the reins of power in 1871, when he
overthrow the Fenton-Greeley faction in
the State convention. This control was
never broken till after the resignation
fiasco of 1881.
Mr.. Conkling voted for the impeach-
ment of Andrew johnson. He did not
favor the ELECTORAL commission bill, but
he would probably have been one of the
three senators to sit on that commission
had there not been mistrust of his views
Senator Edmunds strongly urged his selec-
| ton, but his name was withdrawn aud
Senator Frelinghuysen chosen instead. be.
cause it was reported to caucus that Mr..
Conkling had expressed the opinion that
Hayes was entitled to but one of the votes
from Oregon. 1t is matter of common
belief among the friends of Mr.. Conkling
that if he had been put upon the commits
sion Tilden and not Hayes would have
been declared elected President.
Mr.. Conkling was candidate for the re
publican nomination for President at the
Cincinnati convention of 1876, and on the
first ballot received SO votes. After the
sixth ballot, as the contest then appeared
to be one between Blaine and Hayes, the
New I ork vote was thrown almost solidly
for the Ohioan, insuring his nomination. In
1880 Mr.. Conkling appeared in the national
convention at Chicago as the champion of
Gen. Grant. 1t was he who offered the
resolution pledging every member Of the
convention to support the nominee, 'who-
ever that nominee may be- and when
three delegates voted mo" it was Mr..
Conkling who offered resolution expell-
ing them.
Mr.. Conkling;s quarrel with Mr.. Blaine,
arising from personalities used in debate in
the House in 1865, was strong element in
the defeat Of Mr. Blaine in the Cincinnati
convention in 1876 and again at Chicago in
1885, 1t also lead indirectly to the quarrel
of Conkling with Garfield. the resignation
of Conkling and Platt, the assassination of
Garfield and the fatal enlightenment of the
republican factions in New York State.
Mr. Conkling was unfortunate in his
quarrels. His enemies he usually charac-
terized in terms which forever after for
babe reconciliation. He quarreled with
Gov. Cornell, never forgiving him for not
attending conference in New York in
1881, when all his friends were to decide on
his course after resigning his seat. He
quarreled with Chester A. Arthur because
he, when President, would not appoint
John F. Smythe, Collector of the Port of
New York and remove W. H. Robertson
to make the necessary vacancy. Good
heavens l can t do that" said the Pres.
dapt .I2ohorf ~, "a onpOip mont cauco6