Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-03-04
BLAINEAND CONKLING-
THE NEW YORK ex-sENAToR's sTo-
RYoF THE LIFELONG FEuD.

A Charge of Receiving Illegal Fees Which
the Statesman Never Forgayc--One Side
ofan arrangement That Meant Much to
American History.
Colonel Edward Gebhard, lawyer IN
the Mutual Life Insurance building. said
that he thought the true reason for the
bitter feeling between Roscoe Conkhng
and James G Blaine had never been
printed. He said that during Mr.. Conk-
ing's life in New York city he frequently
met the great Republican statesman
from Utica. and on several occasions
they talked about his difference with Mr.
Blaine. Colonel Gebhard said:
.Conkling used to como up to see me.
We were intimate friends, and one after
noon | told him that would like to get
at the bottom of the estrangelnent be-
tween MIR. Blaine and himself. | told
Mr. Conklins that it seemed to me alb
surd that man who had been a lawyer
all his life. and Il public man, should
have taken offenseat Alr. Blaines speech
calling him ii turkey gobbler, etc. 1t
was something could not comprehend
Mr.. Conklins replied: 1t is just as abb
surd to me to take it that way as 1t IS to
Won You know have practiced law
all my life If lawyers permitted the
animosities of public trials to warp their
sensibilities. we would be in fight with
all the world. The true cause OF the
Quarrel between Mr.. Blaine and myself
is that Mr.. Blaine took an unfair advan-
tare of ME in the house of representa-
tives to reflect upon my personal lnteg-
rity.
I'm the discussion growing out of the
discontinuing of the Office of provost
marshal general Mr. Blaine rose to
question of personal privilege. Mr.
Conkling told me that he did not pay
much attention to Mr.. Blaine's speech
until he heard his name mentioned.
Then after listening, he found Blaine
was making personal assault, foreign
to the matter OF personal privilege ana
alien to the subject under discussion,
Conkling said he listened. and the more
he listened the more he was amazed, and
then he became angry. Conkling said
that he so lost control of himself under
the impulse of the moment that he went
to his friend. Thad Stevens and said:
MIR. Stevens. you have heard what
Mr.. Blaine has just said. What shall l
do? The question of personal privilege
attack
upon my integrity He has character
lied me as man who has accepted en-
ployment from he government while |
was member of congress, and while in
that employment had received fees paid
to me by Secretary Stanton, and that the
fees embraced pay for services which
had been illegally rendered by me to the
government of the United States In do
ing some work in the western part OF the
state. This work included the investi-
cation Of certain bounty frauds which
had taken place in Elmira, and the Sec
rotary came to me and employed me to
get at the root of the trouble. devoted
great deal of time to the business, and
the upshot was that the government re-
covered, through my efforts, many thou
sands of dollars Upon my return tc
Washington Secretary Stanton sent fol-
me and offered $4,000 in payment fol
nv services. which refused to accept
said to him at that time that if was
to receive anything ! preferred to ar
range the price myself, and at all events
| would not accept such sum.
Pending the discussion between Sec
rotary Stanton and myself | went te
@ aRd sts Shs5h aRd hJa 9g5tebE sMh0
chief Judge of the court Of appeals, bott
Democrats. told them that did not
want TO talsaa-et,a->-.--,-:'-- ---e.iaS'r-'rG-rt
to make show of purity that would be
ridiculous, and did not care about ac-
cepting fee that might be questioned.
On my return to Washington the check
Of Secretary Stanton was reduced to
$780, Even then ! was tinid about &C
cepting it. but Stanton said: "By Godl
know what services are worth have
been a lawyer all my life, and this money
you have got to take" I did take the
money. felt that had earned it, and
when Mr.. Blaine referred to this in the
house felt that he had taken mean adj
vantage, and determined never to speak
to him again.
"Mr. Conkling told me-" continued Mr.
Gerhard that Mr.. Stevens said to him.
III attend to this for you, Mr.. Conkling,
and will call for committee Of inquiry"
"a committee was appointed for the
purpose of investigating and reporting
and when it became evident that the re-
port of the committee would entirely
exonerate Mr. Conkling from the alleged
irregularities. then it was that he recog-
nized the fine hand of Mr. Blaine OF his
friends in the successful attempt to frus-
trate the purposes for which the com.
mittee was appointed
Mr. Conkling told ME that he never
spoke to Mr. Blaine from that time: that
all the charges that Blaine had brought
against him were groundless. That is
the cause for my feeling against Mr..
Blaine, said Mr.. Conkling. and shall
never speak TO the man again or recog-
nize him till he, in as public a place as
the house of representatives, makes an
apology for the assault he made upon
me at that time.
Several attempts were made to recon-
Gle Mr. Conkling and Mr. Blaine, but
Mr.. Conkling always said: When Mr..
Blaine gets up in congress and takes
back this charge, then will be prepared
10 meet him, and until he does it there !
will never speak to him again. Suisse
quently, during the Blaine campaign of
15ror fC1l b1v-
an invitation to dinner at which Mr.
Blaine is to be present. wonder what
the getters up of this dinner take me for
/ am Republican, and believe in the
success Of my party, but there is one