The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-03-01
BLAINEANDC CONKLING
THE NEW YORK eX-sENAToR's sTo-
RY OF THE LIFELONG FEUD.


the Statesman Never Forgnvc--One side
OF nm Estrnngcmcnt That Meant Much to
American History.
Colonel Edward Gebhard, Il lawyer in
the Mutual Life Insurance building. said
that he thought the true reason for the
bitter feeling between Roscoe Conkling
and James q. Blaine had never been
printed. He said that during Mr.. Conk-
ling's life in New York city he frequently
met the great Republican statesmai
from Utica. and ON several occasions
they talked about his difference with MIR.
Blaine Colonel Gcbhard said,
"Conkling used to come up TO see mc.
We were intimate friends, and one after
noon | told him that would like to get
tween Mr.. Blaine and himself | told
Mr.. Conkling that it seemed to me ab.
surd that Il man who had been lawyer
all his life, and II public man, should
have taken offense at Mr.. Blaines speech
calling him II turkey gobbler, etc. 1t
was something could not comprehend.
Mr.. Conking replied; II is just as alb
surd to me to take it that way ms it is to
you 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-
tage of me in the house of representa-
tives to reflect upon my personal integ
rity.'
In the discussion growing out of the
disseminating 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.. Blaines speech
until he heard his name mentioned
Then, after listening. he found Blaine
was making n personal assault, foreign
to the matter of personal privilege and
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:
:" Mr.. Stevens, you have heard what
Mr.. Blaine has just said. What shall
do? The question of personal privilege
Mr.. Blaine used was a personal attack
upon my integrity. He has character
lied me as man who has accepted EN-
ployment from the government while l
was u 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
retary came to me and employed me to
get at the root Of the trouble. devoted
great deal of time td the business. and
the upshot was that the government re-
covered, through my efforts, many thou
sands of dollars Upon my return to
Washington Secretary Stanton sent for
me and offered $4,000 in payment for
my services. which ! refused to accept.
i said to him mt that time that if | was
to receive anything | preferred to ar
range the price myself, and at all events
l would not accept such sum.
Pending the discussion between Sec
retary Stanton and myself | went to
Utica and talked over the matter with
Governor Seymour and Judge DEMO,
chief judge of the court of appeals, both
Democrats. | told them that did not
want to take n step which could be used
against me in any way. did not want
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
$500. Even then i was timid about ac-
cepting it, but Stanton said: "By God!
l know what services are worth. have
been lawyer all my life, and this money
you have got to take" did take the
money. felt that l 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..
Gebhard, 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 became evident that the re-
port Of Il committee would entirely
exonerate :. Conkling from the alleged
irregularit es. then it was that he recog-
nized the fine hand of Mr.. Blaine or his
friends in the successful attempt to frus-
trate the purposes for which the COM
mittee was appointed.