The morning call., 1893-02-26
BLAINES FOE.
The Cause of ConkIing's
Animosity.
NEW LIGHT ON HISTORY.
A Charge of Receiving Illegal Fees
Which the Great New Yorker
Never Forgave.


to New York Sun reporter few days ago
that be thought the orue reason for the bit
ter feeling between Roscoe Conkling and
James G. Blaine had never been printed.
He said that during Mr.. Conkling's life in
New York City he frequently met the great
Republican statesman from Utica, and on
several occasions til y talked about his dif
ferences with Mr.. Bisine. Colonel Gerhard
said:
Conkling used to. come up to see me.
We were intimate friends, and one after
noon told him that | would like TO get at
the bottom OF the sestrangement between
Mr.. Blaine and hirsself. told Mr.. Conk-
ling that 1t seemed to me absurd that man
who had been a lawyer all his life and
public man should have taken offense at
Mr.. Blaine's speech calling him a turkey
gobbler, etc. 1t was something i could not
comprehend. Mr.. Conkling replied: 1T is
just as absurd to n,e 10 take it that way as
1t is to you. You know have practiced
law all my life. Ii lawyers permitted the
animosities Of public trials to warp their
sensibilities we would be in a fight with all
the werld. The true cause of the quarrel
between Mr.. Blaine and myself is that Mr..
Blaine took an unfair advantage of me in
the House OF Representatives to reflect upon
my personal integrity"
III the discussion growing out OF the
disseminating of tile office Of provost
marshal-general, Mr.. Blaine rose to ques-
ton OF personal privilege. Mr.. Conkling
told me that he did not pay much attention
10 Mr.. Blaine's speech until he beard his
name mentioned. Then. after listening,
ne found Blaine was making personal
assault, foreign TO the matter of personal
privilege, and alien to the subject under
discussion. Conkling said he listened, and
the mure he listened the more he was
amazed. and then he became angry. Conk-
ling SAID L so lost control OF myself
under the impulse of the moment that l
went to Ihad Stevens. and said:
Mr.. Stevens, you have heard what Mr..
Blaine has just said. What shall do?' The
question Of perso privilege Mr.. Blaine
used was personal attack upon my in
tegrlty. lie has characterized me as man
who had accepted employment from the
Government while [ was member Of Con-
gress and while in that employment had
received fees paid to me by Secretary STAN
ton. and that the fees embraced paid for
services which had been illegally rendered
by me 10 the Government of the United
States IN doing some work in the western
part of the State. This work included the
investigation of certain bounty frauds
which had taken place in Elmira, and the
Secretary came to me and employed me TO
get at the root of The trouble. | devoted a
upshot was that the Government recovered.
through my efforts many thousands OF dol
lars. Upon my return TO Washington Sec
rotary Stanton sent for me and offered S1e,-
OOO IN payment for my services. which l
refused to accept. / said 10 him at that
time that II | was to receive anything | pre-
ferred to arrange the price myself, aud at
all events | would not accept such sum.
Pending the discussion between Secre-
tary Stanton and myself, | went to Utica
and talked the matter over with Governor
Seymour and Judge DEMO. Chief Judge of
the Court of Appeals, both Democrats. !
told them that did not want to take step
which could be used against me in any
way. did not want to make q show of
purity that would be ridiculous, and | did
not care about accepting fee that might
be questioned. On my return to Washing
ton the check OF Secretary Stanton was re-
duced TO $500. Even then l was timid
about accepting it, but Stanton said: BY
God! | know what services are worth. |
have been lawyer all my life, and this
money you have got ta take l did take
the money | felt that had earned it, and
when Mr.. Blaine referred to this In the
House felt that he bad taken mean ad-
vantage, and | determined never 10 speak
to him again.
"Mr. Conkling told me-" continued Mr..
Gerhard, that Mr.. Stevens said to him:
IN attend to this for you, Mr.. Conklng,
anu VIII call for a committee OF inquiry.
"A committee was appointed for the pur-
pose of investigating and reporting, and
when 1t became evident that the report of
the committee would entirely exonerate Mr..
COnkling from the alleged irregularities.
then il was that he recognized the fine hand
OF Mr.. Blaine or his friends In the success
ful attempt to Illustrate the purposes for
which the committee was appointed.
''Mr. Conkling told me that he never
spoke to Mr. Blaine from that time; that all
the charges that Blaine had broug hit against
him were groundless. That is the cause for
my feeling against Mr.. Blaine said Mr..
Conklng, and l shall never speak to the
man again or recognize him till he, in as
public tlace as the House of Representa-
tives. makes an apology for the assault he
made upon me at that time
Several attempts were made TO reconcile
Mr.. Conkling and Mr.. Blaine. but Mr..
Conkliug always said: When Mr. Blaine
gets up in Congress and takes back this
charge then will be prepared to meet him.
and until he does 1t there will never speak
to him again. Subsequently, during the
Blaine campaign of 1884, Conkling told me:
i have received all invitation to dinner at
which Mr. Blaine Is to be present. | won
der what the getters-up of this dinner take
me iorp | am a Republican,. and | believe
in the success OF my party, but there is one
thing | will never dol Will never meet
Mr.. Blaine until he makes an apology as
public as his charges"