The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-03-11
.,IAINEANDtUNkIIN
THe NEW YORK Ex-SENATCR'S STO-
nv Of THE LIFELONG SOD

Colonel Edward tieohagt Il lawyer III
@A2 A.Etaa! L.ite Insurance nni, .ia5. sid
that ne tliol.Lht the true rtrtson DOT tne
ultier feeling irt%ttu l., u~C3p GuHa.!Hg
ana James q Blaine hat. never Teen
printed He SAID that during Mr. Coui.-
iing,> llfe III New York city he Frequently
met the great i.eluhlican statesman
from Utica and Oh ~etera. occasions
they talked about ii- difference with air
Blaine Colonel Gebhari said
'Conkling us-,i To come up to see me
We We're intimate friends. and one after
noon | told INN that ! would like TO get
AT the bottom ut the estraugeInent be-
tween Mr. Blame and himself | told
Mr. Conklia2 that 1t seemed TO me alb
surd that IA maj who mad been "A lawyer
all his lite and a public man. should
nave taken offense at Mr.. Biaine's speech
calling him IL turkey gobbler. etc. II
was something could moi comprehend
Mr. Conkling replied 1t is Just AZ ali.
surd TO me to take II that way as it is to
you You know | have practiced law
al my life. II lawyers permitted the
animosities OF public trials to warp their
sensibilit,es. we would be in II fight with
all the world The true cause of the
quarrel bet " Mr. Blaine and myself
IL that MIR Blaine took an unfair advan.
tage OF me in the house Of representa-
tlve> to reflect upon my personal integ
rity
IL Tho .lyS.,Gc3n,, .,y9t ~,,s - tlA
disseminating OF the office OF provost
marshal general Mr. Blaine rose to a
question ot personal privilege. Mr.
Conkling told me that he did not pay
much attention to Mr. Bla,ne's speech
until he heard his lame mentioned
Then after listening. he found Blaine
was making ii personal assault. foreign
to the lnatter Of personal privilege and
alien to the subject under discussion
Conkling SAID he listened. and the more
he listened the iIlure he was amazed. and
then he beearue angry Conkilng said
that he III lost control of himself under
the impulse OF the moment that he went
to his friend Thad Stevens. and said
Mr.. Stevens. yon have heard what
Mr. Blaine has Just sad What shall
do The question of personal privilege
Mr. Blame used was a personal attack
upon my integrity He has character
ized me as IA nan who has accepted EN-
ployment from the government while !!
was IA member Of congress. and while In
that employment had received fees paid
to NE by Secretary Stanton. and that the
fees embraced pay for services which
had been illegally rendered by Inc to the
government uf the United States III do
ing some work IN the western part OF the
state This work included the investi-
CATION Of certain bounty frauds which
had taken pi2ce in Elmira. and the sec
rotary came to me and employed me t.
get at the root OF the trouble devoted
a great lea Of time to the business. and
the upshut 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 10000 in payment for
my 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 event,
] would not accept such a sum.
CtluluS NllC lis uSSlOu OCt CCu Sec
rotary Stanton and myself | went to
Utica and talked I'VE the matter with
Governor Seymour and Judge DEMO,
chief judge Of the court Of appeals. both
Democrats. told them that | did not
want to lake II step which could be used
against me III any way. did not WANT
to make "a show Of purity that would be
ridiculous. and | did not care about nc.
ceptiny n fee that might be questioned
On my return to Washington the check
of Secretary Stanton was reduced to
$500. Even then | was timid about &C.
cepting it. but Stanton said: by God!
| know what services are worth. I have
been a lawyer all my life, and this money
you have got to take | did take the
money. ! felt that | had earned it. aud
when Mr.. Blaine referred to this in the
house ! felt that he had taken q mean ad.
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 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 or 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
speak to the man again or recog
nize him till he. IN AS public a place ~
the house Of representatives, makes an
apology for the assault he made upon
me at that time.