The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-04

President was aware of such a use of any
such letter. Almost my first inquiry brought
out this response: "Oh, you allude TO a
letter Conkling is saying that he has of
mine. and which he represents TO be a pref
ty bad one. 1 know what il is, and have
a copy of it" He treated the whole mat
ter lightly and as of no consequences: and
remarking that he had heard of this before;
took the letter from his pocket and handed
1t to me.
80. .erusing it, 1 discovered that IL was
one Of those indiscreet epistles. like the Jay
Hubbell letters, which he had written dur
ing the presidential campaign, aiding the
efforts to collect from clerks and other gov
eminent officials subscriptions TO campaign
expenses. Although by no means a good
letter. / was satisfied that its chief harm
TO Garfield at that late date lay in the abil-
iy to create a mystery about its contents
by keeping them from the public eye while
still talking about il. i therefore advised
its immediate publication, thereby doing
away as early as possible with any bad inn
preston which the scene before the COM
mittee might make when it came to be
known, as it was sure TO be-if, indeed, that
had not been its design.
/ urged that he should not permit It to
be held over his head as a menace for a
single moment. and that whatever harm
was possible from its publication would be
less If 1t came from his friends promptly
than if it waited on the opportunity of his
enemies, after they had made whatever
could be made by Withholding its contents.
/ urged him TO let me take il TO the Asso-
ciatel Press that very night. As he was
4 ABOUT 10 nanQ IL 10 me Tor tndI purpose,
Mr.. Blaine entered the room The Presi-
dent, turning to him. remarked: Here,
Blaine, is where l have been stopping over
again. Here is a copy of one of my letters
which COnkling has got hold of, and is
threatening TO use against me. Dawes adj
vises me to let the Associated Press have
it tonight and forestall him." Blaine read
the letter and shook his head. advising
strongly against its publication. And so the
letter never saw the light until such time
as Mr.. Conkling thought most opportune
for his purpose. But he had waited too
long, and its effect had been discounted be-
| fore he used ii.
The labor of the committee was in vain,
and Mr.. Dawes thus describes asfinal inter-
view with Senator Conkling:
/ had one more interview with Mr.. Conk-
ling after this. and before his resignation
and his appeal from a Republican dmin-
i%stration in Washington to the REPUBLICANS
and occurred only the Saturday afternoon
before the resignation was made public.
He hailed me from a carriage as 1 was
turning a corner on the sidewalk. and.
leaving his carriage, came to where was
standing "for a few minutes talk" This
interview on the corner of the street last
ed nearly an hour. Both of us became very
earnest. though with entire good feeling.
he in rehearsing his grievances, and pre-
senting them in new dress. and L in an
attempt to point out to him a way not
Only of settlement, but of triumph over
his enemies-a view / thought most likely
pose all you say is true'I always believed
that more was his due than he had credit
| 1Or-neNertnSleSS tnlS Is your opportunity
by a stroke of magnanimity, to win a
victory over those who are thus arrayed
against you. Go into the Senate on Mon
day morning and present your Indictment,
if you chooSe-aS strong a case as facts
will permit, the stronger the better for the
conclusion; AND let that conclusion De a
that there is something higher in the mis-
sion of the Republican party than the re-
| dress of personal grievances; that the cause
must not be jeopardized by disSension, nor
any one relieved from duty at his post,
however grievouS the wrongs and injustice
he has encountered in its discharge; and
then call on all friends and foes alike to
put the past behind them and close up the
ranks with their faces to the future. l
assured him of my belief that such a
speech on Monday morning, made in sim
cerity and with his power, would send a
thrill of joy through every Republican
hailed as the deliverer of the party from
the perils which threatened its integrity.
Such a course, L ventured to say, would, 1
believed, put him at once in popular favor
a hundred miles ahead OF those who were
wronging him, and would lift the party
out of the dangers which beset It,
He turned upon me with a discouraged
and disguised look, remarking: Your
medicine, Dawes, is much easier to pre-
scribe than to take. Suppose L could say
in the spirit of meekness and peace en-
brace Ben Butler Why. you have no idea
of the bitterness of feeling in New York
in condemnation of these men. If / should
take the course you suggest l should my
self go under and should be burned in
efIigy from Buffalo to Montauk Point, and
could not be elected a delegate to a county
convention in Oneida county"
And so we parted. On Monday he re-
signed, and appealed for Endorsement TO the
Republican legislature of New York, Their
in session. They decided against him, and
he went into retirement. But the struggle
rent the party in twain, and the wounds
have never healed. To it more than all else
may be traced the present condition of Re-
publican politics in New York. Bitterness
and hate, born of this strife, outllVed the
actors themselves. Disappointed oficeseek-
ers turned in wrath upon the appointing
power. In two short months from the re-
tirement of Conkling. the President himself
was shot by the mailman Guiteau, possessed
with the idea that in some way his own fail
ure to get office grew out of this unfortunate
and fatal quarrel.
And, as If to make a dramatic climax, it is
said, with how much truth / do not know
that Mr.. Conkling did afterward actually
fail of an election to an Oneida county con