Evening star., 1895-07-13
BLAINE AND CONKLING.

Gall HamfltOh's Account of the Cause
of the Strained Relations.
From Philadelphia Press Review Of Life Of Blaine
1t is needless to rehearse the incidents OF
the famous Conkling-Fry controversy, SC
fruitful Of factionaL strife-the memorable
debate which eliminated in Blaine's appal-
ling satirical comparison of Conkling to
Henry Winter Davis: aThe gentleman took
1t seriously, and it has given his strut ad-
ditional pomposity. The resemblance is
great, it is striking. Hyperion to a Satyr,
Thersites to Hercules, mud to marble,
dunghill to diamond, a singed cat to a
Bengal tiger. a whining puppy to roaring
lion. Shade of the mighty Davis, forgive
the almost proclamation Of that jocose
satire!' We may note, however, that Mr..
Conkling had a previous grievance. At a
dinner party given by Hon. Henry c. Dem
ing of Hartford the conversation glanced
from the Utica of Mr.. Conklings home to
a newspaper which had been published for
a little while by Mr.. Deming and his friend
Park Benjamin, and which bore for its
motto the lines:
mo pent-up Utica contracts our powers,
But the whole boundless continent is ours" !"
A question arose as to their authorship,
and the whole company gaily contributed
answers. An impression prevailed that it
was Barlow. Mr.. Conkling offered to bet a
basket of champagne that 1t was from
Addison's Cato" Mr.. Blaine warned him
not to make the bet. because he knew the
authorship, and that the lines were not
from Addison's Cato" Mr.. Conkling was
so sure that he persisted in the bet. The
lines are by Jonathan NJ. Sewall, in an
Street Theater in Portsmouth, N. H. Mr..
Conkling sent the basket of champagne.
but took his disc omfiture so much to heart
as to insinuate that Mr.. Blaine had been
reading up for it; and when Mr. Blaine
made feast and invited all the company
to drink the champagne, Mr.. Conkling did
not attend.
Gail Hamilton assures us that on the side
of Mr.. Blaine there was no feud whatever
between him and Mr.. Conkling. On one of
the many occasions when he was approach
ed by friends of Mr.. Conkling in the cause
of reconciliation, he closed with the propo-
sition: "If you will assure me of Mr.. Conk-
ling's acceptance I will without any other
preliminary invite him and Mrs. Conlxiing
to the best dinner 1 can proffer to the best
company 1 can gather in Washington
This was after he had been made Speaker
and had established his home with it's usual
hospitalities in Washington. The gentle
men withdrew, but the desired assurance
was never given and the proffered table
was never spread.
On another and similar occasion he re-
piled that he would far rather be Mr..
Conklings friend than foe. and I can say
with entire candor that never felt toward
him any of the rancor of an enemy" Dur
ing the presidential campaign of 1884 re-
newed efforts were made by loyal republi-
cans toward friendly intercourse in the IN
terests of political cooperation. Again Mr.
Blaine responded, as always, with assur-
ances of good will. He reiterated his read
mess to resume friendly relations and to
disavow any intention of imputing dishon-
or to Mr.. Conklng, but added: "To do sc
now would subject me to the imputation OF
improper motives, but when the election is
over, whichever way 1t may end, I would
be glad as step to reconciliation to make
that disavowal in any way that would be
agreeable to Mr.. Conkling, assuming. of
course, that he feels ready to make similar
disavowal respecting myself" The recon
ciliation went no further.