The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-24
CONKLING'S SIDE OF IT.
Ex-senator Pierce Publishes Long With
held Interview.
One Night Albany Lord His Version Of the
Political Quarrel Fully and Without Reserve
Copyrighted

----s5 auarreIzNas at its hight, the
esustors from New York had re-
s5 the legislature was in session
.-.tssring the question Of their success
I'D and all was excitement and turmoil
hen arrived in Albany one night in
n .,,. upon getting at the facts from a
---zpaper standpoint. 1 was then the
-.-sqinr editor of the Chicago Inter
o-,n a paper which had been very
s-4s,jIv to Mr. Conkling. and 1 went to
,t,arv to write up the history of con-
.s.. which was attracting the attention
IS ,be whole country. Conducted by a
-.,,.naI friend, / found Mr.. Conkling in
room at the Deleven house in consulta-
,,o, with a dozen friends, the particular
-,,bisct under discussion being the at
..-rnt TO bride one of the Conkling men,
bers Of the legislature. which had just
tssn discovered Who the real culprit
.orld be was a question on which there
vas a difference of opinion. There were
various theories. but Mr.. Conkhng seemed
entirely confident that the guilty man
WAS q well known member Of the Senate
from the western part of the state, de-
.crbed by him as being practically what
ros Bagstock proclaimed himself to be.
Tough. sir, tough; but devilish sly"
"Wbv." said the senator. that man can
nut on a pair of number twelve cowhide
boots and go round this hotel making less
noise than cat"
I MI =
Conkling to a room at the top story of
the hotel where he said we would be
uninterrupted. When 1 left the room it
was after in the morning, and during
those four or five hours l had listened
TO one Of the most remarkable and dra-
matte recitals I had ever heard. occa-
sonally I had interposed with a question,
but for the most part it was a detailed
and continuous account of the events
leading up to the unfortunate breach be-
tween him and President Garfield.
While Mr.. Conkling was relating the
story Of his break with Garfield, hh
walked back and forward in his pecul-
lar elephantine way and l noticed what
] had never observed before, that he
was chewing tobacco in a nervous rapid
manner as If he were unused to 1t but
felt the need of occupation and stimulant.
He began by referring to my visit to
10 his room the night before the nomina-
lion of Garfield at Chicago, when L in
sisted that a formidable move was on
loot to take up the latter, an idea he
thought preposterous. The fight" he
had answered, SIS between Grant and
Blaine There is no more danger of
Garfield being nominated than Of your
being nominated or of my being nomi-
mated"
But all the same he expects it," I
had joined.
"Of course" he replied. hes anguish
ing, he's languisheing, but the fight just
the same is between Grant and Blaine
and them alone"
He now explained to me how, an hour
after / had departed that night, he had
discovered the combination which meant
either the success of Garfield or Wash
burne, and how the New York delegation
had been asked to suggest the vice presi-
dent. After this explanation, he allud-
ed to the conference of Garield's friends
in New York at the opening of the cam
paign and his absence from the city which
had been the subject of severe comment
at the time, it being said that he was
"sulking in his tent" He declared that
while he did not wish to pose as public
censor. he had not attended that confer
ence because he had obtained an inkling
Of its object, which he considered repre-
hensible. He had gone into the cam
paign, however, after the first few weeks,
and, accompanied by Gen. Grant, had
made one of the most effective stamping
tours known to history. What the objec-
tionable features of the New York confer
ence were he revealed when he came to
speak of his visit to Garfield at Mentor.
If l remember Alright, Mr. Conkling was
somewhat surprised at Gen. Garfield's in
vitation to visit him, but he appeared to
have accepted it without hesitation and
TO have been gratified at receiving it.
He arrived at Mentor in the afternoon,
sometime before the dinner hour, and had
quite long conversation with the Presi-
dent-elect before the meal was announced.
lie had partaken of a hearty lunch
short time before his arrival and sug-
Sested to his host that such being the
case, he would. with the latter's permits
sion, retire to his room for a bath and a
change of linen after his ride, and be
prepared to renew the conference after
dinner was over, which was quite impor-
tant as he was to return by the night
train This proposition was concurred in
after the customary and conventional ex-
pressions of regret, and Mr.. Conkling re-
tired. l mention this, because a day or
two afterward. some of the Cincinnati
papers attacked Conkling quite savagely
for refusing to break bread" as they
termed it, with the President, and i'm
piled that he had rudely, declined the
hospitality of the Garfield household,
which he declared was utterly
untrue. AS showing that he had
no thought of such thing,
he related that Mrs. Garfield had
little supper prepared for him before he
left for the train. and that he particularly
reshed the Irish potatoes which he prais-
Cd, and when she informed him she had
cooked herself. He seemed to feel that
The report which went out from Mentor
was intended to place him in the wrong
and prejudice him before the public, but
he did not say whom he regarded as re-
sponsible.
Mr. Conkling was pleased with his re-
csption at Mentor The presidept-elect
Was extremely cordial and Conkling de-
Parted feeling that there were no great
Obstacles remaining in the way of en-
TIRE harmony. The selection of Mr..
Blaine for premier. which though not Off
cIally announced. was regarded generally
rs settled fact. was accepted by Conkling
BIS inevitable, and while unpleasant. was
not regarded as a bar to friendship. He
alluded to it in what he regarded as a
pleasant manner, but which. l fancied,
must have sounded rather sarcastic to
fairfield. 1 forget the exact expression.
O.