The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-21
fRECOCIOUS ROSCOE COEKlING.

If Roscoe Conklng had lived until
Oct. goth. he would have been but 20.
says the Utica Observer, the allotted
age OF man according 10 Scripture The
| fact that he has been dead II years
and half and that for the seven pre-
ceding years he was tt prarticing law
| yer i'm New York city emphasizes the
truth that he was young man when
public honors were heaped upon him
In short he was only a boy when he
was appointed district attorney Of
Oneida county. He was admitted TO
the bar in the spring OF 1850. when he
was 20 years old. he was SO bg.even
then, that nobody thought to inauire
his age Being a full-hedged attorney.
he was sent to Albany q interview
Hamilton Fish. then Governor OF New
York. in behalf of the Whig choice FOR
district attorney. The Governor was
greatly taken With the dgnifed bear
ing Of the boy: he knew his father Tho
Judge" So ne cut the interview short
and announced that he had an an
pointee for the o.ice Of district attor-
ney of Oneida county And who nav
he be?" Mr.. Conkhng "Ros-
coe Conkling was the sur
prising answer Behold then re
turning To Utica the district attorney
OF this great county-and still bur 20
Did he employ "A lawyer? No H.
jumped IN and conducted the prosacu-
tion of every criminal case ON mo
Cutrrt rTfrrrrfttr- uff -y-rrra1rr-r7 no
year 1850. alone and una led.
Another thing that prevented I-d.
cans from thinking of Mr.. Conkline AS
a young man was his prcmaturely grav
hair and beard. These in connectio1
with his great size gave 10 him a
venerable appearance, which his years
did not Justify. James Russell T,O-
ell tells story of Daniel Webster. He
SAYS that on one oCcas on. iu 1870 ecv-
cral or the Old Wings OF Boston had
assembled for the purpose of consid.
erng the dissolution of the Whlp mar
~. To them came Daniel Webster
who. rising co his fun height sp,ke
from the cavernous depths ~ his 81,
chest the following ugubrious words,
discontinue the Whig party, Ruf to
where would / go!' Then Nj I,vy.u
adds: "lf he had been a littlc reu,w
> feet >. we should have anSyer.l d .,,,
who the devil cares where Won CO.,,
But he looked SO Imposing Whom n,
spoke that We were all frightened an
our temsr rity in purposiug To- dissolve
the party that held Daniel W.bst,r
W N.N
break up Whiggery I'm M3ssachusotts
It was something go with R,s.,e
J'onkling Nobody would have tbnupb,
NJ disseminating the Republican n,rtv
while Roscoe remained Republican,
ilut there came "a time when Nr c,nl
ling ,,JsDd 10 bc an active Rppublir.,
rhis was in 1851. when jam a. Hio,nc
was The candidate Tor President and
Oneida county compass d MS defeat
ana elected Grover Cleveland
Conkling was first elected to C,neress
n tNjN; reelected I'm '6u. defe,ted bv
Francis Herman In 62.but elected ayain
n "a and ca. Then he VAS eIac,ed
senator In 80. ~. and ~. reslrned in
~ ana after trying ir vain Car a re-
lection. abandoned politics Cor tho law
u which he made most iremendous
uccsss. lie was only ~ when elected
q the House. and but 20 when he en-
--r--++ r. -v--r,r-r,-,rr.
pt rod. anu but - when NJ. died lie
.ccom plishtd enough fuI a man who
inishcd his active political career be
ore the dawn of ME 6otA birthday