The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-11

cule and contempt. The office SEEK |
ers, Chairman Platt declared, shouted |
the shibboleth of civil service reform |
till they were hoarse and the press |
blurted II i'm the face of a nauseated |
public. Platt, in fact, showed no lit
tie ingenuity in heaping insults upon
the Hayes administration. Feeling |
was intense. Chauncey NJ. Depew, as
chairman of the committee on per-
manent organization, reported Roscoe
Conkling for permanent chairman of
the convention, the scheme being to
put Conkling hors de combat. But 1t
didn't work. COnkling rose in his
place and, with all the suavity at his
command, said that the position of
chairman had been so well filled by
the temporary presiding officer CMr
Plato that he would move to continue
him in the chair permanently. From
that moment the fight was on! From
every side from the administrations
friends were hurled anathemas at
Platt and his speech. On Conkling
their energetic protests had no effect
except to intensity his determination
to ram the obnoxious chairman down
the unwilling throats of his enemies.
When the roll was called Conking
was found TO have nearly three to enc
OF the convention, his motion to make
Platt permanent chairman prevailing
by 81 TO 10. Conkling's mastery was
overwhelming.
The battle was renewed when the
platform was reported by Conkling.
as chairman of the COMMITTEES IN
charge. COnkling called on a junior
a.
more familiar with the handwriting,
ito read the platform to the convcn-
ton" The junior member was Char
lie" Smith, of Albany, editor of the
Albany Journal, once Thurlow Weeds
paper. He is today the Hon. Charles
Emory Smith, postmaster general in
the cabinet of President Mckinley.
Smith was an unCtuous fellow, with a
good flow of language, and a devoted
follower of Conkling. He was es-
pecially nimble in the framing Of
party Platforms and almost invar-
iablY headed the platform committee
in the state conventions Of the Repub-
licans. Mr.. Smiths wonderful versa
tility was illustrated q little later
when, on transferring his talents from
Albany to Philadelphia, he became the
editor of a Blaine paper, and thence
forth served the plumed knight with
the same ardor that had characterized
his service to Conkling while resi-
dent of New York. The platform. as
reported, studiously ignored Hayes
and his administration. Silent disdain
was Conkling's way
REPLIED TO CURTIS.
George William Curtis. the elegant
and polished editor of Harper's Maga-
zine. Harper's Weekly and Harper's
Bazaar. was quickly on his feet with
an amendment which proved to be
tirebrand. 1t began thus: "Resolved,
That the lawful title of Rutherford b.
Hayes to the presidency is as clear
AS that of George Washington" This
was followed by emphatic commenda-
ton of that administration. Then with
great deliberatiOn Curtis began his
speech: "A Republican, in a Republi-
can convention, offers a resolution of
party commendatiOn for the Republi-
can president of the United States"
a jab at Conkling for having forgotten
that little fOrmality. Conkling's reply
was a string of satire, sncers. scorn,
irony and Withering CONTEMPT. 1T
was woman, thoughtful woman"
he started off, "who said that she al
ways noticed that if she did not die in
February she lived all the year
through. | have noticed that when
the Republican party makes no mis-.
takes in convention it is apt to go
safe through a canvass" "Who are
these men," roared Conkling, after he
pers and elsewhere are cracking the
Whlp over the Republicans and playing
School-master to the Republican party
ana Its conscience and convictions?
some or them are the -milliners,
dllettants and carpet knights of poll
tics; men whose efforts have been ex-
pended in denouncing and ridiculing
ana accusing honest men who, in
storm and sunshine, in war and peace.
nave clung to the Republican flag and
defended it against those who have
tried to trail and trample 1t in tha
DUST The reference to men -milIin
erS was or course aimed at Curtis
editor of fashion periodical. Some of
them,' proceeded Conkling "are mon
VINO, when they could work themselves
INTO conventions. have attempted to he
little and befoul Republican administra-
tons Oeferring to Curtis warfare on
GranO, "and to parade their own thin
Veneering of purity. Some
or these worthless masquerade as re-
FORMERS. Their vocation and ministry
is to lament the sins of other peonIe
lheir stock in trade is rancid and fiat
selt-righteousness They are wolves I'm
sheep's clothing. Their real object is
ONCE and plunder. When DR.. johnson
dehned patriotism as the last refuge Of
a scoundrel, he was Unconscious of the
then undeveloped capabilities and uses
or the word "erofrm." Curtis and his
dllettant following he described az
laggards in the battles of the mast
lhey leap forward to the feast They
forget, he declared with startling
scorn' that parties are not built up
Dy department or lady magazines, or
sush. Recalling how the "man-milli-
her' and his ilk reviled the Grant adj
minlstration, Conkling added: For ex-
treme license in the criticism of adj
mlniStrations and of everybody con-
hected with them, broad arguments
can no doubt be found. Many might
be found in the files of the journal
made famous by the pencil of Mast" "
AS II the fame of Harpers Weekly
hinged on Tom Mast, the caricaturist
rather than on George William Curtis
| its polished editor! Referring to the
| Cincinnati convention and the Circum-
stances that led up to Hayes nomina
| tion, in which the New York delega
tion finally Joined, Conkling said
Even the member from Richmond
| Curtis) was, believe in the end pre-
vailed uDon, after much difficulty, u