The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-04-09
SENATOR SPOONER
Continued from page y


from soeh source made me very
proud VI my State and acknowledg.
ca his praise IN the most fitting terms
II my command He piled me With
questions ahont the conditions OF al
fairs, especially political. In Indiana,
/ His questions, | remember were TO
tae point and displayed hts thorough
knowledge ~ practical politics, Dur
ing the conversation he told me he
regarded Senator Mortar IA the most
consummate political geneal in the
whole country, when II Is remember
ed that they were not on the hest
terms tnls was indeed very high
praise, and. as | afterward learned,
Mr. Conkling was not much given to
praising any one, was with him for
more than an hour, and when ! left
him felt that | had been conversing
with really great man, He was a
great man. great as n lawyer, sup
| erlatively great as an crater, ! do
not care for his vanity which became
| more and more evident as he grew
older In years his fascinating power
made YOU lose sight Of such lit
tie foible met him two or three
times during that visit to Washing
ton. and At the last meeting he ex"
pressed a nope that should | AZ any
time be In the state OF New York. near
his residence | should call on him. and
he rendered his assistance II ! at any
time desire 10 enter the public SER
vice tender he afterward made good,
during the administration OF Presi-
dent Grant.
I did not meet him again until the
spring OF 1879. when | was once more
In Washington. He was standing In
the rotunda OF the capitol ns ! ap-
preached, with no though that ne
would recall either my face or name.
He was conversing with member Of
the NE" 1uIh utltANh"h' WV t'"N'AA
up he saw me, and al once spoke my
name. He was rs kind as suave as
he mad been at my first meeting with
him, and ask me II there was anyth-
ing he could do for me- ! spent a
couple of hours In his company that
evening. ami left him more charmed
and fascinated than ever. listened to
one Of his great speeches on the nm
ancial question and acknowledged that
his reputation as an orator by no
means surpassed his deserts.
My best recollections Of him, how
eyer, are connected with the campaign
OF 1880. II Is hardly necessary to re-
call the fact that he was bitterly dis
appointed in the defeat OF General
Grant for the nomination In 1880. and
resented that OF Garfield. As the cam
paign progressed the outlook for the
Republican party was very gloomy
and II was thought necessary In IN
diana to bring every influence toI
bear to win the State for Garfield.
At the opening Of the campaign
Conkllng held aloof and twas charged
that he was sulklng in his tent. Ike
Achilles before Troy. What influence
induced him finally to throw his great
weight In the scale do not know, but
I do know that he nad much to dol
with the success Of his party In In
diana. At that time Indiana elected
its State officers In October, and 1t
was felt necessary to carry the State
at that election, and among others
Speakers Conkllng was induced to visit
the State If my memory IL right he
made only four speeches In Indiana.
I heard three OF them. His manner,
while speaking, was as cold as an
icicle, and 1t was evident from the
start he cared nothing for Garfield
in fact, had rather contemp for him'
but his oratory was so graceful, his
words charged with so much logic
and his phrases so elequently turn
ed that his audiences were thrown
into the widest enthusiasm, and
wherever he spoke his party made
large gains. Usually there must be
some glow Of enthusiasm about n
speaker to awaken much among mis-
hearers, but that was not the case
with Conklng in the campaign Of 1880.
In many respects he had changed
very much from the man who had so
cordially greeted me a dozen years be-
fore.
Then he was frank and free in his
talk with newspaper men, and had
no objections to being quoted. In 1880
he would not submit to an interview,
no matter who asked for It. At the ho-
tells he kept closely to his room, re-
celvlng all callers with great urbanity.
but If the caller was stranger he was
sure to ask II he was connected with
the press. If ne was he was told he
was welcome to his room, but 1t must
be with the distinct promise that not
word Of what was said should be
published. ! Travelled with him to
three of his appointments. He would
talk freely about any matter that was
before Congress; about foreign affairs; |