Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-02

convention the oOlter0 met ana declared
that we look with solicitude to the COM
ing nominations by the democratic party;
they have the proper men and we hope
they Will put them before the people for
The Tammany contingent finally got
into line by personal appeal from the
vice presi-
BOSS Kelly Yields Dental candi-
to Personal Appeal. GATE usn nn1,nas
He told Chief John Kelly that he must
not cut his friend In order to get at his
enemy. and Kelly relented. resulting In
the Tammany vote in the main being
cast for the presidential candidate that
Tammany hated.
The republicans expected to see Conk-
ling come back into the fold at the
eleventh hour. just as he had done when
Garfield's candidacy was threatened with
defeat. but Conkling acted as David B.
Hill did when he stayed close to VOL
Ierts Roost" in the Bryan campaign.
Had Conkling opened his mouth or raised
| his finger, Blaine might have been Presi-
| dent and the whole course of American
| politics changed. But Conkling was not
| heard from.
Blaine was intensely popular In the
| west, In spite of the innumerable charges
| swing around the circle created unprece-
denied enthusiasm in the Mississippi val
ley. But when he got back to New York
| 1t was different There the public opinion
| as to the prOpriety of some Of his finan-
| cial acts while in the service of the gov
eminent was decidedly adverse to him.
1t was this which led to a party of New
| YORK ministers calling on him to show
| that the pulpit had not lost confidence
in him, and Parson Burchard's unfortu-
| nate assertion that Blaine was fighting
| rum, Romanism and rebellion. The OPP
position took it up and made great politi-
cal capital of it among the Catholics in
| general and the Irish Catholics in par
| ticular.
Blaine tried to stop the story. but it
stuck He was not as successful as his
father had been before him. His father
| had married a Catholic lady OF devout
! qualities. and when he was a candidate
for prothonotary the story was current
| among the Protestants OF the community
that he himself was a Catholic. He went
| to his wife's priest for a certificate.
which the padre gave him. 1t recited
| that to his knowledge Blaine was not a
| member Of any church, and that in his
| opinion he was not fit to be. The GER
| tificate satisfied the Protestant part of
| the community.
The mugwump republicans in the main
supported Cleveland. asserting they still
| were republicans. but were supporting
| Cleveland because he was better than his
| party. There were some, however, who
| preferred to throw thir votes away on
st. John and Butler. In New York the
detection to the minor parties was espe-
| cially great.
Before the campaign closed it was gen.
orally evident that the election hinged
| ION New York state and
Election Hinges each party moved
rv heaven and earth
VA NS" AoAN' to make that big
plum fall its way When the returns
came in it was found that Cleveland
to spare. Both sides claimed the state
and there was preparation for trouble.
But the republicans found themselves
hoist by their own petard. In 1876 they
had based their whole effort to seat
Hayes over Tilden upon the doctrine that
| the federal government cannot go behind
tle returns. and so, with no means of
securing an outside count of the vote,
the republicans were forced to concede
the election Of Cleveland. 1t was as
serted that the Butler ballots were count
ed for Cleveland in New York city, and
that without them Cleveland never could
! have reached the White House.
The Conkling- Blaine feud was one of
| the worst that has ever marred Ameri-
can politics. Their bitterness was not
of kind that could fight a duel and be
| over with; it was that intense hatred
which pursues its enemy to the end. and
it probably served to hasten the day of
! Blaine'S physical death. as it certainly
was the means of killing his high po-
ltical ambition. Conkling quarreled with
Garfield over Blaine and then over pat
| ronage, and in great anger resigned
from the Senate, expecting to be sent
back. But he wasn't. Me Too Tom
| Plat resigned with him, and afterward
| came back as the easy boss But
| Conkling allowed his wrath against
Blaine to wreck his own career, as Well
| as that of Blaine.