Evening star., 1927-05-15

orators who ever sat in Congress. He
had a commanding figure, a massive
| head and d wonderfully musical voice.
He has been called a weak man; /
| think it would be fair to say his will
| power was not equal to his imagina-
| ton, and both Were inferior to his
personal magnetism. He had great
charm and attracted his fellow men.
| He could picture what ought to be
done, but he quickly changed his
mind, which gave him the reputation
| for being variable. for easily making
! a promise and as lightly disregarding
it. Even some of his warmest friends
and admirers admitted this while they
regretted it. and it made them fear
he was temperamentally untitled for
the presidency.
LAS soon as he became President
it was evident that he did not intend
to consult Conkling about New York
appointments any more than Hayes
He went further than Hayes and ap-
pointed to the collectorship an enemy
of Conkling's, William II. Robertson.
L am frank to say that | think Gar
field was to blame. but while Conk-
ling was merely insisting upon his
rights more conciliatory attitude on
his part and a little tact on Garfield S
would have averted the disaster that
followed. 1t was openly charged at
the time that the President secured
the confirmation of Robertson as col
lector by the promise of patronage to
other Senators: certainly other Sena-
1t Il
they wanted appointed to office. While
L had no love for Senator ConklinG. /
have always regretted that incon,
sistent and autocratic assumption of
power by Garfield
Blaine. Called Evil Genius.
Blaine, Conkling's old enemy, was
the evil genius. Both were strong
willed. impetuous. ambitious and high
strung; neither was of a conciliatory
disposition. The friction began when
both were members of the House. They
indulged in personalities on the floor
Their feelings became so bitter that
neither forgave the other nor had any
personal. relations. Blaine exercised
great influence over Garfield; | have
always thought it was stupid for him
to use that influence by provoking a
quarrel between the President and
ConklinS. Three years later Blaine
ran for President. and it was Conk-
ling's State that beat him and elected
Cleveland
When the Senate confirmed Rob.
ertson Conkling resigned and ordered
follower. Platt, to go with him. Platt
was nicknamed Me, too; afterward he
became the powerful boss Of New
York. Conllling saw an opportunity
to do something spectacular, to in.
dulge in the dramatic, which he al
ways loved. AS Lord Paramount of
New York he would order his Legisla-
ture to re-elect him (merely an empty
formality) and show the President
and Blaine that he was master of his
State. He would come back to Wash.
ington greater and more powerful than
ever; he would make the President un.
derstand that New York was simply
a geographical expression.
Conkling's Forgetfulness.
'But Conkling forgot that a newly
elected President is the most power.
full ruler on earth. A President fresh.
ly come into the White House has
favors to bestow without end. He
can make and unmake men. Time
and time again men have tried to fight
the President and never have they
succeeded. Conkling suffered the usual
fate. He and Platt were both rejected
when they tried to get back to the
Senate. Conkling was forced out of
politics. Before this happened Gar
field was shot by an unbalanced man.
who said he committed the crime to
help Conkling and Arthur.
When Arthur became President
the country was full Of forebodings.
He was only known as a New York
ward politician, boss of a local ma
chine patterned after Tammany, and
the people imagined him to be a typi.
cal roughneck, almost illiterate, coarse,
with a fondness for large diamonds
and fiashy clothes. Nothing could be
falser. He proved to be an ideal Presi-
dent, dignified. courtly, man of fine
tastes, well read and he quickly won
the respect of the country. Like
Harding, 40 years later, he looked
the part. He was handsome man,
always knew just what to do to make
his callers easy in his presence, yet he
encouraged no familiarity. He soon
became very popular. No man ever
inherited more factional troubles, and
no man ever handled them with
10 hao h,, lii /
clear that he had no friends to reward
nor enemies to punish. He was master
Of the situation in which he had been
placed by a national tragedy. His
messages compare favorably with
those Of his predecessors, and also
his successors, and he showed more
consideration for Congress than did
Garfield, who had won his fame in
Congress, while at the same time he
displayed firmness when he came to
exercise the veto power.
President Arthur Admired.
1--WE all liked and admired President
Arthur and ] believe he would have
been nominated and elected for an
other term had it not been for the
Unsuitable ambition Of Blaine and the
damned foolishness of his friends.
Arthur was defeated by his trousers.
and, curiously enough, those particular
neither garments were worn more by
his well meaning but fool friends than
the President. Arthur was gentle
| man and dressed the part. as have
most of the Presidents, but his pub
txyif h
that
| You remember what / told you
about the impression the country had
when Arthur first came to the White
| House-the ward politician with a