Year: 1878

= mo OS"H~sOka kaConteuuou-Ihb Moveihent


that Preceded it-Ifs Personnel-Senaior


Conkling.


New YORK, Sept. 2Sth, 1878.


The Republican State Convention held at
Saratoga on the 10Th inst. was a thoroughly
successful and satisfactory one. Last years
convention left it optional with the State Com
mittee to call one this year or not as circum-
stances might dictate. As there is only one
candidate to be voted for this Fall, it did seem
rather superfuous to summon five hundred del
egates to perform that duty. 1t is good deal
of trouble and expense to hold such convoca. /.
tion But before the State Committee had had
chance to decide what should be done in the
matter, dozen or two of gentlemen who occa-
sionally vote the Republican ticket and who
make ostentatious vaunt of their fealty to the
present Administration, met at the invitation
of an unofficial citizen of New York, aud
issued manifesto setting forth that there were
imperative reasons why the Republicans should
convene and declare themselves on the issues of
the hour. Now, as it was perfectly understood
by everybody that Senator Coukling was not in
agreement with the Administration and that
the President had set at naught his own pledges
in respect of civil service, for the sake of get
ting rid, during the recess of the Senate, of
two capable revenue officers whom that body
had, while in session, refused to consent to
supersede, there could be no other interpreta-
tion of the meaning of this movement, than
that it was pronpted by hostility to our Sena-
to-. ~Tks Rsrnblicans didn't wait long to
meet that issue. No tocsin could have stirred
them up so thoroughly. Another private indi-
vidual sent out circular suggesting coLfer-
ence Of Republicans at Saratoga The notice
was short but the gathering was large and en-
thusiastic. ''Is it convention they want?"
was the sentiment of the meeting-"Well,
they shall have one. We want one as much
as they do. 1t is an excellent time to take the
sense Of the party on current topics; by all
means let us have Convention and a full
one."


Aud SO the State Committee, being thus in
structed, named the day for the convocatiop.
The Administration now struggled desperately
to elect members to it. The New York Custom
House was put in requisition to break the ranks
Of the ''stalwarts''. Places were offered as
equivalents for seats in the Convention, and the
1odl VI euO tluO WditoIS WAS stluuldttu ny
threats of removal in case of THAR failure to
break the ranks of the faithful. In NewYork
City they did succeed by promises of patronage
In capturing one Assembly District, sending
three delegates out of the sixty which are ap.
portoned to the metropolis. Even George
William Curtis, notwithstanding his great per-
sonal strength and the favor in which he is
held by his neighbors on Staten Island, who
are naturally proud of SO gifted townsman,
had very hard work to get in. A single vote
turned the scale. His follower, George 81.
Forster, who stood by him go faithfully las,
year, only slipped in by promising that he
would vote and act with the majority when he
got there, and his majority was only five in spite
OF that pledge. The major portion of those who
were present at what was called the "Cowdin
conference" couldn't find constituencies
to send them, including Mr.. Cowdin himself.
The editor of the Utica Herald made the best
effort he could to stem the torrent but was
buried under an adverse majority of something
like five to one, and there was no other district
in Oneida county in which anybody ventured
to make contest. If exertion and persistence
could have availed anything the Administra-
biOu uCu III ObuCI poEbS Va tuo Obat6 WOulu uOk
have been SO overwhelmingly beaten. They
were indefatigabls and made good deal of
show on paper, but when it came to actua
couut they shrank to the numerical proportions
of Falstaff's men in buckram.


The regulars in short had everything their
own WY. They sent their very strongest and
best m4n. The convention was concededly far
above ahe averaged of similar assem- blages in the
State. 1t was composed of gentlemen accns-
toned to think and act for themselves, and
whose political convictions cannot be shaken by
the smiles or frowns of power. They chose Mr..
Conkling as the exponent Of their sentiments,
because he reflects them, clearly and perfectly
There is no disagreement between him and
them, and as he is beyond all question the ablest
leader who has ever stood at the head of the
Republican phalanx in this State, it follows as
matter of course that the party should insist
upon placing him at its head, whenever it goes
into the field. Men Of his stamp will always
be objects of more or less petty malignity and
spite, from small creatures who are compelled
to contemplate from afar moral and intsllec-
tual altitude infinitely beyond their reach.
But on the other hand, the enemies of such a
man are Insignificant alike in numbers and in
huence compared with the troops of friends TO
whom he becomes endeared in virtue of his
talents and probity. We have an illustration
Of this in the events we are reviewing. Here
was demand for convention, emanating in
fact from persons opposed to Mr.. Conkling I;
they did not make open avowa. of their senti-
ments, but every body knows who they are and
how they feel. They had the Federal govern
ment behind them and welded whatever
strength there may be iu the office-holdng ele-
ment. This isn't much to be sure; never
supposed it was; have in fact always maintained
the contrary view. But at all events, much or
little, it went into their side of the scale, and
in spite of it they were sent flying into the air.
The fact is the New York Republicans are
worthy of their creed. They do not waste their
time on side shows, nor neglect great princi-
Piles to run after fanciful theories. They follow
their leaders like good men and true, as long as
they direct them in the paths they wish to take
But ON the slightest symptom of detection at
the head of the column, the offender is de-
prived of his rank and sent to the rear in dis
grace. There are notable examples OF this
swift and summary justice among the charac.
ters living and dead in our modern political
history.


1t was mot until the afternoon before the con-
vention met that it became apparent that there
was practical unanimity of opinion among the
delegates. Mr. Curtis was on the ground early.
Everybody knew what his demands were, be-
cause they had been set forth distinctly in the
weekly journal Of which he is tbe editor
Nothing short of an unqualified endorsement
of the Administration would satisfy him.
There was a hand-btll widely circulated at
Saratoga, and signed by the off GERS of the eau
Gus which elected Mr.. Curtis as a delegate in
which it was stated somewhat aggressively
that the President must not only be com
mended but that his perfect right to suspend
any and every public officer during Senate
rial recess, without being called to account for
such palpable nfraction of the rule of con-
duct he had laid down for himself ia his inau-
gural, should be emphatically affirmed. This
was tossing OF the glove into the arena that
was an unmistakable defiance. The President
had sought to remove Messrs. Arthur aud Cor
nell "by and with the advice aud consent of
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