Year: 1878

ALLEGED INTERVIEWS WITH THE SENATOR.


The \. Y. World of to-day publishes long
letter from Utica, n. Y, correspondent,
being the sum of a series of alleged inter.
views with Senator Conkling at his home i'm
that city at intervals during the past few
months: The relations between the CORES:
pondent and Senator Conkling, the World
says, were such as made entire frankneSs
necessary on the part OF the latter, and the


World adds that the correspondents name
Will be forthcoming if the slightest real occa-
sion for publishing it should arise. In the inter
views the Senator spoke with the utmost free
dom about the successive steps that led to the
formation OF the electoral commission, and the
part had in it by prominent democratic and re-
publican members of Congress and by PreSi-
dent Hayes and his friends In the course of
We ,ne 0d od 81 asked
you think the true history of the Louisiana
electoral business will ever be told in Congress,
and II so, how SoOn?'


MIR. Conkling paused a moment, then be-
gan very slowly, warming up with his subject
as he proceeded. "Yes, / think it will. i do
not see how it can be kept down. There are
too many avenues OF information open to-day
to make concealment of avail much longer.
No reasonable man can doubt there was some
Kind OF bargain between the friends of
Nichols and that man Hayes, and that Stan
ley Matthews and Sherman were privy to it.
A very great many people have become eX-
ceedingly curious to know precisely what the
bargain was, and exactly how it was carried
out, and Yankee ingenuity will be sure to find
some means of getting at the information. 1
cannot say how soon the facts will come out,
10r something may occur any day to force
them IN to the surface It will probably be best
the reSult?n The result will be tnat the whole
country will be appalled, by the diShonOr of
this administration. 1 tell you, sir, that never
In the history of this nation has there been in
the entire four years of an administration so
much corruption, bartering of Offices reward
ing OF political favoriteS, traffic with political
leaders and bargain and sale of the electoral
franchise
will not believe it until the proof is shown
them, but the proof will be forthcoming. Peo-
pie say that Eayes is a good man and means
well, but they do not know what they are
talking about. When all the facts are known
about this administration no one will attempt
to excuse the man on account of his supposed
goodness, nor yet because he Is weak and ig-
norant. The acts that have disgraced this ad-
mlnIstratlon have all been done before the
opened eyes OF the President


Mr. C0nkllng then goes on to review at great
length the history of the electoral commission
He says: The country was in actual danger !;
yes, mean that the danger was real and inn
Glnsnt Snn,h nnI The point Of peril was not in the
that the republican leaders had determined TO
have Vice President Ferry count the votes at
all hazards and declare Hayes elected, and the
West was determined on resistance. 1t was
to be no child play i'm that section. General
Steedman had 70,000men enrolled and assigned
to regiments for the purpose of seating Tilden
in office in case Vice President Ferry carried
ont his proposed programme. You may look
astonished, but those things are true. Presi.
dent Grant was at his wits end. He confessed
to me that he did not know what TO do. He
was gathering some troops at or near Wash
ingtOn, but he did not know how far he could
depend upon them. General Sherman told
him that in case of trouble the sympathies of
large majority of the officers and soldiers OF
the regular army would be with Tilden, and
and that the army must not be taken into con-
sideration as dependence in any such crisis.
From these facts and from what was threat
ened and i,p pr3phesied publicly in those days
at republican councils, The President asked
my advice, and frankly told him L did not
believe that Vice President Ferry had any
power to declare the vote, but could merely
act In clerical capacity to open the envelopes.
and lay the votes of the Electoral College
before the joint convention of the two Houses
for their decision, and, by the way, may as
well state here that when certain Senator
came to me and said it was proposed to make
me President of the SenaJe in Ferry's place
SO that the thing should not miss fire, I
position, and that by my Interpretation of
the Constitution SHOULD be compelled to rule
exactly opposite to the wishes Of himself and
friends.