Charismatic and silver-tongued, Roscoe Conkling (1829–88) was also known for his fiery temper. He helped launch the Republican Party, a political successor to the Whig party, and worked his way as a force to be reckoned with in New York politics. The 19th-century politician may have made more political adversaries than friends, but his intelligence and fierceness helped end slavery and give rights to freed slaves. Although his stubbornness contributed to his success in politics, it ultimately led to his demise.
Conkling was born in Albany, New York in 1829. The young man developed a tough spirit at a young age. His family planned to move to Auburn, New Hampshire when Conkling was 10 years old, but Conkling inadvertently postponed the family’s move when a horse kicked him in the face, and he suffered a broken jawbone. He was told to stay in bed; instead, Conkling made a kite and flew it the same afternoon that he was injured.
His father was a judge, and at the age of 17, Conkling decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and study law in Utica, New York. Many said that Conkling inherited the gift of gab from his mother. As a young law student, he won arguments with Southerners over slavery. Conkling was admitted to the bar in 1850 and quickly made a name for himself as a lawyer.
As an adult, he was a large, good-looking stylish man with blond, curly hair. He abstained from drinking or smoking, and kept himself in shape throughout his life by horse riding and boxing.
As a lawyer, Conkling developed an intimidating personality and used his tough persona to persuade jurors in his favor. He loved poetry and often quoted poems in his speeches to give his words weight.
Calling Out Corruption
Throughout his career, Conkling used his way with words to rise in politics. He was appointed district attorney right after he was admitted to the bar in 1850, and then elected mayor of Utica in 1858. At one point early in his political career, Conkling knew he had been cheated out of an election, so at a public meeting he called out the two corrupters who were rich and powerful, labeling one a thief and the other an accomplice.In 1859, Conkling resigned as mayor and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives that same year. He served in the House through the Civil War until 1868; he was then elected a senator and held that position until 1881.
As a lawmaker, he got along well with President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War on most issues. However, he opposed printing paper money to support the war as he felt that currency should be backed by precious metals. Although he never spearheaded any major bills, he was known to staunchly support Reconstruction and defeated his adversaries in debate.
“In his early days Mr. Conkling was not very popular amongst the legal profession, for he not only carried himself with an air of conscious superiority, but had also a rough side to his tongue,” said Daniel Batchelor in “The Life and Letters of Roscoe Conkling, Orator, Statesman, Advocate,” by Alfred Conkling. “He could kill with an epithet or a metaphor just as easily then as, in after years, when in court or Senate he lanced an opponent.”
During his career, Conkling turned down a chance to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court not once, but twice. He said that it was because he couldn’t picture only listening to cases and that he would rather talk and argue a point. Others believe he didn’t want to give up his role as New York’s top Republican boss and running the New York Customs House, which was one of the busiest commercial ports in the world. His federal political career ended in 1881, and he returned to practicing law in New York City.
On a winter day in 1888, Conkling left his office for home. During a vicious blizzard, he waved down a cab. The horse-drawn cab’s driver took advantage of the situation and told Conkling that the ride would cost him $50, which would be over $1,500 today.
Conkling stubbornly refused the price gouging and decided to walk home instead. On the way, he slipped and found himself buried in a snow drift. A local doorman pulled him out of the snow and got him into warmth, but Conkling died of pneumonia two weeks later.
