]

[Footnote 1114: New York _Times_, January 3, 1867.]

[Footnote 1115: A.R. Conkling, _Life of Conkling_, pp. 286-7.]

But men talked geography. Seward and Preston King had represented
western New York, and since Morgan had succeeded King, a western man,
it was argued, should succeed Harris. This strengthened Noah Davis.
Never in the history of the State, declared his friends, had a United
States senator been taken from territory west of Cayuga Bridge, a
section having over one million people, and giving in the recent
election 27,000 Republican majority. On this and the strength of their
candidate the western counties relied, with the further hope of
inheriting Harris' strength whenever it left him. On the other hand,
Harris sought support as the second choice of the Davis men. Greeley
never really got into the race. Organisation would probably not have
availed him, but after serving notice upon his friends that their
ardent and button-holing support would not be sanctioned by him, the
impression obtained that Greeley was as ridiculous as his letter.[1116]
When Lyman Tremaine withdrew from the contest he threw his influence
to Conkling. This jolted Harris. Then Andrew D. White changed from
Curtis to the Oneidan. Curtis understood the situation too well to
become active. "The only chance," he wrote, "is a bitter deadlock
between the three, or two, chiefs. The friends of Davis proposed to me
to make a combination against Conkling, the terms being the election
of whichever was stronger now,--Davis or me,--and the pledges of the
successful man to support the other two years hence. I declined
absolutely."[1117] As Harris weakened, Reuben E. Fenton, hopeful of
becoming Edwin D. Morgan's successor in 1869, restrained any rush to
Davis.

[Footnote 1116: New York _Tribune_, November 9, 1866.]

[Footnote 1117: Edward Cary, _Life of Curtis_, p. 193.]

The potential influence of Ellis H. Roberts, editor of the Utica
_Herald_, a paper of large circulation in northern and central New
York, proved of great assistance to Conkling. Roberts was of Welsh
origin, a scholar in politics, strong with the pen, and conspicuously
prominent in the discussion of economic issues. When in Congress
(1871-75) he served upon the Ways and Means Committee. In 1867 his
friends sent him to the Assembly especially to promote the election of
Utica's favourite son, and in his sincere, earnest efforts he very
nearly consolidated the Republican press of