Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-03-26
The Edmunds Movement.
TErnm NaU York Trihuua

From New York Tribune.l
Mr. Edmunds has not been at all promin-
ent as Il candidate until within the last few
wecks-if, indeed, he may be called so now
and We should be less than candid if We
did not say that he has scarcely the ghost of
a chance of receiving the nomination of the
Chicago Convention We say this with
less hesitation from the conviction that he
does not aspire TO the position and, in fact,
does not consider himself candidate. Be-
ing what he is, a leading Republican Senator
who has been long in public life and has
the entire confidence of his party, there is no
question either as to his fitness or as to the
right of any man or set of men to urge his
claims. 1t is to his advantage that he has
not been until recently considered candi-
date, for he has escaped the calumny and
SANDER which are the price of such promin-
ence, and which no one in that position,
though chaste as ice and pure as snow, has
ever escaped. lie could not expect TO en-
ioy any such immunity from slanderous
tongues were he TO be put forward as an ac
tual candidate for the Presidency. The
argument that nothing is said against him
might easily be answered by the fact that he
has not been in u position TO provoke attack.
Against other men the arsenals of SANDER
have been exhausted; backguardism has
used up even its reserves the whole strength
of the opposition is easily discounted.
Against new man no one knows what bat
teries might be opened, or what mischief
they might do before the dispositions could
be made to answer or silence them.
But 10 be entirely frank, Senator Edmunds
does not seem to us to be an actual candidate.
There are many earnest and honest men, OF
course, who ardently desire his nomination /;
some of them no doubt entertain hope that
by some chance circumstance, or combina-
ton of circumstances, he may be selected.
The Vermont delegation, with pardonable
pride in their Senator, will urge the expedi-
ency and wisdom of such choice upon the
convention. But We may as well look at
things as they are, and not deceive ourselves.
Neither they nor anybody else has reason
able expectation of his nomination. And
this is no reflection upon Mr.. Edmunds or
insinuation against his popularity or availa-
bility. 1t is simply plain way of present
ing the fact that he is TOO late in the field,
and that circumstances have narrowed the
contest down TO other competitors. And let
MS say right here, that if the Senator had
been conspicuously candidate, with fair
prospect OF success, we have not the slightest
doubt that among the most vehement OF his
opponents would be some Of the very men
and newspapers now giving him such an
ELUSIVE advocacy The conduct of these
men-and we do not mean to judge them by
anything but their own acts and avowals,
and not then uncharitably not governed
so much by considerations of the candidates
fitness, the party's needs, or the country's
welfare, as by certain other and lower mo-
tives. partly selfish and partly malicious That
is to say. in their support of Mr.. Edmunds
they are actuated more by desire to break
down some one else than either TO build him
up or promote the success of the party or
welfare of the country. There is in addition
the selfish motive founded on vanity. of max
ing themselves prominent by activity in
small movement instead of being lost sight
of in large one.
They have such a mania for setting up for
themselves and not permitting their action TO
makes them unhappy to find themselves in
agreement with anybody. They withdraw
from the crowd and stand of alone to be
looked at and to cast shadow for their own
admiration. The editors of these journals
feel competent TO lead in large affairs. and
far be it from us TO dispute them but being
unable to, from the disadvantages of location,
they make the best of it by putting them
selves at the head of out-of-the- way enter
prises and small disaffections. They distin-
guish between politics and what they call
journalism" Said representative of this
class once, upon being questioned as to the
wisdom of publishing an indiscreet private
letter from public man whom the editor
was urging for high office, apparently with
all his might: at was not wise politics l
know, but it was uncommon smart Journal
ISM" The publication killed the candidate,
but advertised the paper. There is We fear,
good deal more smart journalism" than
wise politics in the movement for Mr. Ed
munds C