Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-05-14
VOL. lii NEW SERIES, VOL. XNVI.
Mr.. Edmunds's Record as Senator.
From an article by Edmund Hudson in Phildde
phia Times.

kr. EdMundss Recoro as aeuas0T'
from an article by Edmund Hudson in Philddei-
pha Times.l
The United States Senate to-day con-
tains many able and brilliant minds, but
if it be asked what Senator of all the 10
who represent the States in that great
chamber has in the course of his Senator
ship served the public interest, as diStln-
guished from personal and private inter
ests, most faithfully and well. what Sen
ator to-day stands foremost as the guar
dian of the laws and the interests of the
whole people, fancy the question would
give rise to no dispute in any well-in-
formed circle of journalists or politicians
Neither partisanship nor personal prelu-
dice or preference would prevent them
from agreeing that George F. Edmnnds,
Senator from Vermont, is the man who
deserves this high need of praise. Others
NAV rise higher in the public admiration
and esteem, but surely no man deserves
better of the American people than the
man who represents the people, not OF
his own State alone, but of all the States,
with invincible courage and unremittlng
care in the United States Senate. 1t Is
this high quality of serving the public
and the government as awhole, and never
letting local or individual interest come
uppermost. which distinguishes MIR. Ed
munds above other Senators. There are
TO be found in the Senate men who are
mere adyenturers and speculators, men
who represent States, but labor wholly
for personal and private ends. Happily,
they are far from being in the majority.
Most Senators do undoubtedly try to do
their duty, but always with sharp eye
to what will chiefly benefit their own
State or section. Mr.. Edmunds, more
fortunate than others in his constituency
rs well as in his statesmanllke instincts,
is the man who is freest to serve, and
serves most ably the nation in the Senate.
1t is not necessary to ascribe to HIM pat
riotism or desire for the public welfare
above others, who, like Bayard, are able
and faithful servitors of the public. MIR.
Edmunds shares with Mr.. Bayard the ad-
vantage which comes from representing a
small and homogeneous commonwealth
an advantage which many Senator from
| larger States would gladly give all his
| Legislative honors i'll exchange for. But
Edmunds has genius for the details of
! legislation, and to him the smallest ques-
/ ton seems as worthy of faithful study
and careful settlement as the largest.
The truth is that it has almost gone out
of the fashion for men to be Senators and
nothing more The kind of devotion to
4 the public service shown in the career OF
Mr.. Sumner, for instance, who never per-
mitted himself to be called ont of the
1 chamber while the Senate was i'll session,
and who was never dissoclated from his
office Tor day in his own thought and ac-
! L / 30. lta mt
| is becoming scarcer every day. 1t seems
to be less and less easy for men to be
satisfied with Senatorship. 1t Is more
| and more the fashion to regard an cleo
| ton to the United States Senate much as
decorations are regarded in other coun-
| tries by the successful men who obtain
them-something to be worn on the per
| son. looked at and enjoyed. But there
are few Senators, of whom Mr. Ed
munds is the most noteworthy, who are
still satisfied to be Senators and nothing
more. He is the only Senator, so far AZ
| know. who makes the whole business of
the Senate a matter of study and personal
attention No bill ever passes that body
which has not received his careful study
and criticism. If he does not know the
merits of measure he objects to its con-
7
over to another day. He forces the
friends of every private scheme that
comes before the Senate to explain and
! Justify it. He studies the language of all
bills, and whenever he detects fault he
seeks to remedy it. He never absents
| himself from the Senate chamber. ex-
cept when some long speech Is being
made or when he has obtained the assur-
I Al -An,, l.at IN lnrl
in his absence In short, he treats all
public business exactly as if he were re
tanned" by the public as an attorney to
care for their ;utnrestq He has saved
millions on millions Of dollars to the
public treasury, and he never grows
weary in well-doing He never has any
private measures of his own to advance,
and his criticism of measures Is SO I'M
partial that he makes no enemies among
his fellow-senators He isperfectly salts
| fed with the office of Senator and the
only other position in public life which
has any attraction for him at all is that OF
Justice of the supreme court. If he
could be chief justice of that august
tribunal he would probably think him
self at the summit OF human dignity and
honor. No man lives who is better fitted
4 ioi tuc pihet.
! Mr.. Edmunds entered the Senate i'll
April, 1866. He was appointed the sue
cessor of the venerable Solomon Foote,
and his first public remarks were made
ON the occasion of the delivery of the
eulogies on that venerated and popular
man He began Immediately to take
part in the discussions Of the Senate in
| which Sumner, Fessenden, Trumbull and
Wade were then the Republican leaders.
Chandler, Sherman. Sprague. Wilson,
Grimes, Dixon, Pomeroy, Ramsey and
| Doolittle were chairman of committees.
Reverdy johnson, Hendricks, Buckalew
and Salisbury were the leading Demo-
/ Gratis in the chamber. At the time when
| Mr.. Edmunds took the oath of Office the
principal measure before the Senate was
! the bill for the protection of United
| States officers in the South. 1t was n bill
1 designed to save from prosecution under
the State laws men who had committed
acts, while under military authority,
! which might be actionable under civil
laws. 1t aimed to extend the mantle OF
| the federal authority and protection over
all the military agents of the government
in the rebellious States. Mr.. Edmunds
thought that the provisions of the bill
should extend only to those States III
which the habeas corpus had been sus-
pended, and he moved all amendment to
that effect, which he defended with ability
against the vigorous opposition OF the
trainers of the bill His remarks on the
bill seem to me to be the keynote Of his
course in the Senate, and l wish l could
give an extract from them to show with
what conservatism and care the Senator
from Vermont addressed himself at the
outset OF his Senatorial career to the bus
mess of making Mr. Edmunds
voted alone with the democrats for his
amendment Sumner, Trumbull and all
the others went solidly against him. But
in the light of the political history Of 10
years Mr.. Edmunds can safely appeal to
this record as more creditable than that
Of his then more distinguished com
peers.
Mr.. Edmunds from the beginning min
gled freely III the debates and always with
keen eye for defects in Legislation and u
careful regard for public rights. There
was one other notable debate at this ses-
sion which it is highly interesting now to
recall in the light of subsequent events
There was bill before the Senate to ad-
nit the State Of Colorado to the Union
Its constitution, like all the new State
constitutions up to that time, recognized
only white men as citizens. The bill was
defeated once and then motion was
made to reconsider The constitution,
which had been adopted by the State,
provided that it should be changed only
by two-thirls vote. Pending the mo-
ton to reconsider Mr.. E,munds made the
longest speech made 10y him at this Sos
sion, in which he advocated sending the
the constitution back for amendment In
the course of the debate he said
For myself, | am a Democrat in the thorough
sense Of the term as understand II. believe In
the political equality Of all men. believe In the
sacredness Of the private rights OF all men. And
yet am asked, the political friend Of these gen
iI.Iuen. ONE having nI.Ieni nI!iliral l.,iIe