Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-02
Mr. Phelps EhdeavOrs TO Explain His
Letter to sSnatot Edmunds
The Campaign OF Islander.
from the Boston Traveller.l

The 7rauelier has noticed with regret the
indications that the Republican canvass for
tue PRESIDENTIAL non.llat'ot % iahe to be-
come campaign of Islander 1t has favored
| the nomination Of Mr.. Arthur for reasD us
| which it has given and which we know were
appreciated by our readers. We have
Goutted th5 e&te6iency Of Eliminating Mr..
, Blaine, and We know that many Of nio
warmest friends in this State have shared
our doubts. We have mis- ru>ted the SIN
rily Of some Of those who have been
classCd as supporters of Mr.. EdnundS,
aud lhe!r past a5t6 ard pies ut ulterauces
Justify that mstrust. We have dtbteaisird
The manner in whirh some of the friends OF
each of these gentlemen have carried on the
cagtsss ,ss,ipst Mr., :, Arthur, We have
noi,ced With fstfe, tie .aes,,iis upor the
| reputation of Blaine by some OF the uewo-
papers that support Mr.. Elmunt1. We
have condemned The former assaults by tie
Blame newspapers upon Mr.. Elmunds, aud
we zee in the later attack unon the rep,l-
, tatinn OF tint Etntlhmh' sp-it 'hnt may
endtuser Republican victory next No
| veniher.
While we depr, cate the recent assault
| upon Senator munds we are not sur
prscd by it, In the Traveller OF Saturday
we thus express d prem 'nlii)l ut what
was coming!
| 4 word, Ia the bdmunIs .mcn.. "When
Won hear anything 10 the ditcred!r ~ yo"r
candidate, trace it back to its source"
| When that paragraph was peDned there
was already on lis way t. the distant parts
II1.an l..tt.
Puelps ct New jersey, in which the rtputa-
ton OF Mr.. Edmunds was assaied with the
ass, rtion that he acquired au interest In the
Burlington and Missouri railroad when he
WIS in the Senate, supported the bill Il
restore The land grant 10 the road. Or
Sunday the New York Tribune followed
this up 10y declaring that the Senator had e
direct interest 10 his vote" And on Monda,
the Tribune urged that Mr.. Edmunds hat
really done what Mr.. Baine had beer
falsely accused Of doitfg, and said
~ will not do 10 ask the people to eiec
Mr. Edmunds on the ground that there ar
stories that Mr.. Blaine was somehow mixeC
, up with with railroads. 1t has been provet
false that Mr.. Blaine had any interest in an
railroad bill, at the time he acted upon it
But the record proves that Mr.. Edmund
did vote for the Burlington and Missouri
grant, anu tnht ne was AT lnat Time the OWne
II Il block of the bonds made valuable h.
lis vote. Is it answered that the vote wa
, an honest and proper one? Precisely II
/, honest and as proper as the thing Mr.. Blaiu
4 is falsely said TO have done, no more an
no less. Ii the worst his enemies all, 6
were true, he would stand where the recor
places MIR. Ednunds Does anybody III
!, agine that, with these facts known, lh
4 people are going 10 stamp Mr.. Blaine wit
disLonor, and elect Mr.. Eimunds Pres
dent ?"
The report comes from Washington Thu
Senator Eimunds has written u Causlic lett
to MIR Phelps, ealing attention 10 certa
mis-. statements in Phelps's recent lett
and denying the facts as set forth in Phelps
statement concerning himself. There is |
doubt of the ability of the Vermont s. nat
TO take care of himselft and, as the Ne
York Herald suggests, il is lit
imprudent for the friends OF Mr.. Blaine
attack him.
As pertinent to the suggestion OF
7raueller quoted above, we copy from {
Providence journal the following Wasbir
ton despatch;
THE Simultaneous alta ks of several
the Blaine newspapers upon Mr.. Edmur
are believed TO have originated here. Tn
have only excited uniavoIable comm'
upon their authors"