Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-19
SENATOR EDMUNDS
And Several other Persons,-a Chapter of
Political and Personal Gossip.

MlpDLEpunY, Vt, June 10, 1855.


The paragraphs going the rounds of the
newspapers, saying that the "Baine par
tisans" in Vermont are determined to
beat Senator Edmunds, and that eX-Gover-
nors Smith, Proctor and Stewart, and
Judges Powers and Poland are already in
the field for the accomplishment of that
result. amuse even those whose knowl-
edge of our politics is confined to the sur
face. In the first place, only one of these
gentlemen-Judge Powers-can fairly be
called partisan of Mr.. Blaine, The rest
supported him for President, Gov Smith
cordially, the other three reluctantly. OF
the prominent Republicans of the State
since Mr. blaine first aSpired to the preSi-
dency in 1876, only three have been his
strenuous advocates Col. Hooker, Henry
Ballard of Burlington, and Judge Pow
ers. They admire him heartily, and the
judge maintained in argument at the
Pavilion hotel in Montpelier. last fall,
soon after the election that he was the
best candidate whom the party ever had
put up, and that he received more votes
than any other Republican would. No
one of his listeners agreed with him. Mr..
Ballard was an Edmunds delegate to the
national convention last year; but he had
! previously been an 'Out-and-Out' Blaine
man, associated with the Blaine men at
the convention, was made chairman OF
/
and welcomed the Maine mans nomiua-
ton with genuine enthusiasm. Colonel
Hooker was equally pleased although his
ardor was cooled for Il time by his failure
to secure the sec etaryshipot the national
committee. The fellowship was too con
genial, however, to be suffered to drop,
and Col. Hooker, as assistant secretary,
did hard work ut headquarters during
the campaign.
| 1t is magnifyng things a good deal to
| say that there is any determined or organ
| ized effort on the part of anybody to pre-
/ vent the reelection of senator Edmunds.
Governor Smith would like to succeed
/ him. and has been ready to any time since
! lSi9. But the movement on his part has
been tentative and is now somnolent.
There is no doubt that Mr. Edmunds's
cold indifference last summer offended
many Republicans in the State. Not be
cause they were Blaine men they were
not. But they We're Republicans of the
most devoted kind. To them the success
of the party seemed to be essential to the
welfare, perhaps even the life, of the ma
ton. and they thought that all personal
feelings ought to be sunk to that end. To
such men-and they made up four-hfths
of The Republican party IN the state
whatever Mr.. Edmunds's opinion of Mr..
/ Blaine might be, they felt that it was his
duty for the sake of the party, to work
for his election with all his might, and to
]
to conquer the Democracy. When the
campaign was over and the party was de
frated the opinion was strong that Mr..
/ Edmunds had not done his duty. The
J Legislature was in session, and Its Re
publican members scOlded II good deal
about his conduct. But the ill-temper
soon subsidized, so quickly that J. ID. Hatch
of Burlington and Chester W. Writers of
Milton who had charge of Gov. Smiths
interests at the Legislature, and the for
mer of whom is considered to be the as
tuteSt politician i'll vermont, were not
| able to take advantage of 1t. As soon as
they could consult with Governor Smith
resolution was drawn up, which, it was
proposed, should be adopted by a caucus
of the Republican members of the l.egis-
lature, coudemning Senator Edmunds :
course in the campaign. 1t was put INTO
the hands of Senator Warren Gibbs OF
Burlington, the chairman of the Repub-
lican State central committee. Wallace
| W. Parker, the representative from Cam
bridge Il rattle-headed Blaine man with
an extraordinary gift of CAB of the Logan
variety, was to be his lieutenant. But II
was discovered that the resolution could
not be carried and the scheme was drop
ped Nevertheless Governor Smith did
not at once give up all hope of OuStlng
Mr.. Edmunds. The Boston Journdts de
votion to Mr. Blaine was avalled OF and
that paper contained several editorial de
winter, their argument being his inactiv-
ity during the presidential campaign.
Even his announcement of the result of
the count of the electoral votes was Sc
verely criticised. Very likely Gov. Smith
had nothing to do with the publication of
these editorials by the JOurndt but GER
tain indscreet friends, who are very near
him. said that he did, and intimated that
the fire would be kept up at intervals I'M
til Mr.. Edmunds was disposed of for good,
The Journal ceased about the first of
last March, for the reason, it is believed,
that Colonel Clapp discovered that attacks
on Mr.. Edmunds were not relished by its
patrons in Vermont. The only Republi-
can newspapers in the State which attack
Mr.. Edmunds are the Rutland Rcricu
and the st. Adams Messenger, from which
Mr.. Dixon was deposed last February
and Of Which Mr.. Gibbs went through the
forms that are called purchasing from
Governor Smith. Mr.. Gibbs is IA gentle
| man of small ability, who only became
the chairman of the Republican State
committee last summer because Dr. Mich
OILS and James X. Batchelder refused the
) position and no one else could easily be
got. When the Republican mass meeting
q ut Burlington was contemplated last Au
gust he called upon Mr.. Edmunds and in
vited him to make Il speech. Mr.. Gibbs
: said atterward that his chilling reception
5 froZe his very marrow, and even as late n
used to shiver when he related the inter
-, view. Mr.. Gibbs has never got over hi.
4 reception by Mr. Edmunds, and he seems
= to be really actuated by personal animosi
v ty There is some reason for believing
:, that Governor Smith does not approve o
Mr.. Gibbs's attacks on Mr. Edmunds il
the Messenger, not because he sympa
o thizes with the Senator, but because HI
II thinks they are bad policy.
l. Perhaps the best inkling of Gov. smith
attitude and intentions is afforded by hi
- course in regard to the purchase of tn
y Burlington clipper and the Montpelie
? Waterman. There is no doubt but tina
l. last March he encouraged Charles :
J. Forbes, the Vermont agent of the Boston
journal, to enter into negotiations fo
= the former, and ID. w. Dixon, the pred,
l. cessor of Mr.. Gibbs in the management
II of the Messenger, to enter into negOtit
4 lions for the latter. They each got so ia
N as to agree with the owner on the pric,
- All at once the Governor grew cold an
y declined to put up" the money, and tn
n proceedings were dropped. If the Gov
'e ernor were really determined to make a