Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-05-07

brick ourselves. But great political par
ty is an entirely different thing and we
humbly venture TO think that the more
people we can get into it, and keep in it.,
the better off we are. We do not mean to
say or to imply that the Republican party
cannot get along without Senator Ed
munds Every year death claims some
leader whom we have trusted aud loved /;
but the ranks are closed up and the battle
goes on. The lesson that all history teach
es is that the loss of no single man can
ruin a cause that is based on truth and
righteousness. 1t has often DELAYED its
progress, but never defeated its triumph
And so if the Republicans of Vermont
commit the monumental folly of dismiss
ing Senator Edmunds to private life the
party will still live, but it will have I'M
necessarily and grievously handicapped
itself in the great race which comes off
two years hence.
Now II word as to the alleged cause that
leads the Messenger and the rest to at
tempt to purge the Republican party as
Cromwell purged his parliament. AS we
have SAID, we do not see why Mr.. Ed
munds, while he was willing to vote for
Mr.. Blaine was not willing to advise of her
folks to do so. He did, however. make a
public speech, before great audience. in
which he urged his hearers to vote for the
Republican party. But hitherto in our
political history the defeated party has
seldom exhibited an undue and womanly
curiosity as TO the minute causes of its de-
feat 1t has pecked its flint and tried
again, and calmly allowed the dead past
the mournful privilege of burying its dead.
In politics as in religion, the life that now
Is, Is the main thing to be attended to,
And there is little or no doubt that never
word would have been said about Sena-
tor EdmundS'S course in 1884, were it not
for the fact that John Gregory Smith of
st. Albans was and is very anxious to sue
coed Mr.. Edmunds in the senate. He and
the pleasant gentlemen whom he owns
body and soul, have made about all this
commotion and the commotion has its
origin, not III desire to serve the Repub-
llcan party or advance its interests, but in
the Sc fish ambition of one MAINLAND that
man the least competent to fill Mr. Ed
munds's place of all those whom possip
has mentioned in connection with the
matter. An i'll day for Vermont. for the
republican party and for the nation will
1t be when George +. Edmunds is sup
planted by John Gregory Smith The
Republicans of Vermont are, we verify
believe, more thoroughly Republican than
those of any other State in the Union. Re
Is part of their nature and
thelr ndellty to the party is unfailing
But we do not and can not believe that
any dissatisfaction at defeat and any con
structlon of party fealty will lead them to
dismiss from his place the strongest and
''i'ot anu ptSl tNpOUtul Ol lDt best 1ttl- |
ng OF the party. And in dismissng him. |
1t is to be remembered, there would be a |
loss not soon to be remeded in this, that
however able his possible successor might |
be, he would he inexperienced in national |
affairs, and it would be IL matter of years |
TO acquire the knowledge of men and |
things and legislation that Senator Ed |
munds now possesses.
tinally-fur we are making altogether
too long matter of this-our readers
should note two things. One is the ALI
ince, of which concealment is now hardly |
ttteinpted' between the Smith people and |
-he Atkins Democrats. The otberi is that
,he messenger and the other Smith papers
10 not, dare not, name their candidate.
ms must occasion them trfling embar.
'assment now and then, one would think
ma to an unprejudiced-thoug of course
perhaps mlstaken-public it gives them
III ar not so much of honorable antago-
lists as of aSSaSSnS