Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-12-03

One of the amusing things-if a silly
thing can ever be amusing-which Mr..
Blaines behavior at ex-Presdent Arthur's
funeral has called out, is the explain
alton which IAN intimate friend" of Mr..
Blaine is quoted in the New York World as
making of Mr.. Blaine's conduct This is
the way he talked
There were several reasons why Mr.. Blaine did
not feel disposed TO recognize Mr. Edmunds. That
gentlemans treatment Of Mr.. Blaine has been
shabby and almost treacherOus. / do not refer to
Edmuuds's conduct in 1884. for Mr. Blaine would
be- the last man to critcise any one for not sup
porting him. But when the opposition TO Ed
mundss return to the Senate began to develop
in Vermont it was Edmnds who offered the Olive
branch To Blaine 1t is doubtful whether any eff
fort Mir Baine's friends might have made could
have prevented Edmunds's reelection; but they
could have given him "A warm fight, and that
would have gone far TO destroy Edmundss great
prestige in the Green Mountain state. Mr. Ed
munds foresaw that and sent his friends to make
| terms with the Blaine people. They said. We
| have had enough fractional fighting. Can of your
/ dogs and let MS have peace The Blaine people
] consented and Mr. Blaine went 50 far to use his
| personal influence with his friends to keep them
| out Of the fight. That was done. / do not think
! that Mr. Blaine expected any reward or hoped to
advance his political fortunes by doing ii, but he
| certainly had a right to expect and demand de
cent treatment at Mr. Edmunds's hand. That he
| did not receive. From the moment Mr. Edmunds
was reelected he and his friends proclaimed from
the hOuSctols lnat lntN hau crushed BlalntAln III
Vermont and that the victory was purely a per
sonal for Edmunds, in spite Of the best efforts
| of the Blaine men to defeat him, when, as l have
said Mr. Blane's friends either took no part in the
fight or worked for Edmunds.
To this loose and irresponsible statement,
which no resident of Vermont needs TO be
told is utterly false in every particular, the
and conclusive answer
who the Blaine people alluded to may be, we
do not know; hut be they who they may, we feel
quite safe in denying that Mr. Edmunds ever sent
anybody to make terms with them, Having all
along said that he was not conscious of any per
sonal luminosity toward Mr. Blaine. and that his
course in regard Ia him was a matter Of principle
Mr. Edmunds could not have had any apologies to
make and do not suppose that any one who
knows him believes that he asked for any favors
He would not ask fayors of his friends; and he
most certainly did not ask favOrs of his enemies.
This is the first We have ever heard about Mr..
Baine's using his personal influence to keep his
friends out Of the fight against Mr. Edmunds,
That fight was made from first To last by Mr..
| Blane's friends, Mr.. Charles Sheldon of Rutland,
who boasts Of his personal intimacy with Mr..
, Blaine and who honestly believes that Mr. Blaine
| made the universe, the bitter opponent Of Mr..
Edmunds, right up 10 the day of the latter's re-
/ election The paper he owns was filled with gross
personal abuse Of Mr. Edmunds all through the
summer and fall and do not know as he has
stopped abusing the senator yet. word from
Mr.. Blaine would probably have stopped this at
any time. After the county conventions through
p out Vermont had distinctly shown the desire and
intention on the part OF tue llepuDANdilh ol YER
4 mont to return Mr.. Edmunds the fight against
the senator maintained by men and money
sent to Vermont by MIR. Blaines intimate friends
4 in another state. These Blaine people hired
| professional Slanderer 10 come 10 Vermont to at
p tack not only Mr. Edmunds's public course but hi
e private character and filed the state from ON,
! end To the other with copies Of the newspaper
70 which printed the lies and scurr-Ous illusions o
l. the hired libeer, right up to the election. This
the way in which Mr. Edmunds's outside oppo
e nents called OF their dogs. Right after the fins
! Tuesday in September one dog went home 10 New
York with his tail between his legs.
mo proclamation was made by Mr.. Edmunds
a or by any authorized to speak for him, tina
" they had crushed Blainesm in Vermont. Mr., Ed
y munds's utterances after the election were char
% acterzed by the same dignity and reserve whicl
- he had shown before. Nor has he come out witt
a letter reaftirming insinuatOns made in 1894.
private letter written in 1884 has recently bee
II printed, but not at the instance Of Mr.. Edmunds
IL We have no idea that he was in any manner par
" to It's publication at this time. At most the lei
al ter simply one of a number Of explanation
Of his course, given TO his friends two years age
E. several Of which, substantially similar 10 thi,
A. were printed during the canvass. 1t afforded II
reason why Mr. Blaine should cease TO condu,
III himself like gentleman,