The Washington critic., 1886-08-05
mR. rpMrSps on POLITICS.

AIR EDMuNDs On POLITICS.
We aS given to understand that the
interview with Senator Eimuuds,
printed in the New York World, was
prepared under his own supervision,
and IS therefore to be considered
authoritative. II says what he means
and means what he says. The Senl-
tor from Vernon. Is not remarkable
for his communicativeues on public
questions, and we eau only account for
n e formal and guarded promulgation
,' his views on the theory, that even if
} have no ambition in that direction
Himself, he is not au entirely disinter-
e ed spectator of the approaching
Presidential canvass, and rs a leader of
recognized influence in the party, de-
sires the country to take early notice
of the position he occupies.
1t will be noticed as perhaps the
most significant feature of the inter
view that he prefers not to take rose
colored view of the future Of the Re
publican party. incompetent as he al
leges the Democrats to have been in
the House, he leans to the opinion that
they will still retain their majority in
that branch of Congress, and notori
ously bad as he charges the Admins.
tration with being in the quality of its
appointments, the chances Of Republi-
can success in the next Presidential
contest still hinge upon contingency
and may be altogether destroyed by
the action of the National convention.
The chance of electing Republican
President in 1888, says Mr. Elmunls,
depends upon who is nominated, and
when he adds that the candidate should
be o Western man, with an homes
record on financial questions AMI of
character above reproach, we have no
difficulty in understanding that the
bitterness of his opposition to the can
didacy of Mr.. Blaine loses none of its
rancor by the lapse of time. Success
is possible with John Sherman or
William b. Allison, but impossible
with James c. Blaine. The language
construction. There are those who will
say that he should have tempered the
valor of his frankness with more dis
cretion of speech; but we cannot see
that there is any necessity for conceal.
lnent on point about which the public
is already tolerably well Informed
through the relations openly sustained
by MI Edmunds towards Mr.. Blaine
during the last canvass. AS for the
Senator's declared yprefercnce of a
Western candidate, 50 strongly eX-
pressed that he makes such a selection
the condition Of party success, he could
have said nothing politically more
sagacious, THIS declaration allies him
at once to the sympathies of sectior
which he believes is to exercise an al
potent influence in deciding the 70
tunes Of his party,
What Mr. Edmuuds says Of the Den.
ocratic House and the mistakes of .,
President would indicate that he W.
lieves in adopting the old Democratic
lines Of warfare and making the gen.
eral linconlpetency of the Adminslra.
tion the leading issue OF the cimpalgn.
At the same time in allowing the prob
ability of the reelection of Demo
cratic House and conditioning Repub
lican success in 1888 upon locality, hi
admits that the counts of his decidedly
severe indictment are by no means SURF
of being sustained before the higl
court of the people. 1t is Of interest
however, to know that POLITICAL.
spanking Mr.. Edmunds stands in tn,
same ST. oes he wore two years ago.
CONGRESS has not been able to dc
clare forfeited the unearned Ian Is o
the powerful Northern Pacific Rail
road, but 1t has done something
. towards causing the land grant roads t
give back to the public that whicl
they have not earned. 1t has passet
bills which will restore to the publ
domain and throw open TO settlemen
23,s7s,3G0 acres OF land, much Of whicI
is very valuable. The last Congress
also did something in this direction
and the total Of its work and the wor
of the present session makes an er
forced disagreement by railroad corpC
ratiOns Of A., ,4SS, 800 acres Of laud I
which they have no just claim. Ia
is good showing anl there
plenty of room for further work OF ia
same kind.