The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-18
Not a Leader.


One of the chief arguments employed
by the Edmunds organs to justify their
advocacy of the senator's reelection is
that he is the acknowledged and hon
ored leader of the republicans in the
United States senate, They know that
this is untrue, yet they have succeeded
in making good many people believe
that Edmunds' reputed leadership is a
positive fact and that for this reason
alone he cannot be spared from the
senate. The fact is precisely the re-
verse of this. Mr.. Edmunds virtually
lost his leadership in the republican
party and in the senate when he chose
in 1884 to treat the interests of the re-
publican party with indifference and
contempt He may still have few
followers in the senate--men who SYM
pathize with him in his personal feel
ing against Mr.. Blaine-but it is made
apparent from the record of the last
session of congress that the majority of
republican senators repudiate his as
sumption of leadership. When, after
the death of Vice-p president Hendricks,
an effort was made to honor Mr.. Ed
munds with the position of president of
the senate it was found that he could
not secure the entire republican sup
port. The senate contest with the adj
ministraton, in which Edmunds played
conspicuous part, doubtless for effect
upon his republican constituents, has
proved barren of practical results. 1t
involved principle which was sus-
tanned by all of the republican senators;
but even in this controversy, in which
Mr.. Edmunds sought to make himself
the leader, he was forestalled by Sen
ator Sherman, who made a speech
covering the whole subject before Mr..
Edmunds had fully prepared himself
for his great demonstration. In fact
he has not been the leading champion
of any great public measure this year
in the present congress that has been
successful, or which has been favored
with the support of majority of re-
publican senators. The pages of the
Congressional Record during the session
lust closed will confirm the truth of
our statement.
The newspapers and politicians in
this state which have encouraged the
prevalent popular delusion that Ed
munds is d" the great senatorial leader u
find that they have "no case" when
they are confronted with his public
record since 1884, We have no desire
nor is it necessary for our purpose, tc
detract one iota from what is justly due
Mr.. Edmunds in respect to his abilities
and the value of his public services
but we have only to take the situation
the popular estimate, it is not the faul
of those who believe that his re-elec
ton to the senate would be inimical t.
the interests of Vermont and OF tn
republican party. A number of prom
inent republican journals in the coun
try have admitted that Mr.. Edmunds i
no longer a conspicuous leader in tn
republican party, and that he has lost
to great extent, his influence with tn
republican masses. His recent eS
pressions of opinion in regard to tn
selection of presidential candidate i
1883 have served to increase the distrus
with which he is regarded by the loyi
republicans of the country. There
no reason to believe that, if he shoul
be reelected, he can recover in an
considerable measure the confidence {
the republican party, and this mus
serve to weaken his influence in til
senate and impair his usefulness as
legislator. The present attitude of NJ
.Edmunds before the republicans of til
country is well set forth in the follow
ing extract from the Washington co
respondence of the Cleveland Leode
one of the leading republican papers
Ohio
The most noteworthy event of the ye
within the field of what may be call
politics is beyond doubt the decline, not
saw downfall, of Senator Edmunds. 1t
one of the leading themes of conversati
here nowadays. There has been no sta
ling or sudden descent in his case, but
gradual diminution of his influence a
popularity is very apparent to any one