Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-03-19
a Few Facts about the Public Record
Of Hon, Geo. Z. Edmunda.

What we do insist is that Edmunds is leading cow
ardly and totally unprincpled fight against the admin
lstration. We also say that Edmunds's course
is new thing; that his trickery and equiyocaton in
tue electoral commission matter nine years ago shows
to what INSCRIPTIONS lengths he is always ready go
Tor partisan purposes any doubt about tha?
Is the man who In 1860 declared the floor of the
senate that 1t was none Of the seuaes business why
the President made removals, and who is now trying
10 make the President deliver up the information on
which he acted in making removas,-is the man who
proclams one code Of constitutional right aud justice
when his party is in power, and then takes exact
ly the opposite when It is out of power is he
the man to receive Democratic votes and confidence
-Retormer Of March 8.
If anybody has ever before imagined that George F.
Edmunds is lofty-minded patriot, above the tricks
and dishonesties Of the demagogue 1t is time to
get over il. George f. Edmunds is the man who leads
this crusade, aud George F. Edmunds is the who
declared on the floor OF the senate only few years
ago that ''it is reason enough for me, constitutional
reason" for the making of any removal that the Pres
dent in his discretion thinks it necessary.-Re
Of Feb. 10.
There is not shadow of reason why any Democratic
legislator should vote for Smith; to do would be to
sell out to the very worst elements Of Republicanism
On the other hand there is every why he should
not vote for Edmunds, the leader of the electoral COM
mission swindle the man who declared on the floor
OF the senate that the commission bill meant fun
investigation, aud then voted, when he got on the
commission, that it didn't; the man who to-day leads
the hibustering against the administration on de-
mand which he knows, and which he is record as
declaring the senate has right to make.-RtOrmer
Gf Feb 20.
The above extracts from late issues of the
Windham County Reformer are copied to
show the character and animus of bitter and
reckless attack on Senator Edmunds and his
public record, to which that paper has devot-
ed it's columns for a month past. rs main
charges, it will be seen, are two in number -
first that in the matter of the electoral com
mission Mr.. Edmunds was guilty of "trckery
and equivocaton" by holding on the floor Of
the Senate, before the electoral commission
bill became a law, that the commission could
go behind the returns, and then voting exact
ly opposite to this after the commission came
into existence and he was member of it.
Second that in the contest with the President
Mr. Edmunds takes ground just opposite to
what he has held toward Republican Presi-
dents, and contrary to his views az expressed
on the floor of the Senate on former occasions
notably in 1869. In both cases Mr.. Ed
munds is charged with deliberately turning
his coat for narrow and unjusti6able partisan
purposes.
This attack on the Senator is founded in
either malice or ignorance-probably in both.
To show this it is only necessary to turn back
to the official record of congressional pro-
ceedings. In the joint committee of the
Senate and House which originated the cleo
toral commission bill, Mr.. Edmunds, who was
one of its members, distinctly expressed his
opinion on the question of going behind the
returns, and it was adverse to any such &C.
ton. Iu confirmation of this we have Demo
cratic authority that ought to satisfy even the
Reformer. Hon. Abram S. Hewitt of New
York, the well-known Democratic leader, was
also member of the joint committee, and
his evidence as to the consistency of Mr.. Ed
mundss course was publicly given on the
floor of the House after the decision of the
electoral commission had been reached. On
the 2ith of February, 1877, when the deci
sion in regard to the vote of Oregon was un
der discussion, Mr. Hewitt made a speech Sc
verely criticising the vote in the commission
of several of its members-among them Hon
James A. Garfield of Ohio and Hon. Olive
p Morton of Indiana but of the course O.
Mr.. Edmunds, Mr.. Hewitt said
"O6 Judge Eintunds desire to bear ritness that a
no time to Dy knowledge did he express opinion
10 he poCer Of this commission 10 90 behind the re
turns. It might possibly have been inferred from
his action previous occasions that he entertaine
the view that the two Houses Of Congress could g
behind the returns but neither in his speech tn
bill nor elsewhere do know that ne espresso
that view"
This broad, frank statement from a bitterly
partisan opponent of Mr.. Edmunds is, as W
have said conclusive, and it will be so &C
eepted by candid, honest minded men. Tn
fact is, moreover, that in the minds of sucl
men there was never any question but tina
Mr.. Edmundss record in the electoral com
mission matter was consistent, statesmanlike
and without concealment, from beginning t.
end.
AS 10 the second charge-that in the pres
emit disagreement with President Clevelan
Mr.. Edmunds acts the part of a dishones
demagogue, taking ground which gives tn
lie 10 his position under similar circumstances
but under Republican President, in 1869
we have the official record of Mr.. Edmunds'
own spoken words, and they are equally con
elusive, equally to the point.
1t has been charged over and over again b
the Democratic and so-called Independent pa
pers, during the past three months, that Mi
Edmunds in 1869 declared in public debate /
the Senate that ut is cause enough for me
sir, constitutional cause, for any removal
that the President has seen lit to make it,
The speech from which this garbled extraC
is taken was delivered by Mr.. Edmunds /
the Senate in March, 1869. The tenure ol
office law and its proposed repeal or modf
cation was then under discussion, and in tn
course OF the debate Mr.. Edmunds said /
reply to question from Senator Morton
az sag that the President Gf the United States ho
no business Ia nominate 10 as man. an spedl
ing ~ moral business, because the constitution gir
him a right 10 nominate as often he plsases-H
President has no rgh 10 propose 10 as 10 pat ouf on
man and put ia another unless there is cause. Aou
what is catsef The Constitution has made N