Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-03-19
SENATOR EDMUNDS.

0Hh u w MN q AZ no
We hear down this way that some opposition has de-
yelupod Ia Vermont TO the reelection Of ME-. Ed.
muuds to the Senate. Anything Of course, Is poss-
bile 10 politics, and 80 this calamity may happen.
calamity II would be- for Mr.. Edmuuds comes a. near
being a model legislator as we have In public life. /
Probably no member Of Congress does 80 much /
effective work.
The above extract from the Washington |
correspondence Of the Boston Congregation |
alist indicates very clearly the high position |
Mr.. Edmunds holds in the good will aud con-
fdence of thoughtful men everywhere. He
stands pr, eminent In the Senate Of the United
S atea where, in pOiut Of great ability, un-
firing zeal and industry, and influence in
shaping Alright the legislation of the country,
be confessedly has no equal among his asso-
cetes. Aud | may safely go further and say
that all things considered, Mr. Edmunds is
to day the foremost public man in America
Aside from bis trOnsoendent ability aud his
long experience, by which he has achieved
his proud eminence in legislation, he stands,
as he has always stood, like granite noun
tain against all forms of corruption and ras-
cality. No plundering job escapes detec-
ton, exposure and denunciation from him
and every corrupt lobbyist who schemes to
rob the public treasury, fears and hates him
more than any other man in public life. The
monster corporations and monopolies of the
u
people, like the telegraph and the Pacific rail.
road companies, which seek to evade their
just obligations to the government in return
for its fostering aid and protection, have felt
the heavy weight of his hand aud denounce
him unsparingy. II has been publicly an
nounoed in the newspapers recently that the
great monopoly telegraph company had Of
fered 800 600 to aid in defeating his r. cleo
ton to the Senate, and that the sympathizing
Pacific railroads we're ready to put up like
amount for the same purpose. Whether
this is literally 80 or not, these corporations
have unquestionably taken a lively interest
and manifested supreme satisfaction in the
warfare upon him. With him out of the
way, public plunderers If all kinds would re-
ioice over the removal Of the stubboruest OBJ
stacle to the full mplishment of their de-
sires. His worst enemies concede his con-
summate ability, his stern incorruptibility,
and bis absolute faithfulness in the discharge
Of all official duties. In these respects no
one pretends that any man can be put in his
place who can approximate his influence and
usefulness in the public service, even after
| years of training. He is Is years old. hav-
ing been born in February, 1928, and hence
at the zenith of intellectual manhood while
nearly 20 years have rolled over the head of
the man who seeks to supplant him.
What then is the matterg First aud chief
ly, another man wants his place, whose long
ing ambition must be satisfied now or never.
HIS advancing age will permit no further de.
lay, aud hence, second, plausible ground Of
attack must be found and any embers of dis
content must be fostered and famed into a
flame by the joint efforts of ambition, envy
aud malice. And 80 tue absurd charge of
political in6delity is formulated, with the sin
gle specification that Mr. Edmunds failed to
make stump speeches in the last national
campaign. For this reason aud this alone,
except that he is said not to be so suave and
gushing in his manner as his competitor, it il
claimed that be should be set aside, and this
new aspirant, representing another OF the
great monopoles OF the country, be put
in his place and to accomplish it, the aid
and cooperation of Democratic spoilsmen are
invoked. 1t is true, Mr.. Edmunds did not
make stump speeches. and for good and sut.
ficient reasons, in which he was sustained by
his Republican associates in the Senate and
by leading members of the Republican ma
toual commi.tt g, after a full understanding
of all facts involved. He not only made nc
stump speeches in the last campaign, but he
has very seldom made them at any time, hav-
ing a strong dista.te, and ~ he modesty
thinks, very little aptitude, for that kind OF
oratory. He has been accustomed to per
form his service for the Republican party
land who has performed greater y while
serving his country in statesmanlike work il
his official place aud capacity in the Senate Of
the United States. Aud who shall say thai
this is not infinitely higher and better ser
vice, even In a party sense, than he coulC
possibly render by exhausting his strength
and energies on the stump. Many men car
make stump speeches whose proper vocation
is not craftsmanship.
Little Vermont, utterly insignificant by
| .rta a., WrtNA
honored by the craftsmanship of the two
leading committees in the United States Sen
ate, (the judiciary and the fnauce), and to
day confessedly exercises in that august bod
more powerful and salutary influence oil
the legislation of the country than any stat
in the Union. Why Simply because tn,
people of Vermont have had the wisdom u
select and retain III their service in the S N
ate, men of high character and ability, sterl
integrity and untiring industry. Before Ed
, munds and Morrill, we had Foote and Cola
mer, and for a brief period, Poland 81
that, for more than a third Of century, Yer
mont has had no Senator to whom high ran
has not been universally conceded An,
, this has been a matter Of Just pride at HON
aud theme OF agreeable congratuation froI
abroad. Is this wisdom OF the past, OF whic
we may justly boast, now turned to foolish
ness Has the honest state pride in whic
p we have 80 freely aud 20 justly INDUCED, a
well as the sound common sense that ha
hitherto dominated our political action in thi
0 regard, entirely left Us, that we should Civ
? ear to such suicidal folly as is now proposed
For one, l do not believe the people of Vel
2 mont are capable of such debasement q
i these suggestions imply; and | look conf
( IDENTITY to see the Republican voters, both
{ the primaries and the polls, put an emphati
a and final quietus to the shameful scheme /
/ which they are asked to engage.
VERMONT