The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-04-29
NOW AND THEN.

Mf. Edmunds Trying to Explain His For.
mer Treatment of Blaine-A Foolish
Defense for q Man Who Pretends to BE
Honest.
Nearly two years have passed away
since the country was filled with the
noise and fury of Presidential cam
paign. In those two years, as is nat
ural, many things have Happened, and
many regulations have been shattered;
but what greater and more distressful
contrast is presented by this lapse Of time
than that between George F. Edmunds
of to-day and George F. Edmunds of
1882 Then he sat on the cold shores
of Lake Champlain, in the icy dignity
OF his presumed political integrity, and
the mugwumps admired him. He re-
fused to speak in behalf of the candi-
date of his party. There were intima-
tions of letter which had been written
by Mr. Edmunds strongly condemna-
tory of Mr.. Blaine's attitude on the
Thurman act. There was much
quoted phrase, in which Mr.. Blaine
was represented as skulking behind
Union Pacific breastworks, and car
rying a furtive metaphorical gun,
out of the muzzle of which he was ac-
customed to pour shot into the backs of
Mr. Edm nds and Mr.. Thurman. The
| existence of some such letter as this
was never denied. On the contrary,
since the opening of the Senatorial
campaign in Vermont Mr.. Edmunds'
| friends have induced correspondent
| of the Boston AdUertiser to say that
| Mr.. Edmunds was willing to speak for
Mr.. Blaine on general principles, but
that, having frankly shown certain let
| ters to the National committee, he was
advised not to take the stump, his pre-
viously expressed opinions of the cafl-
didate not being consistent with ad-
vocacy of him for the Presidency. 1t
was gravely put forth that, though Mr..
Edmunds thought Mr.. Blaine a bad
man. he was perfectly willing to speak
for the party which nominated the bad
man.
! 1t would seem, in the calm and peace
of the present, that one whose words
carry authority and who is trusted
servant of the public should actively
contend against the candidate for
whom he can not conscientiolsly speak.
Moreover it is understood that Mr..
Edmunds vot ID for Mr.. Blaine, not
withstanding his low opinion of his
character. 1t really seems strange
that good man should have expressed
his desire that bad man should be
President. As we have said, however.
Mr.. Edmunds was forgiven by the
Mugwumps, and more than few oi
them have asserted since 1884 that they
would be glad to vote for George F.
Edmunds for Presid mt.
1t Is not probable that Mr.. Edmunds
has now nearly so many admirers az
he had at the beginning of the
present session of Congress. Ju
dicious people who had studied his
speeches and deeds rather than the
adulations of his admirers were no
surprised when he entered upon his
present course of tricksy partisanship
| Mr. Edmunds would have made his
| issue with the President even if the enc
of his Senatorial term was not in tht
near future. He loves the byways o
partisanship. He delights in the small
arts of the attorney. He has neve
been the author of a great statute, bu
he has male innumerabie verba
changes in measures that have beel
discussed by the Senate. 1t would b.
a miracle almost If Senator Edmund
should say generous word of a polit
ical opponent, unless, like Mr.. Thur
man, a Democrat should happen to b
his intimate friend. The contest fo
the Vermont Senatorship, which
now, in its preliminary stages, is a fres
incentive, but his own nature and in
tellectual constitution are at the bot
tom of the fight heSi making agains
the President. The facts in the Dusk
case clearly show that Mr.. Edmunds in
sist, on the right of the Senate to de
mand papers touching suspensions be
. cause the President is Democrat. II
is moved by no other consid eratior
and the country knows tn Y. Stal