Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-06-11
MI. Edmunds and Mr.. smith.
Rutland Herald

The following appears in the Chicago
TribunC of May 26th, as a special despatch
from New York:
Ex-Gov. ]. Gregory Smith of Vermont wa,
here to-day consulting with James +. JOY of
Michigan about railroad matters. Gov.
Smiths name is the one most frequently
heard us the candidate upon whom the oppo-
sitIon to senator EdmundS is most likely to
combine in the approaching senatorial contest
in Vermont. Being asked if he would really
hc Il candidate he gave the decided rely
NO, am not a candidate. My name has been
brought INTO notice 10y acurious combination,
and mainly through the attacks upon me of
Senator Fdmunds's mugWump friends.
The senator stands under indictment before
the people of Vermont for treaChcry to the
Republican party in 1854. The Republicans of
the State are unit in their dcnunciations OF
the course he pursued in that scheme. Many
of them are willing that his public services
should be lost to the state and country and
are therefore willing TO cundOnc his OfenSc.
But there has been no sign from Mr.. Edmunds
that he would not take such 4 conformation
rather than a NindlCatiOn. aud, indeed, the
course of his friends has indicated that his re-
election would be claimed rs Il vindication
and that under similar circumstances he
would do in lss, us he did IN 1854. There was
several years Il division IN the State
over the railroad question, and as pres
ident of the Central Vermont road |
| came in FOR II considerable STARE OF opposition
and discussion. In order to create Il diver
sion ard distrust in the minds of Republicans
from the alleged trcaChcry Of senator Ed
u
cry That was candidate in the railroad i'll
tcrest, ana that it the railroad question
that was to be decided in the next election.
Nothing could bc further from the truth than
this. The old railroad question is wholly set
tied. The only manner in which have been
made Il candidate is through these papers. As
to whether Senator Edmunds Will or will not
be elected, do not care TO express my opin-
ion. There is no organized opposition to him
OF which have any knowledge
Perhaps the ex-governor was not cor
I l..
us that he is mistaken in two respects
First that Mr.. Edmunds's friends think
to Vindicate his course III the last presiden-
tial campaign. SO far as we know they do
not seek to vindcate it, They support
him. not because of it but in spite of it,
and because of his eminent service to the
country and the party at all other times.
| Second, that it was the Edmunds papers
which made GOV. Smith candidate. The
! HCrdtd, for one has never mentioned his
| name in that connection, not being willing
to assume that he was a candidate until
he got ready to say that he was. If any of
! the others have treated him as one, II
is probably because the chief and almost
the only opposition to the senator came
from journals and politicians which Were
! known TO be specially friendly to him.
| The old railroad differences have scarcely
been considered in this discussion.
We have felt, all the while, that the
/ llltll'S VI lllc tN -SONtIllOl NtIt SuDJttl-
ing him to the great liability of his atti-
tude being misunderstood and we rejoice
now that he positively denies his alleged
candidacy and considers it weak inven-
tion of the enemy, The friends of Sena-
| tor Edmunds are not necessarily enemies
of Gov. Smith. On the contrary, so fan
as we know, most of them are his friends
and were outspoken in his defense when
the old troubles were on. So it il
not question of enmities, nor OF
railroads, nor of indications, nor of
personalities, but simply of the preser-
walton to the country of the services OF
one of her greatest statesmen, and to Yer
mont of her proud pre-emnence in the ma
ttonal councils In this last respect Gov
Smiths view OF Vermont opinion is correct
and we hope to see him doing for the State
just what he did for himself and his rail
road Interests when the contests wer'
pending-that is, obtain the services o.
Senator Edmunds and put him and keel
him at the head of the column.