The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-03
A FADING PUBLIC FIGURE.


While Judge Scott was addressing the
National Republican committee he was in
terrupted and the effect of his speech lost
by most eccentric and ill-bred perform
ance on the part of ex-United States Sem
ator Edmunds. Mr. Edmunds, who had
been seated among the visitors listening
to the speeches, solemnly arose in the
midst Of Judge SCOTS speech, walked
between the press tables up to the plat
form and shook hands with Chairman
GARRISON. He then made most stately
bow and started to retire from the hall.
lie never so much as asked leave of Judge
Scott, and when the orator turned to see
the cause of all the applause, laughter and
general excitement, he saw the tall form
and the bald head of the ex-senator going
down the hall toward the door.
Mr.. Edmunds thus executed a very
cheap bit of posing for the public by
gross breach of good manners, which he
would have been prompt to rebuke and
resent had he been in the place of Judge
Scott. This boorishness on the part of
Mr.. Edmunds was in line with his brut-
ally insoient treatment of Mr.. Blaine on
the floor Of the United States Senate from
1877 to 1851, and with the conspicuous
rudeness he manifested when he met Mr..
Blaine at the funeral of ex-President
Arthur. And still there are many persons
who, knowing Mr.. Edmunds only by his
reputation for legal eminence, wonder
why he hasn't any friends to.speak of at
home or abroad.
the first time that his little state
"boomed" Edmunds at Chicago he re-
ceived about 100 votes; and the second
time he obtained about the same number.
Two of the most popular and plausible
men in New England, the late ex-Gover-
nor Smith and the late Frederick Billings.
did their best TO persuade the opposition
to Blaine in 1880 and 1884 to concentrate
upon Edmuhds, but his vote fell rather
than rose in answer to their appeal The
legal ability of Mr.. Edmunds was con-
coded; the strong, orthodox quality of his
Republicanism was admitted the i'm
portant part he had taken in Civ
ing form To the Electoral Com
mission of 1877 was not denied,
but nevertheless the delegates did not want
Senator Edmunds. Nobody liked him;
none of his Republican associates IN the
Senate had a good word 10 say for him.
The essence of the unpopulerity and gem
eral political friendlessness of Mr.. Ed
munds was expressed by a delegate, who
described him as ian intellectual incarna-
ton of cold pickle"
Judging Mr.. Edmunds by his public
rudeness TO Judge Scott it looks as if 1.-THE
intellectual incarnation of cold pickle"
had displayed a Protean capacity to in
carnate some of the attributes of the
American hog. The worst enemy of Mr..
Edmunds wishes him no more dismal fate
than TO live long enough 10 see Blaine
elected President of the United States.
His feelings under such circumstances
would be something like that of William
Pitt when, on hearing that Napoleon had
won Austerlitz, he exclaimed, Roll up
the map OF Europe" and took to his
death-bed. Edmunds living to see Blaine
elected president would be like Napolean
hearing Wellington cheered for Waterloo;
would be like Benedict Arnold hearing
Washington had finally triumphed at
Yorktown: would be Ike Marus su,lenly
sitting in the ruins OF Carthage. shaking
his fist in the direction of Rome and ours
ing the city Tor opening its gates to Svlla;
would he like a viper biting a file until the
iron entered into his soul.
one Of Mr.. Ejmunds' early Republican
colleagues IN the Senate was LYMAN
Trum5ul If Illinois; as eminent q law
yer as Mr.. Eimunds, and 4 more distin-
gujshCj statesman. In an evil hour for
himself senator Trumbuu joined hands
with SIMMER and SchBrz TO Willy Presi-
dent Grant-in 1871. TrumbulI, who had
been twelve years in the front rank OF the
Senate, soon after dropped out of il. and
then there were very few TO do him reyer-
ence. In spite of his great legal powers
Trumbujl steadily sank into obscuritv:
he still lives, bat comparatively few per-
sons know that he is alive. After NJ.
Edmunds began his warfare. overt and
covert. on Mr.. Blaine in 1850 he steadily
lost ground: and after il was known in
1884 that Nj. Elmunds had since $50
been persislently AZ work as the stlmulator.
organizer and architect OF defeat for Mr..
Blaine. Mr. Edmunds rapidly lost all the
popular national strength ani influence
he had ever enjoyed with his party; he