New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-09
THE RETIREMENT OF MR.. EDMUNDS.

TIE RETIREMENT or NIX. EDMONDo'
One of the strongest men Of the Republican
party retires from its active service. To speak
of MIR. Edmunds, of Vermont as an ex-senator
is q matter Of sincere regret to RepuDhcanS
Differing from him often, The TRIBUNE recog-
nizes in him one of the ablest and purest OF
public men, whose powerful influence was al
most always on the bright side and whose public
services in the Senate and On some OF its most
important committees entitled him to public
gratitude.
MIR. EdmundS has been so long in the Senate
and prominent there that many will learn with
some surprise that he is still in the prime OF
lfe but his health has not been robust IN
recent years, and the unfavorabe influence OF
Washington winters is one of the chief causes
OF his retirement No one will question the en-
tire sincerity of Mr.. Edmunds in saying that he
retires for reasons exclusively personal lie
has been so frank and outspoken in many emer-
gencies that there is no room to attribute TO nm
any reserve in such declaration, and his entire
accord with his party on the vital questions OF
the day was made clear at the last session OF
the Senate.
MIR. Edmunds has not always been in harmony
with the Republican party, but has been
throughout a sincere and earnest Republican.
Ii was his temperament to insist strongly on
long-estabished customs, forms and details, and
IL was this which made him the most consplc-
uo,ls cause of the defeat in the Senate OF that
change Of rules which was necessary to secure
the passage of the Election bill. Though he
gave earnest support to the principles and OBJ
iects of that measure, he was not ready to agree
In
tails, nor to take in season the step required
to suppress Democratic opposition by waste OF
time. For this, as for earlier differences of
opinion, MIR. Edmunds was sharply criticised by
many, and yet the sincerity OF his devotion to
Republican principles was not questioned.
In the Committees on judiciary and Foreign
Affairs Mr.. Edmunds was most valuable mem
Der, and his place will be hard'to fill. At a
time when the prevailing tendency is to loose
ness and even wantonness Of action in the di-
rection of popular demands, his cool conserva-
tism and apparent Indifference to temporary
excitements were of peculiar usefulness. An un-
compromising Protectionist, he had no sympathy
with any attempt TO undermine the Protective
system under the pretext of securing Teclprocal
advantages from other countries, and In that
respect would have been an effective aid to an
Administration which seeks Reciprocity as a
complement and extension of the Protective
policy, but not as an abandonment or weaken
ing of National defences.
MIR. Edmunds never cOurted popularity, in
the broad or common sense, and was more than
once so unfortunate as to gain the enthusiastic
approval Of those whose fondness for any pub
lie man tends to make the people distrust him.
He never failed in the end to teach these po-
tica Pharisees that they had not taken into
account bis sturdy and sincere Republicanism
or his fidelity to the State which he represented.
Without great gifts of oratory, Mr.. Edmunds
was one of the most instructive speakers in the
Senate, for his compact remarks were always
full of keen reasoning, rare wit, and solid sense
guided by great knowledge of the law and OF
pubhc affairs. Few men have been more rich
~ endowed for the place which he filed so long
and so well as leading member Of the highest
lawmaking body of the Nation.