The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-10
THE RETIREMENT OF EDMuNDs.

! WASHINGTON, April 9.-Inere Is
general agreement among politicians in
| Washington that the retirement of Senator
Edmunds is loss to the country and tc
the distinguished body of which be has
| been for so long time member. Among
leading Democratic senators, such as
| Kenna and Vest, the most unfeigned re-
gret is expressed over the announcement.
This sentiment, while it may appear
singular, in view of Mr.. Edmunds' pro-
nounced Republicanism, is not SO re-
markable when the Unborn southern
! Democratic reverence for craftsmanship is
remem bered. Mr.. Edmunds' rank in the
senate was such as to place him abreast
of Sherman and Allison. In their
particular ways these three men have
dominated the Republican side and bent
all the general legislation to conform to
| their views
| Unlike Senators Sherman and Allison,
who only rise to discuss special features,
such as financial, political and economic
| questions, Mr.. Edmunds kept a close
watch on everything going On, and acted
as a sort of a veritable watchdog. No
bill was too small to escape his notice,
and none too tedious or dry to be spared
his scrutiny. No document was ever
allowed by him to get into the record
without first having been read aloud, and
these ways have for quarter of century
baffied the efforts of jobbers and sharp
ened the methods of slipshod legislators
ready to shirk anything that appeared like
work. Presiding officers have been
prompted time after time by Edmuuds by
rulings that would otherwise have gone
contrary to all the traditions had he not
interfered, and his domination and all
prevailing assertiveness was such that 1t
may be said he virtually ran the senate
This has been a good thing for the coun-
try, and it is to be hoped another Repub ubli-
can like Edmunds will be inspired with
similar sense of almost slavish attention
to the public interest," and with fearless
ness IN performing disagreeable, but
necessary tasks. A queer theory for Mr..
Edmunds' retirement is advanced by
senate employs:
''Since the passage of the free silver bill
by the senate" says he, (which was after
wards killed in the house, Mr.. Edmunds
has been restless His cutting remarks on
that occasion will be rememb bered, when
the speeches Of the combination of alleged
Republicans who joined the Democrats in
that conspiracy are forgotten. Edmunds
was mad and impatient at what he regard
ed to be breach of party decipline, which
set at defiance all sound monetary views
and faced the Republican president with
measure that he would have to veto il it
ever reached him. This little wing of the
Republican senate have never forgiven Ed
munds for that assault upon them, They
began to inquire by what right this man
from Vermont assumed to control or direct
them, and the cry Of eastern domination
over western interests was raised. The
first outward sign given of this feeling was
when president pro tempore was elected
Edmunds was not candidate, but other
eastern men were, and he favored Frye or
Hoar. The result was victory for the
west in the choice of Senator Henderson.
A better presiding officer could not have
selected, but the immediate announce
ment was given out by the same clique
that it meant unutterable things to the
Vermont senator next winter.
Now Edmunds has proved" went on
this senate clerk, that be did not propose
to have his sway lessened or to be snubbed.
He has reached the zenith of his intellect
ual power, and he retires at his best, after
twenty-five years service. He has means
and good law practice before the SUI
preme court, fine residences in Washing
ton and Fermont everything in fact that
such man wants except health, and he
can leave the senate with the conscious
ness that his public services are appreci-
ated by the country if they are not by
some few of his late associates"
In addition to this not much out of the
way statement by one who has been an
observer on the floor, the condition of the
health of Senator Edmunds, and of his
wife and daughter, is another strong
reason, and perhaps the leading one, for
his resignation.