Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-03-06

IATIoN's TRIBUTE TO vERMoNT's DISTINGUISHED son
proud boast that she breeds strong and
noble All States in the Union have paid the most
tribute both The daughters of the Green Noun
tain State have been chosen by neighborng
mother their own and Other States
have made of Vermont judges and United
States senator's and have chosen them as their IN
commerce, their seers and councillors and statesmen.
Indeed great have been the honors and 81 OF
try that tradition has come to tell the present generation
the Green Mountain State to seek honor ana tame IN other
or and shame from condition rise He enjons us, "Act
well your part there all the honor lies" 80,
AS look out upon almost century spanned by the life
of George Edmunds this truth exempfed over and
field gained more enduring distinction than him and
his colleague the United States Senate justin s. Morrill,
The one began his in modest by practcng law
in Burlington the other started out in life as country mer-
ger university of studous public life and made themselves
leaders of men in period famous for its famous men
it's of Edmund dead the ripe of ninetyone Most
men at that age pass out OF as wen as out
ton evidence that Edunds did neither On the contrary he
last On no Subject did he have clearer perceptions than in
connection with the issues growing out of the world and
the end These facts well brought out by the New York
when Buchanan elected president in 1856 George
F. Ednunds had been member of the Vermont House of
Representatives. for two terms and the House of that
eecu s a1er Of rpened pS and With his Amer
icani unppared by the vcissitudes of lifetime spent IN
politics. he among the leaders Of those farsghed citizens
who demanded that the honor of their country should be de-
to see the United States following the policy urged upon
in his last contributions to it's political development vndcate
itself on the battlefelds and the sea-
"Mr Edmunds unusual in its length and COW
cred of the most interesting and exciting OF our
the period of reconstruction had begun He
ardent champion of the rights of freedmen He Of the
court before which Andrew Johnson mpeached When
the shadow of civil strife cast the land by the dis
pued election of 1876 he was power in Congress His part
IIcpd incr
contest was conspicuous yet in remarkable degree he escaped
cated with financial railroad legislation of half century ago.
with the antpoygamy measures which aroused such heated
mens that now cover so many pages in our statute books
senator Mr. Edmunds represented the historic type
tons the conventions the formaities cham
Der in which he did his work To him the injunction of
crecy than legal fiction; imposed duty and i'm
piled obligation he scrupulously performed He dig
nfed with the dignity that manests seriousness of
devotion high tasks study of the work that lay before him.
England has produced many great men, and among
The New York World chief features of Senator
Edmundss public service and his qualities as follows
typical senator He had profound convictions and he was
learned law and in government Like his friend
in He lived to be nnetyone but pararcha honors
bestowed him by younger when he still
and he the rctes adherents of party he had universal
respect and during his of retirement he attended
as was his right by honor and troops of
The New York Post brings out in more detail some of
the work of Senator Edmunds in editorial of than
when is recalled that his notable achievements
connected with such questions as the of the
which Mr. Edunds voted guty) the suppression of poyg
amy in Utah. the Tden electoral commission of 1876
and the specie resumption of 1875 it will be realized
what extent his active life part of history long past
Only his close active association with the antitrust
of 1890 does his to touch the problems
of the present day.
"Nlr Edmunds was great pariamentarian and great
just it in both capacities that he left his mark the
work of Congress during full generation Not the least sr
ing fact in his his Indifference Notwithstanding his
known presidential ambitions to enjoying the personal credit
for of his largest achievements One result of this at
tude has been the that the day. the his
torans astray the actual authorship and origin of
historic public
"o those who met the ex-senator his years the
characteristic trait his intense interest in presentday
politics distinguished from the usual tendency of old
the and conditions of their prime The
campaign Of 1912 aroused all Of his old political
TONS On Mr. Roosevels third party exploit he looked with
the utmost disapprova Of Mr.. Wilson, his comment
that all signs indicated that although avowed opponent
ho