Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-09-18

| W h'idil NuI us, the well KNOWN refOrmer
and editor and President Andrew D.
White of Cornell university About two
weeks before the assembling Of the ma
tiona convention, Mr.. Roosevelt and one
of his fellow delegates invited all the
Edmunds delegates from New England
and New York to meet in New York city
ABOUT 20 men attended this conference
and plans were outlined after a general
discussion of the political situation Sew
eral Vermonters attended including Red
field Proctor, B. r. Fifield. B. D. Harris
of Brattleboro, Henry Ballard of Burline-
ton and T. c. Fletcher Of St Johnsbury
A canvas made by the New York
Herald about this time showed that the
republican members Of the New York
legislature expressed their presidential
preferences as follows Senator Edmunds,
six; Arthur, three; Blaine, two; one each
for John Sherman, General Sherman and
Senator Hawley; non-committal, four. In
the assembly. Edmunde %; Blaine. 10:
Arthur seven. Harrison one. The Bos-
ton Advertisers canvass Of the promin-
ent Massachusetts republicans showed
inc Following vote Edmunds $3.50: Arthur
49, Blaine %. Harper's Weekly declared:
Mr.. Edmund's strength Is unSeniable
He unites eminent public ability and SER
vice with the greatest lability--a very
unusual combination in the presidential
candidate"
Senator Edmunds himself was not am
hltious to receive this honor In a let
ter Of Congressman william Walter
Phelps Of New Jersey an ardent Blaine
supporter the senator denied certain
! charges made against him and took oc-
cason TO say that II am neither willing
nor DESTROYS TO he either candidate or
! president. which everybody who has
spoken to me or written TO me knows 4"
To personal friends he declared that he
! knew too much of the caes and trials of a
president to desire the office and tina
II he we're elected he believed il would
kill him"
The convention met at Chicago June
g. 1894, President Andrew n. White has
left the following bit Of description: ''Ar.
rived at Chicago. June ?. 1884, found the
political caldron seething and bubbling.
various candidates we're earnestly sup
ported, and foremost of all President
e Arthur and Mr.. Blaine. The independent
delegates, led by Theodore Roosevelt and
George William Curtis. and the Mass
achusetts delegation. headed by cover
: nor Long. Senator Hoar and Henry Cabot
K Lodge decided to support Senator Ed
0 munds of Vermont. No man stood higher
e than he for integrity as well as for states.
manlike qualities, and legal abilities: no
one had more thoroughly the respect OF
e thinking men from, one end of the coun-
try to the other.
The names Of candidates were presented
on the evening Of the third day Of the
II convention. The name Of Edmunds was
= not reached until late AT night. when the
delegates were weary. but the presenta.
I ton by Gov John D. Long Of Massachu.
= setts and the seconding speech by George
! William Curtis were eloquent and
forceful that they commanded the at.
II tention Of the great assembly and wor
. tie highest praise and in closing Gov
n Long nominated as the republican candf
5 date for the next president Of the United
e States, the Honorable George r Ed
II munds of Vermont 80
The balloting began on the morning
Il Of the fourth day. Ednunds receiving
= receiving % votes in the first ballot
II distributed as follows: Arkansas two
Indiana, one; Massa chusetts. IS. Mich
y igan. seven; Minnesota. six Missouri
n six, New Hampshire four; New Jersey
s six, New York. 10; PENNSYLVANIA. one
n Rhode Island. eight Vermont. eight
l. Wisconsin. six; Montana. one On tn,
J. second ballot Edmunds received So votes
losing two from Arkansas. one from
= Massachusetts, two from Michigan. on.
l. from Missouri one from New Hampehr,
= and one from Wisconsin On the third
e ballot he received 81 woes. his loss from
e his strength on the second ballot being
h one from Indiana two from Michigan
o one from Minnesota, one from Missouri
e six from New Jersey. and five from wis
= consin On the fourth and last ballo, II
which Blaine was nominated Edmund
a received Al votes. distributed as follows
e Massa chusetts. IL; New Hampshire
d three; New Jersey. one: New York nine
l. Pennsylvania. one; South Carolina one
e Vermont, eight
e The defeat Of Mr.. Blaine by var,
'r narrow margin is part of the history o
'e the United States, That Senator Ed
In munds would have held the strong ind .
= pendent vote which refused to suppor
s Mr.. Blaine is beyond question and It /
lie probable that had Edmunds been nomi
l. mated he would have been elected II
le was handicapped by coming from a small
lie State that was more surely republican
u than any other in the union. Nature ha
l. not endowed him with those qualities o
r. personal magnetism and cordial goo
IT fellowship which made Mr., Blaine tn
rs most popular of American political lead
ership with the exception of Henry Cla
n and Theodore Roosevelt. But so far a
~ intellectual and legal ability experience
t craftsmanship and high character ar
concerned, he was ideally equipped 70
m the presidency and excelled In those quail
p tiles most Of the men VINO have held tina
NJ high Office Senator Edmunds di
te not expect to receive the repubca
n nomination and his defeat in the conven
i. ton probably came as relief rathe
than disappointment.
1T When Mr.. Cleveland became Presiden
m his administration became engaged in
to controversy with the Senate over tn
,e matter of removals from Office in whic
E. Senator Edmunds. the leader of tn
is republican majority, was prominent,
Id In 1885 Mr.. Edmunds was called t
er England to testify before the Committe
of Privileges OF the House of Lords cor
ID corning the law of the Province of Ne,
ed York in the year 100 on the subject c
~ marriage. the case being dispute owe
IN a peerage title. The remainder OF tn
n summer was spent in studying the caths
ne drals of Europe,
II Is now known that the fundaments
ar sections of the antitrust law which bear
m Senator Sherman's name were written b
Senator Edmunds. That portion of tn
n Senate report upon the Clayton Buwe
D. treaty relating to the isthmian canal. {
Id far as it concerned negotiations wit
z great Britain was proposed by Senate
Il Edmunds.
d. Wearied with p years Of hard wor
IN Senator Edmunds resigned his seat