Show EDMUNDS WANING PBESTIGE His Friend Discouraged by IDs Blunders and Failure The fnnda and admirers of Hr Edmund Ed-mund have had their faith in his wisdom wis-dom somewhat shaken by his coarse during the last six months writes a Washington correspondent of the New York Commercial Adtertiter His attempts at-tempts to lead the Republican party to adopt the policy of tying the Presidents Presi-dents hands in the matter of the nominations nom-inations last spring resulted in a practical practi-cal failure because the Senate has not adhered to either the letter or the spirit of the resolutions which it passed by the smallest possible majority at Mr Edmunds instance But it fa not this blunder and failure which has chiefly injured him It is the persistence with which he has worked and voted the interest of corporate monopolies all the session His actions and attitudes have been such ni to inakejt almost impossible impos-sible to avoid the conviction that fcc is to say the least fully as much engroM ed with his own affaire and certain corporations cor-porations as with his duties to the public pub-lic in his capacity as a United States Senator This is what is being said of him not by malicious enemies but with sincere sorrow by friends The average citizens would probably rather say and think this of any other man in the general gen-eral estimation Senator > Edmundscourse in regard to the Beck bill prohibiting Congressmen from serving as attorneys for land grant railways alienated many who save winked at all previous doubtful J points in his record Although Mr Edmunds name does not appear prominently prom-inently in connection with this matter it is generally understood and is probably proba-bly true that he has been the master spirit of the opposition to the bill with Mr Hoar as an able lieutenant It is supposed to have been at Mr Edmunds suggestion that Mr Hawley moved a reconsideration of the vote by which the bill was originally passed and had it referred to the judiciary committee of which 2Jr Edmunds Is chairman Mr Decks kill may have been crude and imperfectas alleged and if so it was the doty of toe committe to rectify Its errors and report it back in an Im > roved form 99 that the object of the bill confessedly a good and desirable one could be store swiftly and surely attained Instead of ta the committee has reported re-ported a substitute which were it a less seriout matter would be the laughingstock laughing-stock of Congress and in fact does provoke much quiet and unholy mirth among those Congressmen and Senators I Sena-tors who are opposed to the Beck bill The substitute aims simply at a rrduetto I cufaiitirdum It says in effect If von force us to give up our railroad law i practice we will force you to give up your practice altogether t Byits terms members of Congress can act asat torney in respeai to any matter which comes directly or indirectly within the control of Congress in the very alisbt est degree For instance rtpronld be forbidden to a Congressman to defend or oppose a s1ittouchlngln the manufacture acture of tobacco because Congress levies a tax on tobacco Thus a right eo us measure directed acaiast a glaring and notorious evil has been deliberately overloaded by the judiciary committee under the leiftl of Messrs Edmunds and Hoar obviously with the express purpose of killing It outright in order to further the personal interests of the railroad attorneys in the Senate of whom according fc a eurrent rumor there are not a few > 3a Hoar reported the substitute but Mr Edmunds is credited or debited with its paternity Mr Hoar indeed reported another measure still as a substitute sub-stitute for the substitute the Democratic Demo-cratic members reported back the original bill slightly altered as representing repre-senting the views ot the minority |