Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-11-29
A TYPICAL AMERICAN.
Scenes I'm the Career of a New England Boy
Who Became Speaker of the House.

Scenes In the Career of a New England Boy
Who Became Speaker of the House.
Especial Correspondence
New YORK Nov. 5.-An eminent contem-
poraneous writer has said: "A politician
thinks of the next election; states man Of
the next generation" He might have en-
phasized this truth by adding that, in the
frequent wreck of candidates and the crush
of ballots, very few politicians survive an
honestly conducted election, while it is pos
sibe for a statesman's fame to outlast the
century in which it was made
Patriotism's crucial test has increased the
luster of many stars of first magnitude in the
respondent galaxy of this birth-home of faith.
full public servants. High up, ON cleaning
unrolled scroll, which has no modern parallel,
the name of Galusha Aaron Grow shines
steadily.
His sponsors were rugged, virtuous, God
praising Connecticut folks He was destined
to greatly honor them, and did SO, notwith-
standing the by no means euphonous bap-
tismal identity they thrust upon him. The
leading event in his infancy is shown by
Windham countys natal records to have oc-
Cured sixty-five years ago, on the final day
Tor night of August.
Pennsylvania's wealth of soil attracted his
family and, when the fitting was safely ac-
complished and a resting place had been
found in Susquehanna county, young Galusha
began his schooling This was in 1884. Ten
years later he was graduated from Amherst
college. Seeking a congenial profession he
chose the law; studied in Montrose Pa. and
was admitted to the bar on Lexington Day."
April 10, lS47 At that time David Wilmot
was the most prominent man in the Susque-
hanna district. The whole country spoke his
name, with loud approval or bitter denunci-
alton, for only the summer previous he had
in congress, audaciously challenged national
sentiment
Wilmot was known as Free Soil Demo-
crat. He did his own thinking; took counsel
from humanity and conscience, and delivered
judgment that subsequent happenings
proved to be unerring Aggressive and fear
less in championing those rights which Thorn
as Jefferson had declared to be heaven en-
dowed and inalienable, David Wilmots atti-
tude as legislator was strikingly picturesque
when he arose in the house of representatives
august, 1916 and offered a bill forbiddng
slavery in any territory which the United
States might acquire as a war indemnity
That his celebrated "Proviso," fire
brand amendment to the bill which called
for the appropriation of g, 900, 900, asked for
by President Polk to cover the expense of ne
I
Galusha A. Grow emulated the bold spirit
of Wilmot, and, moving to Towanda short
ly after he began practice, became an Office
partner with him. The connection lasted for
nearly three years, when Mr.. Grows unceas-
ing application to books and business so inn
paired his health that he was forced to tenn
porarily engage in rougher pursuits, out of
doors. He was consecutively surveyor, a
farmer and a gatherer of tanners banks.
During the autumn of 1850, he received from
the Democratic party hurrah nomination
to the Pennsylvania legislature. 1t was very
6attering and tempting, but he declined the
promotion, which had been unsought. Higher
honors awaited him. David Wilmot Free
SoiD and James Lowrey Pro-Slavery) were
rival Democratic candidates in the local con-
gressional fight. Their opponent in the Wing
party was John c. Adams. To insure his de-
feat, an agreement was made by which Low
rey and Wilmot both withdrew from the
canvass and united their votes to be thrown
in favor of popular compromise candidate.
The Democratic conventions speedily reas-
sembled. Galusha A. Grow, then on the
threshold of his twenty seventh year. was
placed in nomination by both factions of his
party, and after a hot campaign of a weeks
duration he was elected When he took his
seat at Washington, in December of the fol-
lowing year, he was the youngest member of
the house. For six successive terms he repre-
sented the same district in congress, although
his connection with the Democracy had been
severed when the Missouri compromise"
was repealed He was a recognized leader
giving and receiving hard blows in parla-
mentary debate. His period of service EN-
braced the acrimonious sessions of the ma
tonal legislature, a decade prior to that
dark and bloody drama" which palsed civ
ilization, and it also included the opening
Years of freedoms greatest struggle.
He was no passive onlooker when Kansas
cried for justice. The Homestead" and PA
cific Railroad" bills were his especial solicit
tude He threw himself heart and soul and
lungs into all notable discussions. The peo-
pie heard of him far beyond Pennsylvania,
and his mpei uous manlness excited their ad-
mration. Though regarded as somewhat of
a Hotspur, he won and kept the good will of
those with whom he tigurativelyl crossed
blades. In the Banks speakership contest, he
was alert and conspicuous. The presidential
campaigns of John Charles Fremont in 1856,
and Abraham Lincoln in 1860, enlisted Mr..
Grows hard labor and influential speech. As
a member of the important house committees
on Indian affairs, agriculture and territories,
he did yeomans work His first talk in con-
gress was strong advocacy of the homestead
bill. For five sessions he urged this measure,
and, when it finally passed, it wa, his sigma
ture las presiding officer of the house Of rep
resentatives that made it law.
In the one hundred years since the Federal
constitution was adopted, thirty speakers
have been chosen by the house F. A.
Muhlenberg, of Pennsylvania, was the first.
He was succeeded by Jonathan Trumbull of
Connecticut, and then in turn became Trum-
bulls successor. Henry Clay was six times
honored with the position. 1t is most in
teresting record of men, policies and epochs.
When President Lincoln called an extra
session of the Thirty-seventh congress, which
convened July 4, 1861, the country was on a
war footing. Troops were everywhere en-
camped, and other thousands of disciplined
and volunteer levies had FASTENED to the ex-
pected scenes of conflict. Bull Run was yet
to be fought and lost. The national capital
was inadequately defended, and the Ohio,
Mississippi and Potomac rivers were marked
as sectional boundaries. 1t was at this mo-
mentous period that Galusha A. Grow was