The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-01-22

his unassuming manner, his quick oercep-
ton of character, and his sterling good sense
in our Proctor, than whom no man better
loves the rugged hills of the Green Mountain
state. If there is anywhere a perfect type
of a Green Mountatneer in courage, self
reliance and vigor, it is Redheld Proc'or.
We have been justly proud of Nermonts
pre-eminence in the Senate for generation.
Allow me to predict that that pre-eminence
will be maintained man who can, in a
few short years, take bankrupt marble
quarry and by Skillful management by COM
bining, enlarging and developing, make it by
far the largest of Its kind on the face OF the
earth: man who in less than three years
can, with almost unerring judgment, discoy-
er and remedy The important defects and i'm
projections pertaining to the management of
that important department of our govern
ment, the portfolio of war, must command
respect i'll the councils of the Nations Sem
ate.
But time would fail me tonight to go
through the long list of distinguished sons,
both in Vermont ond out, which our Green
Mountain State has given to the world; men
who owe their success to the rugged energy,
the homely honesty, and the healthy vigor
developed on her mountain sides. She has
confessedly produced more distinguished
public men in proportion to her population
| than any other state in the Union. The pop
ulation of our country to-day, in round num-
| bers, Is approximately siXty-five millions, of
| which Vermont has only $4,000, or one one
! hundred ninety-fifth part of the whole.
| Counting the president of the Senate, Nor
| ton. Senator Pettigrew of South Dakota, and
| the two Senators from Wisconsin, Villas and
| Sawyer, there are six native sons OfNermont
| in that honorable body, or more than one
! fifteenth of its entire number. In other
words, she is represented there by more than
| thirteen times the numerical proportion to
which her population would entitle her.
Morton was born in Shoreham, Sawyer in
| Whiting, Villas in Chelsea, Pettgrew in Lud-
| low, Proctor in CaVendish, Morrill, in STRAIT
| ford, Edmunds in Richmond. 1t is a singu-
| lar fact that the population of no one of these
towns which have the high honor of produce
ing these distinguished members of the Sen
ate exceeds 1910 o-day with the single excep-
/ ton of Ludlow, which has l76S
But do | hear some one say, "Hes, there is
something phenomenal in the number of dis
tinguished men which Vermont has given to
| the country. But how about the masses, the
rank and file of her sons? Are there any
facts tending to show that they possess supe-
! rior qualities?" Go ask the annals of that
| mighty struggle for our country's life and in
| tegrity, compared with which every other.
ancient or modern, dwndles into insignih-
| cance The answer Will come back that In
| that terrible ordeal which tried mems souls,
Vermont's record was peerless. No other
| state in all the nation can show a parallel.
In proportion to her population she lost more
| of her sons killed in battle than any other
northern state, while in lives lost from all
causes her ratio exceeds that of any other
state.
| A distinguished general has well said that
| Vermont was the only state whose soldiers
would go back for more ammunition and
voluntarily return TO the conflict. "Put the
| Vermonters ahead and keep the column well
closed up" was the command of the gallant
| Sedgewick, so expressive of the sterling
! fighting qualities of our hardy sons of the
mountains that, though oft repeated, IL never
/ grows old. OF a total military enrolment of
| thirty'seven thousand men she contributed
more than thirty-four thousand in that con-
/ test. Out of the "a 23S sent to the front TO- lIl
or nearly one-third, either died or received
| disabilities for which they were discharged
] If during the whole struggle from '6l to IS
/ Vermont troops at any time failed to to do
4 their duty; II there has ever been time from
| the days of the "beech seal" until now that
| NermOnters have not everywhere and always
| struck hard but honest blows for freedom and
/ the rights of man and sustained that honora-
I bic character which we have ALWAYS been
wont 70 claim for them, history has failed to
record the fact.
| have thus far confined myself TO a con-
/ sideratton of the physical conditions which
/ make their deep impression upon the char
acter of the youth Of Vermont. But should
/ be untrue To my convictions did ] fail to re-
/ fer TO that other greater and far nObler infiu-
ence, that of the Vermont home. Simple.
plain, transformations, but as pure as the wa
/ tiers gurgling from the springs upon her hill
| sides, and as full OF mOrOl health as the at
mOsphere of her mountains is Of physical
vigOr. History will not be loyal 10 truth III
she fails to attribute the best elements which
enter into the Green Mountain Character 10
the Vermont home and the Vermont mother
God only knows the measure of the love. the
sacrifice, the hardship, and the toll that that
mother gave in Nermont's first century 10 the