Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-06-12
Gbe Dermunt 19b@mis.
T EN-. PA G e S.
BRATTLEBORO:
FRIDAY, JUNE II, 1896.
Gen. CIRCUITS Record I'm Congress.

/
While we have cheerfully given place to
Mr.. Fittss article in favor of the candida
| cy of Hon. James L. Martin for Congress
we are compelled to pronounce his state
ment and estimate of the work and stand
ing of Gen. Grout in Congress as entirely
unjust and misleading. 1t is true that
Gen. Grout is not a "show" man in Con-
| gress or elsewhere, and it is not his way to
thrust his personality forward upon any
and every occasion, but he is a man VI
strong mental ability, of sound principles,
of untiring diligence and industry, and of
unquestioned standing among his col
leagues in Congress. No member from
Vermont has ever been more watchful of
the interests of his home constituents.
Gen. Grout has not pushed himself for
ward for leading committee positions, but
his service in committee and his record of
work actually accomplished will bear close
scrutiny and will compare favorably with
that of other men who have been in Con-
gress for a similar length of time 1t was
during his frs term in Congress that he
made his nota lie speech in favor OF giving
the agricultural interests of the country
recognition by place in the cabinet. This
speech showed the familiarity with his
subject of one to the manner born, and
farmers and agriculturists everywhere rec
ognized it as a remarkably able presenta-
tion of this question. Four years later Gen.
Grout had the satisfaction of seeing his
point carried and the farming interests of
the country given their rightful place in
cabinet department.
In the 40th Congress he was one of the
leaders in pushing through the bill to tax
oil leomargarine, and thus to protect the
farmers so far as possible against gigan-
tic fraud upon one of their main indus
tries. When the Mckinley law, with its
sugar-bounty provision, was in course of
preparation and enactment Gen. Grout
was the first man to show to the commit
tee in charge the magnitude of the maple
sugar industry and to demand, as a matter
of right, that this northern product be put
on an equal footing with the cane and beet
sugar. sproduct Again, only a year ago
last March, when the question of paying
the bounty earned under the Mckinley law,
and! justly due the sugar-growers, was un-
der discussion, it was Gen. Grou. who,
from his place on the appropriations COM
mittee, used all his influence to have the
appropriation carried through and to have
the maple sugar makers included in the
list. This record of able and faithful serv-
ice might be greatly extended, but the facts
given prove the quality of the man. In
passing it may be mentioned that Gen.
Grout secured the passage through the
House of the bill establishing the national
military post, Fort Ethan Allen, near Bur
lington, and the bill establishing a govern
ment fish hatchery a; st. Johnsbury.
So far as committee positions are con-
cerned, Gen. Grout has served on the COM
mttees on territories, education, and the
District of Columbia. The latter is one of
the most important of the House commit
tees, its members being to all intents and
purposes the common council of the city of
Washington, and its chairman the mayor
of the city. In the 51st Congress Gen.
Grout held the chairmanship of this COM
mittee and performed its duties with con-
spicuous ability and fidelity: This service
was publicly acknowledged by the board of
trade of the city by vote of thanks unan-
imously extended. Upon the return of
the Republicans to the control of the House
last December Gen. Grout could have had
this position back had he so desired, but
he preferred instead to take the chairman
ship of the committee on expenditures in
the war department and place near the
head of the appropriations committee-po-
sitions which are the equivalent of a first
class Craftsmanship. 1t is well known,
moreover, to personal friends in Washing
ton that Gen. CIRCUITS advice was sought
by Speaker Reed in the difficult task of
making up the committees, and that he
was of great service to the speaker in help