Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-07-03

MR.. GROUT AND MIR. DAT TELL 5 CASE'
The following letter, which explains
itself, was sent on Monday to the Bur-
lington Free Press for publication. We
print it for the reason that it cOrrects an
error of memory in regard to the action
of the house after our name was taken
from the roll by Speaker Grout and
throws further light upon the matter
discussed in our former article
BREAD LOAF Inn, June 2G, 1896.
Editor of Free Press: Ny attention is
called to an article in the Free Press of
yesterday, reviewing an article of mine
that appeared in the Middlebury REGIS
TER of June 10 in regard to the unlawful
erasure Of my name from the roll of the
house of representatives in the Vermont
legislature during the first two weeks of
its session in 1886 by the then speaker,
Mr.. Josiah Grout. After reciting part
of the REGISTER article you say: "If
the REGISTERS assertion was correct
there would be just ground of criticism
of the speaker"
We are pleased to see that you admit
the gravity of the offence. We are sur
prised that you do not call on Major Jo-
siah Grout to disprove the charge. 1t
certainly is charge that, if untrue, he
cannot well afford to leave undisputed.
We reiterate the charge and will direct
, ly give more specifically the facts. But
we will first notice the fact that you not
only do not give any statement
from Mr.. Grout denying the charge, nor
call upon him for any, but also-al-
though, perhaps, making a pretence to,
you do not deny it yourself. You say
the records utterly disprove the charge.
|They do nothing Of the kind, but instead
30 long way to prove it.
You show by the record that Judge
Poland moved TO refer this case to
he committee of elections on, as
. you say, page 10 of the journal of the
louse of representatives of 1886. If you
lad said that he moved to do this Octo-
per 7, the statement would have been
more pertinent.
You then say: "The decision reached
y the committee on elections with ref
renee to Mr.. Battell's case is recorded
: n page 107 of the printed journal"
Here, too, it would be far more peril
ent to say that the report of the COM
pttee was made on October 20. A cas-
hl observer might suppose that you
ad naUae Of tho hooly inctaad Of datas
ecause you did not wish to call atten-
on to the fact that the report of the
|mmittee was more than three weeks
ter the opening of the session. Mr..
rout struck my name off during the
st few days Of the session. l cannot
Ve the exact day, as he did not call me
20 consultation, but | know it was
evious to the election Of United States
lator, which event took place on Oct.
know the fact because | went to
assembly expecting TO vote for Mr..
munds for United States senator when
name was called. Before the open
of that session | accidentally met
Grout and told him what | was in
ding to do, and it was then that he
! me that my. name was taken of
m the roll, and to my protest made the
ark that he had to do it to "protect
house." He added, as if to relieve
matter, that he would entertain an
cal from this action to the house If
shed to make it, This appeal to the
Sc should have made whether he
I'D have entertained it or not, but
at the time quite unwell, doubted
ability to present the case clearly,
lied the natural tendency of the
pc to sustain the action of its speaker,
what was most discouraging, recog-
d, even If successful in reversing
action the house might at once de-