The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-06-12
The Congressional Fight.

ment is not over plentiful just nov
ought to find Stun in it as onlooker
1t will be interestingas measuremeI
of the power of merit and inertia
Vermont Republicanism.
There can be NO sort of question a
to the strength of the argument c
merit made by correspondent in AT
other column. Gen. Grout has not tn
weight or strength or influence in Cor
gress that he ought to have after hi
"A years of service, and that the stat
has a right to expect after keepin,
him there so long. His position i
perhaps little better than the CORE
spondent makes out, for he does stant
third on the appropriations commit
tee. But he ought to be at the heat
of one Of the leading committees, a
men like Poland and Morrill, were il
much less length:of time, and asl Judg'
Powers is now with less than hal
CIRCUITS advantage of seniority. Thu
rules of the House are such that wher
man is kept:lfrom the committee
positions that length of service
naturally bring, he can cut very little
figure in legislation or debate.
How far this exclusion, this ranking
of him in this matter Of chairman
ships with four year old fellows, is
due to Gen. CIRCUITS limitations and
how far to his'absorption in previous
years with the detail dutiesIof the
District of Columbia committee, max
ing him sort of mayor of Washin ing
ton, it is not necessary to discuss. The
fact remains that the net result today
may be fairly stated to be disap-
polntment to the Republicans of the
state and even to the Democrats who,
while disagreeipg entirely with the
policies and ideas of all of them. are
equally interested with Republicans in
able and efficient representation and
feel equal pride in seeing leadership
come to the state
The Windham county Republicans
present two men in Mr.. Martin and
Judge Read of whom it is safe to say
no such complaint could be made at
the end of IA years, or of four, either.
They are both men of large ability. and
IF fine equipment, particularly Martin,
for congressional service, and as
neither will run against the other and
both are willing, as it is understood, to
'ubmit their. ambition to the arbitra
nent of the caucuses of their county. it
$ to be presumed that the county Re
,ublicans will he united in the support
# the one that leads They will have
he locality argument with them
trongly. According to population,
Vindham county has had far less than |
Ter share of congressional honors |
She has furnished representatives only
3 years since the formation of the |
tate. against 50 years by Windsor
ounty,3 80 by Caledonia and - each by |
Washington and Orleans. which were
My forests at time when Windham
'as one of the two leadl ne counties of
he state. Particularly has this been
rue under the Republican regime.
which has given her only the four
ears of James NJ. Tyler, where Orleans
as had the 20 of Grout and Baxter,
range the - of Morrill,, besides his
D in the Senate, Washington the II of
Walton and Willard and Caledonia the
of Poland. 1t ought to.be impo ssh
lie in this state of facts, and with
le merit argument SO decisive as it is.
lat the jealousies and chickering's and
ranglings that have so longlbelittled
zeal Republican politics, should pre-
mt Windham ,county from: standing
'lidly by Windham county man.
But the inertia factor is also Il hard
lie to overcome. 1t has been much .
lie habit of Vermont to keep her rep ,
sentatives in service long though ,
ever but once before SO long as Grout ,
As been kept because of vthe inhu 5
ice 1T secures the state in Congress,
,d.thereIis disposition to continue =
e practice with Grout, though it has .
lied yof its object. Undeniably. he +,
IS been faithful and vel meaning {
an, and the only reason that he has i
It accomplished more is that it is not
him. He has been assiduous in the :,
ed distribution duties and all 'er =
nd boy business at the departments r
r constituents he has attended to 9
I'll, and these things have given him =,
good deal of hold about the district. i
Besides, the opposition to him has +
ade mistake in starting in SO late. v
me of our contemporaries talk of g
ere being any "snap game" or still
nd" is simple rot, SO far late as r,
artin and Raed are concerned. 1t y
is only last week that they decided =
enter the field and the announce r
mt promptly appeared in the state =,
sss all round. They had every reason NJ
desire an open canvass of full dis u
ssion: for the argument is all their n,
y. 1t they are beaten and Circuit re a,
it will be because they h,
rted too late t, get this argument III
ore the people. M
ii
The venerable Morrill, laundering eq