Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-03-30
4 GUERRILLA WARFARE.


MONITOR incidentally. We are glad
to be able to suggest some topics with
which it can enliven it's columns. We
are sorry, however, to be compelled to
say again that that paper, excellent as
it is in many respects, is hampered in
it's editorial utterances by prejudices
which make its opinions unfair and
unjust. For reasons which are found
ed on no broad or generous grounds
the editor of the Wdtchn1an has a.
hatred for William w, and Josiah
Grout, and g paper which, from its
early standing ought to be above lit
tie and mean things, is, so far as
these men are concerned, little better
than an assassin. Those who have
read that journal during the last few
months know that it's alta cks on Maj.
Grout have been unfair. It has re-
sorted to obscure remarks and round
about editorials, to innuendoes, to
anonymous letter writing, to garbled
and half-told things; it has insinuat-
ed that his career as a legislator was
not respectable, it has ridiculed his
farming, it has assumed that certain
pieces Of legislation were not benefi
cial to the State, and has had the un
fairness to accuse Maj. Grout with
being responsible for all legislation
which, in the opinion of that paper,
was not wise. On the other hand it
has not had the manliness to say that
any good legislation occurred during
Maj. CIRCUITS long legislative career,
giving him credit for the same, under,
the assumed fact that he was re-
sponsible for everything good Or bad
which the legislature did while he was
in it.
In corroboration of the above, we
take an editorial which appeared in
the Wdtchmdn last week. After quot
ing from the MONITOR of March 18th:
It is insinuated that the railroad
committee selected by Major Grout
was formed with manifest disregard
of the popular demand And yet
that committee favored the creation
of a railroad commission and the
commission was established that self
y
was not working very hard to pre-
vent it.
The WGtcbnldn says:
''It is not 'insinuated' that Major
GrOut formed the house railway COM
mittee in 1886 with manifest disre
gard of the public demand, , it is open
Iy charged that he did this, and the
charge is not denied by any honor
able person familiar with the circum
stances. At the eleventh hour of the
session commission bill was report
ed-a bill that provided stones and
! serpents for the bread and fish the
people had asked. 1t was travesty
on legislation in respect of the sub
jects upon which the people had
sought the interposition of the law
making power. The law has been
the gibe of the public from the day of
it's enactment. Major Grout has no
rival claimant to the honor of making
the match from which sprang this
boneless, nerveless, emasculated
progeny. Had Speaker Grout, in
1886, emulated the splendid example
of Speaker Martin, in 1882, in cOnsti-
tuting the committee that worked out,
formulated and seasonably reported
| the corporation tax law of that year,
! similarly benefcent results for the
! State might have flowed from his Of
! ficial action, and q cause Of personal
reproach might have become a source
| of honor and enViable distinction.
But he betrayed the cause of the peo-
! pie"
The first allegation in the above is,
! that Major Grout, Speaker of the
House, ''formed the railroad COM
mittee with a manifest disregard Of
J the public demand, and that the
charge is not denied by any honor
able person familiar with the circum-
stances" At this date it is impossi-
| BILE to tell what was ''public demand"
but it will be just to assume that
whatever public demand was mani
tested, sought the naming of an in
telligent committee. Having been
somewhat familiar with the legisla
ture of 1886, we deny that the com
mittee was formed in opposition to
! the public demand. The committee
which the Wdtchnan undertakes to
scathe was composed of the following
honorable gentlemen, whose charac-
ter that paper cannot harm: Mr..
Marsh of Woodstock, chairman; an
| able lawyer and one of the most hon
orabIe men in the State; Mr.. Stanton
of Roxbury, for a long time States
Attorney of Washington county; Mr..
Butterfield of Windham county, a
man held in high esteem, both for
ability and honesty; Mr.. Stearns of
Bradford,a man with most excellent
army record, and one of the few men,
who, up to that time, was able to car
| ry his town against democratic
nominee; Messrs. Briggs of Brandon,