The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-01
Typical Representatives of Vermont

Typical Representatives Of Vermont.
Vermont men of former genera
ton recall with pride and enthusiasm
the names of the men, conspicuous for
their ability, who represented the State
in the National Congress during what
may be called the golden age of Yer
mont craftsmanship. In Verhont's
indirect representation, through men
like Thaddeus Stevens, the "Great
Commoner" during the war and recon-
struction periods, who were sons of
Vermont, as well as through the men
who have directly represented this par
ticular area of the National domain-a
long and distinguished LISTS seen the
type of the representative for which
the State name stands, the nation over.
No State of the Union, from the EN-
pire State of New York down to Little
Rhody, has been represented 80 con-
tinuously, in either branch of Con.
gress, by men who have written their
names in so bold hand, in times Of
peace and of war, on the records of the
National Legislature. In the Senate, for
two generations, the prestige and power
of leadership were won for Vermont
by Bradley and Seymore, Phelps and
Prentiss, Collamer and Foote, Ed
munds and Morrill,, and are maintained
to-day by Proctor and the influence
that the name of Morrill,, potential still
through years full of usefulness, in the
evening of his days lends to the cause
with which it becomes allied.
In the House of Representatives
some of the men that became distin-
guished Senators earned their first
laurels, and others achieved lasting
fame without the gliding of the Sena-
torial title. Indeed, there has never
been time, until within recent years,
when Vermont's Representatives were
not everywhere recognized as among
the Nations foremost statesmen. There
were Martin Chittenden, among the
pioneer representatives, who was ten
years in Office; Rollin G. Mallory, the Nc
Kinley of his times, who served twelve
years; William Slade, distinguished for
his bold fight against slavery, at time
when opposition to the peculiar insti-
tuition" required courage as well as
brains; Hiland Hall, in the course of a
ten years. tenure of his Office, reorgan-
izing the entire National postal depart
ment; Justin S. Morrill,, who served
twelve years in the House, but who, in
the third year of his service, procured
the adoption of the first measure
against Mormon polygamy; in his third
term was chairman of the committee
on ways and means, charged with the
mighty responsibility of raising the
vast revenue the government required
for prosecuting the war for the preser-
walton of the Union, and, as the author
of the tariff of that period that bears
his name, the father of the protective
system under which this Nation has 80
signally developed and prospered; the
originator and the successful advocate,
through several sessions of Congress
and against powerful opposition, of
grants of public lands to the States for
the institution of system of instruc-
ton in agriculture, the great National
industry; Luke p. Poland, chairman of
many important committees, and,
during six of his twelve years of service,
the head of the judiciary committee
the man, also, who was entrusted with
the responsible task of the codi6cation
and revision of the Federal Statutes, q
work that was accepted on the strength
of the assurance his own personal abil.
tiles and high reputation gave that il
had been we'll and faithfully done,-
these, with others of the stamp OF
Marsh and Crafts, Dillingham; and
Lucius B. Peck, Walton and Willard
are some of the men, and examples OF
the quality of service they rendered the
nation, and the fame they gave the
State, who have in the past borne Yer
mont's commission in the Nationa
House of Representatives.