Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-10-05
Especial Legislative Correspondence Of The
Vermont Phoenix

MONTPELIER, Oct. 3, 1900.
The Vermont legislature for 1900 is duly
organized and ready for business. This is
the 14th biennial session. In general ap-
pearance this legislature looks very little
different from its predecessors save that
the average of the men is slightly older
than for several sessions past.
There are enough reelected men and
members of former legislatures present in
Montpelier this week to give a general air
of familiarity to the whole. As to the ca
pscity of this legislature to do business
more can be said in a week or two, espec-
tally after the senatorial election. Several
things that have come up today indicate
that the house contains an unusual num-
Der of orators, real and would be.
The choice of United States senator is
uppermost in everybody's mind and is the
chief topic of conversation around the
state house and the hotel corridors. Ex-
Gov. Dillingham; and Gen. Grout have
both opened headquarters at the Pavilion
and Prouty has several warm friends who
'chance" to be in Montpelier at this time.
The method of the Grout campaign is
already apparent. 1t is strenuous effort
to bring the Democrats in a body to the
| Grout standard and no stone will be left
unturned TO accomplish the design. John
W. Currier, the Democratic member from
Troy, is generally credited with being Gen.
Grout's chief agent in this work, assisted
by the several Grout Democrats, who are
| more for Grout than for the Democratic
party.
Grout has a large corps of workers here
and appearances indie ate that every doubt
/ full member whom the General hopes to
win has, unknown to himself, a guardian
appointed who will undertake to find out
his weak points, so to speak, and get hin
into condition to be won over by the argu,
ment that seems likely to be most forcefu
for that particular case.
Dillingham's great personal popularity
is evident on every hand, and it does no
require the skill of a prophet to see tha
if the vote could be taken now he woulC
be almost certain of election on the frs
ballot.
The senate organized with the followin.
officers: President pro tenn, Senator F. W
Baldwin of Orleans; secretary, Max L
Powell of Burlington; assistant secretary
W. K. Farnsworth of Rutland; chaplain
Rev. J. Il. Long of Tinmouth; reporter
Frank W. Sault of Vergennes. The onl,
contest was over the choice of chaplain
The other candidates were Rev. A.
Hough of White River Junction, formerl
of Brattleboro, and Rev. ]. Q. Angel o
North Hero. On the first ballot Mr.. Lon
had 10 votes, Mr.. Hough had IA and MI
Angel l. On the third and decisive bal
lot Mr.. Long had 16 to IS and for tn
others.
The organization of the house was a
follows: Speaker, Fletcher D. Proctor O
Proctor; clerk, Thomas G. Cheney O
Morrisville; assistant clerks, Fred L. Ham
ilton of Salisbury and Charles A. Plumle
of Northield; chaplain, Rev. Wilmo
Warner of Bethel; reporters, Luther B
johnson of Randolph and Edward G. Nc
lnJyre OF RUTLAND.
The Democratic candidate for speake
was John W. Currier of Troy. He pole
40 votes. For clerk of the house, Harr
c. Shurtleff of Montpelier, Democrat, ha
40 votes. There were four defeated car
didates for chaplain of the house. The
were Rev. j. K. Fuller of Windsor, Rev
j. ]. Mcdonald of Sudbury, Rev. G. "
Patterson of St. Johnsbury East and Rev
S. G. Lewis of Danville.
At the roll call of the horse precedin
the organization the only Aembers abser
were the members from Marlboro, Mon
pelier and Irasburg and Mr.. Whitney {
Marlboro came in during the day. M
Sibley of Montpelier is detained at'hom
by serious illness and may not be able
take his seat during the session.