Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-03-30
"The Senatorial Question"

Under this heading Hon. Charles A.
Prouty of Newport has issued a statement
or declaration with regard to the coming
contest for the election of successor to
Senator Morrill,. Mr.. Prouty addresses
himself to "The voters of Orleans coun-
ty," but his statement is broad and gem
eral enough, as it is also plain and out
spoken enough, to deserve recognition out
side that county. As a matter of fact 1t
lays open the whole question in as Impair
tal way as could be done by anyone
who is himself candidate. Mr. Prouty's
reason for addressing the voters in person
over his own signature is that all three of
the newspapers in Orleans county support
Gen. Grout so that he can have no hear
ing through them. But there is much
to commend this course in candi-
date Mr. Prouty rightfully says that
What man writes and prints in a news
paper is entitled to no more weight than
what the same man says in private" The
Phoenix long since adopted the rule that if
man had any personal views to advance
on current questions it was the right
thing for him to do it over his own sigma
ture and take the responsibility for it, just
as the editor of a newspaper takes the
responsibility for what he says editorially.
Mr.. Prouty first takes up the question of
residence in Orleans county, and says that
so far as this matter is concerned the pref
erence of the voters of that county is in
his favor, because he is an actual resident
of Orleans county, he was born there and
has always lived there, while Gen. Grout
and his family live in Caledonia county,
and the Generals connection with Orleans
county affairs is confined TO a weekly visit
to Barton to attend bank meeting when
he is at home. Upon the theory of sup
port of local candidate, therefore, as
Mr.. Prout, presents the case, the people
of Orleans county should give their sup
port TO him.
Mr.. Prouty next discusses the question
Of right to the Office or the fright of
conquest as this phrase has been used by
the Newport Express and Standard. "Re-
duced to plain English" says Mr.. Prouty,
"lhe claim seems to be this; that because
the people of one district in the state
of Vermont have elected Gen. Grout to
the House Of Representatives for IS years
the whole state Of Vermont is bound, at
the end Of that time, to transfer him to
the United States Senate" After this in
PRODUCTION Mr.. Prouty's statement is de-
voted mainly to the question of Gen.
Grours record in Congress and his person
al ability, and as to whether these two fac
tors entitle him to claim the succession to
the senatorship. Mr.. Prouty's review Of
the case is very plain in its terms, and it
hews pretty close to the line. He admits
that Gen. Grout has been a faithful public
servant, diligent in attention to his duties
in Congress, and diligent in attending to
the wants of his constituents, that his
service has been creditable, and that he
has a good standing among his fellows
But he also says that Gen. Grout has been
we'll treated in being kept in Congress for
Is successive years, and that he has not
proved himself TO have such predominant
ability, and has not achieved such ma
tional reputation, as to give him superb
or claim over any other candidate for the
senatorial succession. Here is the sub
stance of Mr.. Prouty's statement on this
point:
For more than 80 years a well informed
person, standing.in the Senate gallery and
pointing out the distinguished members of
that body upon the floor, would have indi-
Gated at least one, often both senators
from Vermont. For more than half a CEN
tury at every great national crisis, in the
disposition Of every important national
measure-the voice of Vermont has been
potential in that body. The same thing is
true today; but the senator who sustains
our reputation is nearly 10 years of age. II
is proposed to place there as his colleague
for the first time a man almost as old, with
no national reputation and no ability to
make one. Vermont may not be able, do
what she will, to hold the proud position
in that body which she has occupied, but
by putting Gen. Grout there at this time
she deliberately throws away the chance Of
doing so.
"If elected by the next General Assem-
bly,, Gen. Grout will be at the date of his
election, "a years of age. He will go to
the Senate with the expectation of being
continued indefinitely in that position. In
all her history hitherto this state has never
elected for the first time a man TO the
United States Senate who was "a years old
with the expectation that he would be re-
elected. In only one case has man of
that age been elected. Samuel G.. Crafts,
who enjoys the proud distinction of having
held every office within the gift of the peo-
Pile of Vermont, of having been, among
other things, for 81 years town clerk of
the town of Craftsbury, was appointed by
the governor in the place of Samuel Prem
tiss and elected by the legislature for sin
gle year to serve out that term. Senator
Edmunds entered the Senate at the age of
3S. The average age of our senators has
been about 50years when first elected or ap-
pointed.
"Senator Morrill, first entered the Senate
at the age of SO years. He had served for
10 years in the House and was at that time
the chairman of the Ways and Means com
mittee and the leader of that body. If
Gen. Grout had gained at the end of IS
years one-tenth of the distinction that Sen
ator Morrill, had at the end of 10 years in
4