Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-05-25
The Senatorial Question.


On another page of this paper we pre-
sent a complete and impartial symposium
on the Grout and anti-Grout question in
the United States senatorial canvass which
is now before us. In The Phoenix of
March 30 we printed the substance Of the
personal statement issued by Hon. Charles
A. Prouty of Newport on the senatorial
question. This statement made the direct
charge that Gen. CIRCUITS record and
achievements during his 16 years in Con-
gress have not been such as to warrant
him in the claim that he is the logical sue
cessor to Senator Morrill,. Mr.. Proutys
charges were broad and sweeping, and
they we're a challenge to Gen. Grout and
his supporters to prove them untrue. A
month later Mr.. Prouty's statement was
supplemented by a similar one published
in circular form by John Young of New
port. The answer to these declarations
| against Gen. Grout is contained in the ar
ticles copied from the st. Johnsbury Re
publican, and in the Washington letters
| from l.. A. Coolidge, which were printed in
the Newport Express and Standard. The
article from the Burlington Free Press in
answer to this presentation of Gen. Grout's
record appeared editorially in that paper
las. Friday. 1t is clear in its terms and
unqualified in its declarations. The st.
| Johnsbury Republican article and the
| Coolidge letters were prepared and printed,
as a matter of course, with the endorse
ment of Gen. Grout and his friends, and
therefore are to be accepted as a full state
ment and defence on his side of the case.
| We publish the three articles, or state
ments, side by side because we wish to be
entirely just in this matter, and because
there is no reason why the people of Yer
mont should not have all the facts in the
case and form their own judgment.
In our own view of this question OF the
| senatorial succession there is no occasion
for attacking or beittling Gen. Grouts
record in the House in any respect. The
Phoenix gives him full credit for good work
performed there, as we have always done.
He has been diligent and faithful worker.
He has served his district and his country
well and has been untirng in looking af-
ter the interests of his constituents. This
much is to be cheerfully conceded. But
we hold that this fact does not of itself
make Gen. Grout the heir presumptive to
Senator Morrills place, or give him any
priority of claim to it. On the contrary
Gen. Grout has been abundantly well used
by his district and has been given every
possible opportunity to prove his superior
ability for public service. As the record
is made up and as the case stands today it
is free and fair field for any man who
sees fit to enter the senatorial race.
We believe it to be unfortunate for Gen.
Grout's canvass-we believe it to be al.
most a piece of phenomenal idiocy-for
his friends to have attempted to base his
claims on the number of bills which he ha:
introduced in Congress, or succeeded in
having enacted, and then to take this a:
basis to compare Grout with Morril
and Edmunds-say nothing of going tC
Minnesota or any other outside place fol
endorsements. A mathematical calcula
tion of this kind has nothing whatever tC
to do with mans actual ability and stand
ing. There are scarcely a dozen men il
, Vermont who could tell, off-hand, how
many or what bills Senator Morrill, intro
duced or carried through Congress, asid,
from his tariff bill of 1861, his bill for tn,
, distribution of the public lands for tn,
: benefit of the agricultural colleges, and hi
quiet, steadfast and persistent work in be
= half of the congressional library, whicl
resulted in the erection of that marvellous
ly beautiful and complete building il
Washington which is monument to hin
! more than to any other one man. OF Sen
ator Edmunds this is equally true. Thos
who admire most his consummate abilit
might not be able to name any single &C
of his creation except the one which com
PEELED the Mormons of Utah to abando
the open and avowed practice of polygamy
Has Gen. Grout attained to any degree c
that public distinction which was so nots
bly, commanded by Mr.. Morrill, and Nj
: Edmunds? Does he hold any such plaC
in the thought of the people, here at HON
: or in the country at large, as a man of h
time as did they? How paltry, as again'
this crucial test, is the question whetht
he has introduced and caused to be enac
ed one bill of commonplace importance
+ a thousand!
. OF far greater effect in Gen. Grout's b.
half is Mr.. Cooldge's second letter on h
House record as a member in charge