The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-04-04

length of SERVICE unless perhaps he al
ready has a national reputation, has no
place, while the man of ordinary ability
with length Of service takes high rank.
Promotions upon committees are usually
determined entirely by length of service,
and it is only want of ability which pre-
vents a member from obtaining the very
highest places by the mere fact of having
been there sufficiently long. Now, there
are in the present House but ten Republic
can members who have served as long or
longer than General Grout, and yet we
find that he has the craftsmanship OF no i'm.
portant committee. He is not prominent
in the Republican party in the House. He
is not placed in charge Of important meas
ures upon the floor of the House, nor is he
relied upon to take part in the discussion OF
such measures. In a word, he is not among
the leading or influential members of that
body. Probably nobody ever pointed him
out as one Of the notables OF the assembly
oLEoMARGARINE AND MAPLE SUGAR.
The two bills upon which Gen. Grout
particularly bases his claim of transcendent
service to the State Of Vermont and for the
passage of which he processes to be largely
responsible, are what is known as the oleo-
margarine bill and the maple sugar bounty.
These two measures may be examined as
fair lustration Of the position which he &C.
cupies.
The oleomargarine bill was enacted by
the 49th Congress. Previous to that time
twenty-four States and territories had pass
ed laws upon this subject. The matter had,
therefore, been pretty generally agitated
before Congress took any action. In this
Congress Gen. Grout introduced bill upon
that subject. Many other bills were also
introduced by different persons from differ
ent States. These bills were finally re-
ferred to the committee on agriculture, OF
which Hatch OF Missouri was chairman.
They were all reported adversely with the
exception of one introduced by Scott of
Erie. For this the committee reported a
substitute bill, which finally became law
When this substitute bill was under dis
cussion in the House some seventy different
members spoke upon it, OF these Gen.
Grout was one. Appleton's Cyclopedia, to
which reference has already been made, in
speaking of the passage of the bill End
naming those persons who were prominent
in securing it's passage does not mention
Mr.. Grout. Now undoubtedly Gen. Grout
labored earnestly for the passage of this
law. Any Representative from Vermont
would have done 80. That he was not re-
sponsible for its passage. that he played no
conspicuous part in securing its passage,
that the law would have been enacted as it
stands whether he had been there or not, is
apparent.
| He is understood to claim even greater
credit for having secured to the farmers Of
Vermont the maple sugar bounty An ex-
animation OF the Record touching that mat
ter apparently discloses these facts:
This bounty was provided by the Nc
Kinley tariff OF 1890, This BILL OF course,
originated in the House. AS it left the
House it contained a provision for bounty
upon cane SUGAR, but none for maple sugar.
Governor Stewart, then our Representa-
tivedrom the first district, moved an amend
ment to this bill in the House, while under
discussion there before going to the Senate,
to include maple trees, and subsequently
offered a second amendment to the same
purport. These amendments were not,
however, adopted.
In the Senate the bill was referred to the
finance committee, Of which Senator Nor
rill was chairman. When it emerged from
that committee 1t contained the maple sugar
provision. There is no record to show by
whom that amendment was added, but II
was understood at that time and is I'm.
doubleday true that it was put there by
Senator Morrill,.
When the matter came up for discussion
in the Senate, Senator Morrill, appears to
have been absent but Senator Edmunds
assumed the defense OF that amendment
and the Senate passed the bill with 1t on
A conference committee reported the bill
with that amendment and in that form 1,
was adopted by both the House and the
Senate on September 81, 1890. On that day
MI. Mckinley in the House obtained: leavt
to all members for unlimited time to print
Up to that time Gen. Circuit had, 30 far q,
the Record shows, said no word upon tn,
floor Of the House in reference to this meas
ure. Long afterwards In an appendix t.
the Congressional Record he printed speech
on this subject. 30 far, therefore, from