St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-05-23
GEN. CIRCUIT AS A DEBATER.

, The able Washington correspond
= ent of the Boston Journal has col
tributed two valuable articles on tt
senatorial situation in the form {
letters to the Newport Express
They are a direct contradiction t
the assaults made by the friends {
Mr.. Prouty in Gen. CIRCUITS record i
Congress andwill be read with il
terest.
Dear Sir:-You ask that I sa,
something about Gen. Grout as de
batter and leader in the House. Il
doing this | shall not indulge in opin
ions OF my own, but will speak 0
those passages in the business of the
House where he gave direction to its
action, as shown by the COMPRESSION
al Record.
Mr.. Grout is not a frequent speaker
AS rule, he discusses only those
matters which he has investigated
or with which he is otherwise familiar
He never talks to the galleries, but
always to the subject in hand. He
is earnest and straightforward in
manner and, with a good voice and
graphic diction, he never fails to
command an attentive hearing.
The care of one of the appropria-
ton bills, carrying thousands of
items and millions of dollars, is
severe test of leadership the House.
The member in charge must be pre-
pared to explain every item and re-
pei all assaults. This requires first,
a perfect kno Wedge of the bill; and
then tact and judgment in answer
ing objections. He who can do this
and DO it in spirit of fairness and
candor is we'll up in the art of par
llamentary leadership.
Whoever will turn to the Record
and read carefully the proceedings in
considering the FIVE District Appro-
bills reported by Gen. Grout,
commencing with the 54th Congress,
will see that he has been singularly
fortunate in bringing the House to
1ls views in every one of them. An
Illustration of this was the bill re-
ported by him in the last session of the
asst Congress, which went through
he House without a single amend
nent. His standing in committee is
shown by the further fact that the
'ill was approved by the full com.
nlttee just as it had been prepared |
~ Mr., circuit, without a single
hange. Mr.. Courts, who has been
Jerk OF appropriations for more
han a quarter of a century, saws
his never happened before with the
district bill, which is one of the
most difficult in the whole list to
andle in the house. This single fact
hows better than any statement of
line Mr.. CIRCUITS quality as a leader.
could not have been done if he had
OF had the confidence of the House.
'hich lies at the very bottom of all
1ccessful leadership.
Besides his successful plotting of
lie five appropria ton bills, the re.
'rd OF the second session Of the
Eth Congress, commencing on page
81, will show two-days' night on
s bill to put oleomargarine under
'ntrol of state laws, in which he
I'd charge of the billiard carried it
rough the House.
At the close OF the first DAVIS pro-
edlngs it looked as though he was
aten, inasmuch as his motion for
e previous question was voted ,,
'wn; but before the result was an.
'unced he changed his vote and l
owed to reconsider, and then moved /
adjourn, which was finally carried. t
1ly for this parliamentary man |
uvre he would have lost control of c
e bill. t
During the night he reorganized :
forces and in the morning return. E
to the attack. Before adjourn a
ent the bill went through by a vote p
126 to SO, but failed in the Sen. p
e. With another section added +
is now constitutes the "Grout =
IT," so called, which is held up by II II,
oleomargarine interests in the a
nmlttee on agriculture though s
y have agreed to report it We'd D
'day, the 23rd inst. Whoever will il
n to the Congressional Record
d follow this bill during those two n
Us will see that Gen. Grout is not 81
Iy a ready debater but a good par "a
mentarIan and good fighter. A A
t is not, however, always in secur- n
the passage of bills that leader. m
p in legislative bodies best serves II
public. Equal and sometimes ca
'ater good comes from preventing ev
enactment of improper laws,
is was ex-senator Edmunds' IN
orite role. IN
VIII be found on page 1914, vol. til
e 125 of the Record, SD Congress. ''1
It the famous Sibley tent claim in
S laid on the table on motion of =
Grout. The claim called for &.
1000. A bill like it had twice
'sed the Senate, once on a report
Senator Hoar, and a desperate
1t was made to get it through the
use. 1t came up March 4th, was
're the House, March II, 10 and
April 10 and %, May 10 and m
H. 1t was much debated. Mr. y,