The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-08-22
A Specimen Claim.

"As Congressman he (GrouD has done
more for Vermont than all the other men
sent from the State to fill similar positions"
Essex Record.
This is rather mild claim, even for
the shooting star of the Essex Junction
syndicate. The phraseology is some
what indefinite as to "similar posi-
tions," but presumably the reference is
to CIRCUITS services in the Office of Rep
resentative in Congress.
Justin S. Morrill, was one of "the
other men sent from the State to flip
the Office of Representative in Con-
gress. He was twelve years in the
House. He was the author of the
Morrill, tariff and the father of the pro-
tective system. He was the author of
the Morrill, land grant act for the bene-
fit of agricultural colleges in the States
of the Union, including Vermont.
With skill, energy and persistence un-
surpassed he pushed this measure to a
successful issue in Congress, against
all opposition, and got it safe into the
fold of things accomplished in less than
six years of his term of service. Be.
sides this measure and the tariff-meas-
ures alone of the very largest import
ance-he has to the credit of his twelve
years service many other acts, we'll
performed, timely and useful, in finance,
in commerce and industry, for YER
mont and Vermonters directly and per-
sonally. He was early in his public
career selected for service on important
special committees, was member of
theregular committees on agriculture
and ways and means, and in the last
years of his service in the House was
chairman of the latter committee, hav.
ing been till then second in rank on
this the most important committee of
the Representatives. Well, here is
only one of "all the other men sent
from the State to fill similar positions"
And there are others besides General
Grout.
Now, in his eighteen years in Con-
gress about to end, what has Grout
"done" for Vermont, not that is
smore" than Morrill, accomplished in
twelve years, but which makes any APP
preciable Proclamation toward the mag
nitude and value of Mr.. Morrill's SER
vices in the House? The Record dis
ports General CIRCUITS "record," but
there is nothing in it that is of even
remote kin to Mr.. Morrill's. The peo-
pie of Vermont have recently come in
to possession of pamphlet to fill whose
So pages these Is years of CIRCUITS SER
vice have been searched with a fine
tooth comb, and microscope applied
to his every act. The people them
selves have the means of verifying the
claim of the Essex Record in respect of
one only of call the other men" besides
Grout whom Vermont has sent to the
House of Representatives. If the
comparison fails signally and utterly in
the case of one only of "the other
men," letting Grout himself tell the
story of his own ''record," what will
be the result when to Morrill's record
is added Poland's and Stewards in re-
cent times, and those who came before?
The Records claim appears to be some-
what congested-a rather large-sized
"boo" even for a Grout boomer. The
recoil of these booms, il the boomers
had anything TO lose, would be far
more disastrous than the launching,
even if the latter we're half as effective
as it is intended to be.
As to what General Grout has really
"done" in his term Of unusual length in
Congress the following from the Herald
and Mems of Randolnh ia nertinent.