The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-07-16
About Vermonters.

81 was called to Chicago in 1891 to |
speak to the sons of Vermont there, |
and one of the things | talked about |
when / reached Chicago was the pre-
ponderance of Vermont strength in |
this honorable body in the wear 1891
Upon an examination | found that we
had IL times as many senators as we
would he entitled to have were the rt.-
presentation based upon our popula-
ton. The chair of the vice president
was occupied by Morton, born in Shore
ham, Vt. On this side sat the great con
| stitutional lawyer, Edmunds | speak
of these men because | believe that
| not only in numbers but in real men.
| tai strength we We're perhaps very
| much larger than our size numerical
! ~. On the Democratic side of the Sen
ate sat one OF the ablest senators of.
the West, former Postmaster General
| Villas of Wisconsin. | remember that
| either Matt Carpenter or Philetus
| Sawyer. | do not now recall which,
then represented The state of Wiseon.
sin in this body, both OF them sons of
Vermont. On this side was that great
| statesman, who longer than any other
served his country IN ConSreSs-the
distinguished author of the agricultur-
al college bill-,Justin s. Morrill,.
Senator Morrill, sat in the Senate
not quite as long as Senator Allison,
| but as Il member of Congress he was in
both Houses longer than any other man
that ever viii live. For almost A con
! secntiFe years he occupied a seat in
! Congress.
= might 20 on and mention the
many distinguished Nermonters who
have sat in this Senate. but time will
not permit; but | do wish to impress
i upon my friend from Colorado the pc
cuhaTitv Of these Vermont senator's
Not a single one of Them came from
a town having as many as ! ,250 popu-
lation. They were boys who had to-
break their own roads through the
snowdIifts to the little red school
house. Mr.. President, our Vermont
farmers and their wives are notably
thrifty, and they have been compelled
to lead prudent lives in order that they
might rear their sons and daughters
and give them an education suitable to
fit them for life. The moment the Yer
mont boys reach manhood and are
able to take a broad view of life, they
; start for wider fields, and the result
is that Vermont supplies the rest Of
the country with the best of her SONS
and daughters.
! The Senate was enlightened histori-
cally during the debate about the ia
| NOUS naval engagement upon la he
Champlain in which Commodore Mae
donough fought the British fleet de-
cisively. The story was told of how
: $4,000 of Wellington S veterans, fresh
, from the campaign against Napoleon,
were sent to Montreal for the purpose
of gaining control of the Champlain
valley and separating New England
from the rest of the states. But Mac
donough came into Vermont, went into
Otter creek at the foot of the falls
near Ver9ennes, on the Vermont side.
and built the feet with which the bat
tie of Plattsburg bay was fought. The
{, Saratoga, from which he commanded
the battle, was completed in 40 days
2 from the time that the trees were cut
a in the forest, and the victory cut of
the English army from its base of sup
plies. The Duke of Wellington had
e been asked to come to America and
r take command of his veterans, but de
clined to do SO, following Macdon-
I ough s victory, and peace between
{ Great Britain and the United States
followed. Senators said in the debate
that Maconongh s achievement was
], more important in its results than
e Perry IS famous victory on Lake Erie
j. Marlborough S victory, said Sena
i tor Dillingham;, VASTLY outranks that
of Perry. | do not mean in valor, but
! in its effect in shaping the history OF
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