The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-04-16
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS"
Rutland Herald Names Men 1t Calls De-
pendable.

PNhaNSASs
Leadership develops at it's bestfrom
| a popular viewpoint---in the Vermont
| House OF Representatives rather than in
| the Senate. There is also considerable
difference between real leadership and
| floor leadership, the latter being most
| disappointing and uncertain quality.
Despite the increased Importance of
committee work, ability to present a
question on the floor OF the House,
strongly and convincingly, still remains
one of the final tests Of leadership, but
it is only one factor.
The true test is character exhibited in
those qualities of resolution, integrity,
fairness, ability and diligence that most
appeal to his fellows Combined with
the faculty OF talking OPPORTUNITY and
convineingly, such qualities affect leader
ship.
To compile a list of the strong men OF
the House compels one to be invidious.
Men to be reckoned with on nearly every
public problem were undoubtedly:
Fenton OF Butland;
Moore of Ludlow;
Rowland of Barre;
Cudworth of Londonderry;
Pollard of Cavendish;
Metzger of Randolph;
Phelps Of Fair Haven.
1t would even be dangerous to call
them the Big Seven, because any OF them
might easily have been surpassed by any
one of dozen other members, who spe
cialized in some particular line. These
men, however, took special interest in
practically all legislative problems.
Mr.. Fenton had two important commit
tee chairmanships state and court ex-
penses and joint rules-and he was also
member of the highly important judiciary
and Temperance committees He and Mr..
Moore differed widely in methods. Where
the gentleman from Ludlow was smooth,
crafty, insinuating and thorough master
of the art of debate, the gentleman from
Rutland was bluff, open, inclined to carry
things through with a rush and adept in
the rough and tumble style of debate.
Both men were diligent in committee
work, Mr. Moore as head of the commit
tee on ways and means and rules also
serving faithfully on the enormous detail |
of the judiciary committee.
Perhaps the best way to state their
methods is TO say that Mr.. Fen
ton was considered good man TO have
with you and Mr.. Moore a dangerous
man TO have against you.
Mr.. Rowland is not a brilliant member
but was rated one Of the solid, depend
able men of the House His previous
legislative experience, his knowledge of
business, banking and insurance and his
sound, conservative views on public mat
ters easily entitle him to a place among
The first seven.
As head of the committee on judiciary,
Addison f. Cudworth performed huge
amount of work, despite his admitted age
II o. years. His precise. emphatic meth
DDS of speech. his knowledge of law and
public questions and his fine personal
'haracter made him recognized author
ty. so that his leadership was natural
md enforced.
Mr.. Pollard joined with Mr.. Rowland
Is Law members Of the committee on Judi
.iary. and. by virtue Of his fearless, free
lighting methods, made himself no mean
Of the trained legal debaters Of
he House With practically every mem
,er of the committee against them. Pol .
ard and Rowland not only got the I
'tearns court bill reported out. but. after
he Senate had sent the wreck back. they {
ucceeded in placing the responsibility {
xactly where il belongs -with the upper
ouse. the House refusing TO concur.
Fraser MetzCer was easily the orator
{ the House. IN addition 10 4 classic Z
ulogy on Chaplain Farman the man {
rom Randolph proved his eloquence on !
theT occasions, especially in connection q
nth the suffrage debates and the various Z
administration measures. His committee q
n state institutions made a record fo-