Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-02-04
GREENE PLEADS FOR
ANOTHER VERMONT
'aIe Also Points Out Injustice of
Cutting Representation in House


During the debate on the reappor-
comment measure in the national
House OF Representatives at Washing
ton, Congressman Greene and Dale of
this state each raised their voice
against retaining the present size of
the house which would mean that Yer
mont would lose a congressman. The
Congressional Record of January IS
carried Mr.. Greene's speech in full.
The record account follows
Mr.. Green of Vermont. Mr. Chair
man and gentlemen, l hope that no
ill-considered or tactless word Of mine
may even by inference put my grand
old commonwealth of Vermont in the
attitude of pleading for seat in Con
gress. think | owe that much to
the pride and sensitive spirit of self
respecting people. think | owe that
much to the memories and the tradi-
tions of little old commonwealth
that, a long, long time ago, before the
glorious West and most of the rest OF
our country were known to the white
man, helped to make the Declaration
of Independence a sublime fact ard
rocked the cradle of the Nation. Zap
plausel.
East Proud of West
Now, true enough, Westward the
course of empire takes its way" No
body is prouder of it, nobody fejolces
more in it than my noble old Mother
Vermont, who has sent so many OF
her sons and her daughters to help
Law the cornerstone of the mighty civ
ilization that now builds up the great
West and the Pacific slope. She is
proud of them and Of the states they
live in. and she does not ask anything |
here and now for sentiment or for
pride.
l trust that with this suggestion l
may invite your attention just for a
moment to phase of this question
that is not reducible in mathematics,
not at all reducible to calculus or to
tables of logarithms, Figures have a
faculty of dancing in front |
of our eyes here and proving some
thing once in a while, but often what |
they prove is quite an intangible thing
altogether when compared with some
other intangible things that, paradox
ical as it may seem, are real, substan-
tial facts. One of those facts is this:-
Countryside Steadies
With the inevitable drift of man
kind toward city building, piing up
these towers of Babel one beside an
other, and with the inevitable result
ant Confusion of tongues so in the
same proportion comes the gradual di-
of the steadying influence
Of the countryside upon the affairs and
policies of this great government OF
he people, by the people, and for the
people"
Now of course automatically, no
me will contend for moment that a
in the countryside should
1utvote a majority within the city
walls But YOU and | and other men
Who are thoughtful about these things .
and who represent great bodies OF
thoughtful men and women who study
hese things know that a popular gov
is not made a success merely
" being based upon tables of mathe-
natics. There is a moral influence
omewhere that must be the manner
nd method of restraint and check and
compelling persuasion upon
he oftimes heedlessness of the multi
ude, or no popular government is l
afe. (Applause And it is to the |
that this great popular
overnment of ours turns ever in its q
rises to make sure that this sheet
nchor in the sober second thought IS '
afe Applause :
Address is Commended :,
There are many things of a practical \
ature in government that might be o
dvanced to support this view that | a
ave barely suggested. TO you, but it il
hopeless to think of detailing them h
l the meager allowance of five min T
ties time on this floor We only ask I
nat in considering these figures and
his proposition today, the minority
l the countryside shall not be made
in it's representation
l the council of the nation. ZAP >
lause)
Later in the debate, Congressman :
Jarrett made the following reference
} Mr.. Greenes remarks
Not to be invidious, l was particu-
lrlv struck with the remarks made
v my friend from Vermont (Mr
reenel. His was an excellently well
orded address; and there was a subtle
digestion, entirely legitimate, which
properly understood was an appeal
} a very sound psychology in gov
-nment such as ours, and yet which if
might be unfortunate,
} wit, the appeal to preserve, as l
him, the proper balance OF
over in the hands of the agricultural
r country interests of the United
tates. That, OF course, is desirable;
ut it ought not to be understood
nat a measure fixing the number OF
TENDERS at 435 does not do that in
} far as it may properly and legally
e done under the Constitution OF
10 limited States