St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-11-13
Some Rambling Thoughts.
BY MEMO"
(Copyrighted.)

copyrighted
(These Thoughts" by layman' are READ
in a quarter of million homes, scattered III
every state of the union. In this section
they viii be found NeeE by week in the col
umns Of this paper only, as we have made
ARRANGEMENTS with the author for their eN'
elusive publications.
In many states Of the union there are
at this moment men rubbing their pollll'
cal ewes to discover if they are really
awake, and that it is a fact "wortnless'
selfish So.and-So is elected to the legisIa-
tire or to congress- Let me tell you
good men some truths You will listeh'
for none ought to love freedom and sound
sense more heartily thanyou. Vote-sellers
and political tramps are not like you;
they are out for plumber, but you ear
nestIy desire the prosperity OF the whole
country. Yes, you do; in your mlnd'
and it goes no further.
The initial thought for you this week
is that it appears far easier to maintain
monarchy in efficient strength than re-
public. The selfsane cause that permits
the maintenance Of a nuisance in the
heart of town operates to make the
perpetuation of true liberty by true men
a difficult thing; "everybody's business
is nobody's business" The modern royal
figurehead knows his part. He sees to 1t
that evils which threaten the continued
power of the reigning house are looked
into and improved away; and from such
motives do we have to record most grand
progress, municipal and individual in
kingly realms. The wise ruler buttresses
his throne with the hearts of his people.
Kingships are not by any means so me-
dieval as some of us think.
But the royal man, the selfgoverning
equal man of every other in republic is
not half so watchful. mingle with
strong ones from day to day; good clear
headed business men, but wretched citi-
zens. They raise the hands in depreca-
ton and call politics corrupt, they chime
in with that lean and lank ex senator
from Kansas, and agree that "the purif-
cation of the filthy pool OF practical poll
tics is an iridesccnt dream" they pass
the blame along to the next man, as did
the individuals in Thomas Nast's famous
cartoon of Boss Tweed and his mjnions
all stood i'll ring and each one jerked a
thumb toward his neighbor to blame
him. To find the beginning or the end o.
the wrong in such a group is as diff
cult as to prove where is the start
ing point of a circle, II word is sale
about the dangers that must arise from
having purchasable legislators in state
capitols and at Washington, the should
ers are shrugged and "How can | hell
tt" is said.
l have always admired, since | knew
what real manhood was, that old Bibl
character, Nathan, the prophet He cor
nered Gods anointed, trumped up ;
hypothetical story about eve lamb
reused the kings ire against the woltisl
WAYS OF the rich man, and then turned
on him like flash, with anger and men
ace in his prophetic face, SAYING, "Tho,
art the mani" Does it need a word
trap to catch the ears and touch the cor
sciences of our Davids? Shall we like
our country to a citadel beseged by evi
as all good things always are; SUI
rounded by miners and sappers VIII
underhandcdly throw down its walls i
order that license may march over libert
and trample our dear one under foot
Then shall we tell of some one within tn
walls who is seen to crawl to the ran
parts and make signals to the besiegers
But not alone that; at a fateful momen
he approaches the gate with key in hi
hand to let death and disaster have Ire
course and he satisfied among us. 70
Davids, you kinglets, what shall be dor
to the traitor? Let him be MANNED; Il
wild horses tear him asunder, that all til
people may fear to do evil and seek to d
good ! 1t shall be done, but Thou tina
iudgest art the man.
Ifyou raise only your voice On high t
denounce evil do you think evil men tee
YOU and shake in their shoes any MOI
than they do at a capful of wind Wore
and works must go together; BLOWN
of trumpets and shoutings shake dow
no strongholds in these days; beatin!
of tom. toms drive out no diseases. o.
political evils are no sku-troubles to
gently rubbed away with almopd-wat
and glycerine. They go deeper than tina
and down as deep as they go must W
60 to purify the national blood. Y'
good men are neglectful in attending p
maries, consequently your lazy, wort
less neighbor gets elected toconvention
those conventions are necessarily /
better than the material that constitut