Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-21
The BURLINGTON FREE PRESS THURSDAY.

tried even to avoid an honest answer.
can no longer do So My plain duty is
to take personal part in this coming
election, go to the primaries, throw the
weight of my influence, whatever it is,
toward the nomination and election of
good men and plunge into the very
depths of this entire horrible whirlpool
of deceit bribery, political trickery and
saloonism as it exists in Raymond to-
day. | would sooner walk up to the
mouth of cannon any time than do
this. | dread it because | hate the touch
of the whole matter.
81 would give almost anything to be
able to say, Il do not believe Jesus
would do anything of the sort but J
am more and moro persuaded that he
would This is where the suffering
comes to me. 1t would not hurt me
half so much to lose my position or my
home. loathe the contact with this
municipal problem. l would much pre-
fer to remain quietly in my scholastic
life with my classes in ethics and phi
losophy but the call has come so plain
ly that cannot escape. Donald Marsh,
follow me. Do your duty as a citizen of
Raymond at the point where your citi
zensbip will cost you something Help
to cleanse this great municipal stable.
even if you do have to soil your arls-
tocratic feelings little. Maxwell, this
is my CROSS l must take it up or deny
my Lord. ."
"You have spoken for me also, " re-
piled Maxwell, with sad smile "Why
should |, simply because am a clergy
man, shelter myself behind my refined,
sensitive feelings and, like coward,
refuse to touch, except in a sermon pos
sibly the duty of citizenship .m I'M
used to the ways of the political life Of
the city. have never taken an active
part in any nomination of good men
| There arc hundreds of ministers like
me. As a class we do not practice in
the municipal life the duties and priv
| leges we preach from the pulpit What
would Jesus do2 | am now at "a point
where, like you, am driven to answer
| the question one way. My duty is plain
must suffer. All my parish work, al
my little trials or self sacrifices, arc rs
nothing to me compared with the break
ing into my scholarly, intellectual self
contained habits of this open, coarse
public fight for clean city life.
could go and live at the Rectangle the
rest of my days and work in the slums
for bare living, and | could enjoy it
more than the thought of plunging into
a fight for the reform of this whisky
vidden city. 1t would cost me less. But
| like you, have been unable to shake
off my responsibility The answer to
| the question, What would Jesus dof'
in this case leaves me no peace, except
when | say, Jesus would have me act
the part of Christian citizen. Marsh
as You say, we professional men, min
listers, professors, artists, literary men
scholars, have almost invariably been
political towards We have avoided the
sacred duties of citizenship either ig-
norantly or sclfishly. Certainly Jesus
in our age would not do that. We can
do no less than take up this cross and
follow him.
These two men walked on in silence
for awhile. Finally President Marsh
said:
1--WE do not need to act alone in this
matter With all the men who have
made the promise, we certainly can
have companionship and strength even
of numbers Let us organize the Chris
tian forces of Raymond for the battle
against rum ana corruption. We GER
tainly ought to enter the primaries
with force that will be able to do
more than utter a protest. IL is a fact
that the saloon element is cowardly and
easily frightened, in spite of its law
lessness and corruption. Let rs plan a
campaign that will mean something be-
cause it is organized righteousness,
Jesus would use great wisdom in this
matter He would employ means. He
would make large plans. Let us do so.
If we bear this cross, let us do it brave
ly, like men. "
They talked over the matter n long
time and met again the next day in
| Henry Maxwell's study to develop
| plans. The city primaries We're called
| for Friday. Rumors of strange and nm
heard of events to the average citizen
We're current in political circles through
out Raymond. The Crawford system of
balloting for nominations was not in
use in the state, and the primary was
called for a public meeting at the court
house
The citizens Of Raymond will never
forget that meeting. 1t was SO unlike
any political meeting ever held in Ray
mond before that there was no attempt
at comparison. The special officers to
be nominated We're mayor, city council,
chief Of police, city clerk and city
treasurer
The Evening News in its Saturday
edition gave full account of the pri-
maries and in an editorial column Ed
ward Norman spoke with directness
and conviction that the Christian peo-
pie Of Raymond were learning to re-
spect deeply because so evidently sincere
and unselfish. a part of that editorial
Is also part of this history:
1T is safe to say that never before in
the history of Raymond was there a
primary like the one in the courthouse
last night. 1t was, first of all COM
plete surprise to the city politicians,
who have been in the habit of carrying
on the affairs Of the city as if they
owned them and every one else was
simply a tool or a cipher. Tho over
whelming surprise of the wire puller