Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-24
FOR A GREATER VERMONT
Changes That Are in Progress in
the Green Mountain State.
The Hon. Joseph A. DcBocr Tells what
n Greater vermont Means md How II
Can Best he PrOmOted--TbOughts
for the Young Men of Our COM
monwealths

The Hon. Joseph a. DeBoer, president
of the National Life Insurance company
OF Montpelier, has written an article ON
Vermont for the Greater Vermont num-
Der of the Vcrmonter which is sure to
To attract wide attention. BY permission
or the publishers of the Nermonter we
herewith reprint Mr.. DeBocrs article:
The press of the State has been giving
considerable discussion to what has been
called "A New Vermont Greater Yer
mont The first title has been sometimes
used In the idea that it somehow had
reference to the legislation of 1902 by
which half II century of prohibition was
supplaEted by IL license law. | have
never understood that men who used
either of the foregoing expressions in its
true intent designed to limit their mean
ing to that inferior idea. 1t was used
to express rather their conviction of a
change i'm tendency and in increasing in
dustrial, commercial and financial work
throughout the State, of modification in
old time political opinion, of actual and
prospective increase in population, and
OF true impulse in the direction of It
broader development of our opportunities
and duties, which they believe exist. and
to which they are glad to give their best
cooperation and support. They do not
expect to lcgislate values into existence
or to jack up the grandlist by statute
or suddenly to vastly change the oppor-
tunities for thrift and profit by a new
state policy on the liquor question or on
any other question. They do believe that
wise laws. ana particularly the enforce
mcnt of wise laws, will help these matters
along, and they believe, also. that there
does exist to-day in Vermont the inn
pulse of a new strength and a moro ac-
tive desire for new work, directly trace
able to the people. Their purpose is to
take mold of that fact, to fix 1t in the
minds of all and to seek the substitution
or that idea of practical work in Vermont
by Nermonters for what some years back
they feel has been rather the reverse.
! 1t is true to-day, for example that a
great many voters regard State affairs
OF more direct concern to their welfare
than mere outside matters. and they are
coming to demand, accordingly, while
/ federal issues shall not be disregardod.
that State issues, State needs, State G mo-
mics and State accounting shall neither
| be lightly viewed nor totally ignored.
Many mon also think seriously over the
fact especially where local experience
has emphasized it, that the state has add
| ed and is now receiving a considerable
number of foreigners to its lists These
newcomers are beginning to till its farms
handle its slate. carve its marbles cut its
granite, help run its shops and. more
than that, are beginning to influence our
modes aud kinds of thought. They de-
clare that these men are here to work
| and to stay, to make values and homes
here, to raise their families here. and
That they are not merely saving Vermont
from the odum of an adverse census, but,
IN fact, are most valuable and worthy
citizens, making large contributions to
its wealth and being in no small degree
responsible for its progress. They strong
| ~ favor. on merit. and urge, as good
public policy, the recognition of these new
| elements into the life of the State and
one other fact OF equal importance, that
our native born youths to-day enjoy and
are Influenced by different environment
from that of yore. Therefore they think
| that Vermont is undergoing change in
| impulses and in sentiment as it ought
| to do and it must do to keep up with
ana some what ahead of the average work
! in its sister States. Those who have used
| the expressions of New or Greater Yer
mont believe ana admit this fact. and
| they also are inclined to urge it as good
/ public doctrine and policy for the state To-
act upon. to get the benefit of and to use
/ in its material development, rather than
| to stop 1t or give it friction by neglect
They declare for an earnest and active
work, locally distributed as far as pos
sible, and hold that it is lean wisdom to
stay set. with nothing doing. when the
rest of the country is clearly reaching
after the benefits of expansion and pub
! lie improvements everywhere. A man
may retire from business If he soos fit
but there l. II" standing still for State
and least OF all for such State as this
whose history, whose composition and
whose opportunities alike commend il to
| prosperity and growth. f-govcrnment
is not and was not designed to be the
dead rot of machinc-mHde directory,
but the living force of applied conclu-
sions reached by fun. frank ana free
debate and enforced by an homes, and
independent vote. Vermont sclf-govern-
ment has been very honorable. because
exceedingly conservative, ana there does
not exist now any desire to exchange
quantity for quality i'm this respect. II is
solely that men to-day feel tho need of Il
somewhat greater action, If our people
everywhere are to hold a position of
equality, If not of relative ADVANTAGES
IN the competitive exchange of services
and values in their times. Not one of
them would detract a single word from
the great praise and respect which is
deserVedly due to the men and achieve
ments of old Vermont. They hold those
men and their times in the most abiding
and loyal esteem; but, then. too. they
think 1t no crime to declare the reverse
OF some ancient propositions and in their
stead, say that Vermont is as good q
state 10 live in as to leave. to make money
in as another, if the work is put up,
and to develop, if we rightly use the
wealth at our doors and that it is and
should be kept as II State of opportunity,
in which the idea should be cultivated
of developing its own resources, of sus-
tanning its own people, of really backing
up it's own public servants, of giving
youth, n chance to work of securing good
local administration everywhere and Of
tending most of tho time to use a homely
phrase, TO our own shop. This is not
meant TO imply and to declare that we
Will probably contribute most to the COM
mon country by first making Vermont
aGrculturally more fruitful, eduCationally |
more progressive, industrially more con- !
stuctiVe, commercially more active and |
competitive and Just as fair in the distri- |
button of working results among all the |
people as it can possibly be done, While |
such work cannot be done all at once |
it can be honored in the observance, it /
can he made the rule of debate, and of |
belief and efforts to that end can he |
initiated, as has been already done in |
many of the larger cities and towns, in |
every town of the state.
The people have the power There is |
already good momentum, and it Is sus- |
tanned by the ablest papers in the State |
What the thinking men of the State want |
are better roads. right use of public |
schools, the increase and protection OF |
our forests, better attention to the local |
government OF our towns and more at |
tention in their proper time to affairs of |
State than to less revelant issues. They |
want largely attended and honest primar- |
les, pure elections. opportunities on merit |