Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-12-25
THE MEANING OF "A GREATER VERMONT"
The Term Admirably and ncisvey Defined by Joseph DeBoer
President Of the National Life Insurance Compsnv

81" pdIllCulafly orr own educated
SOu,'i, chance TO work. of securing
eoou local administration everywhere and
W 'ei'ulhs most of the time, to use n
homely phrase, to our own shop Tbis
Is not meant to imply the slightest dis
interest In public questions outside of this
state but it is meant to imply and to de-
''aie mat we will probably contribute
most TO the common country by first
masking Vermont agriculturany more
lruittul, educatlonally more progressive
inuustrlaHy more constructive, COM
mercialy more active and c1mpetitiva
ana Just as fair in the distribution of
working results among all the peoplo as
can possibly be done. While such
work cannot be done all at once. If can
ne honored in the observance, it can be
made the rule of debate. and of belief
'hat efforts to that end can be initiated
as has already been done in many of the
larger cities and towns. in every town Of
the state.
Inc people have the power There is
already good momentum ana it is sus-
tanned by the ablest papers in the state
what the thinking men of the state want
are better roads, a right use of public
charters, intelligent supervision of COR
puratlons, a wisely spent tax. the best
attainable public schools, the increase
and protection of our forests, better at
tentiun to the local government Of our
towns and more attention in their proper
time to affairs of state than to- less rel
evant issues They want largely attended
ana honest primaries. pure elections. on
portumties on merit, prompt and effective
execution Of laws and investments of
money within the state. IT is upon exist -
euce of more of this kind of thought.
opinion and desire, and of ambition to
seek prosperity, thrift and honor rather
in ourselves than wholly in the past that
the idea and term of a New or a Greater
Vermont is founded. In this sense il is
good working idea. wholly true and
practicable and hound to achieve results
Of value, if accepted and acted on, es-
pecially by the young men of the state.
i'll all of its villages, cities and towns 1t
will in due time mean better farms bet
ter roads, better schools. better business.
| better shops better work, better local
government. more benefits to go
around. better chance for all and a
growing prosperity for the state This
| idea and this purpose surely. even If not
| today everywhere sustained by the facts
are in general upheld by the census, by
/ increased bank deposits, by a growing
grand list, by more active and more in
| dependent interest in public affairs and
| by more active work in the offices of the
state. As an idea it may he called OPP
/ timistic or sentimental, or both, but il
/ has the weight of a fact and, as a work =
! ing proposition, is is nightly more
friendly to the best interests of our peo-
pies future than inaction or destructive
criticism.
l say this from some acquaintance with
the history of Vermont, believing that II
| has made progress all of the time and
that today it is stronger, Weather and
better as a state in which to live and
work and enjoy the benefits of republican
institutions than ever before. 1t ha,
changed in some aspects of its social anc
family life, but not for the worse. Its
position in the country at large is rel
atiVely as good. At no time have its son:
| at home and its graduates abroad beer
more numerously identified with tn,
country's military, civil, commercial. co
lonial and diplomatic work. Never have
its natural resources undergone more ac
| tive conversion. At no time in half Z
century has the public conscience beer
more active or more open on questions o
state and Federal policies than now, eX
cept. of course, the period of the CiVi
war. when all Vermont, without regarC
to parties. rose to heroic heights in tn,
discharge of its duty as a state. Hence
today men are found advocating meas
ures which for years were kept strenu
ously suppressed. The idea is dominan
once more that reforms and progress
come from the people and not from with
in party organization and that slende
voting margins between parties ma
mean greater margins of public service
and, finally, that public trusts are hes
discharged by the best men without 81
drastic a regard for party supervision a
used to be the rule. The idea stands 70
clean towns, good streets. plenty of light
pure water supply, decent sewers, fir
protection, proper sanitation, well-kep
homes, attractive public buildings, tn
best attainable schools,-everythlng II
short, that will do most men the mos
good on the pure merit of these questions
Men interested in talking this idea ar
merely seeking to do work on Twin
basis They are for arbitrating trouble
instead of Matching them. They are try
ing to be honest in their logic and its us
and simply urge that in our times W
shall strive for what the forefather
sought in theirs, to find out what
right and best for the greatest humble
. and do that with the utmost speed our
: selves rather than in the slow hope tha
it will do itself
There is much Of this new impulse &
/. work in Vermont, as will be Indicated
the special articles to which these wore
are only insufficient preface 1t Is nj
that the advocates of a New, or Create
, or Better, or More Prosperous, or MOI
Active, Vermont or by whatever teri
one may choose to call it, think less
it's past that they urge responslplllti'
upon the present. but they believe in nor
? oring that past best by its extension an
? by handing it down to future genera
lii