Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-02-20
Leaders Who Do Not Lead.

One OF the conspicuous features OF the
recent campaign for new liquor law
was the way the greater part OF the
politicians trimmed on the issue. Pub
lie men are supposed to be leaders of
public thought, but it is delusion
that Vermonters long ago learned to
avoid. When man attains that de-
gree of prominence that he is or has
been entrusted with high and impor-
tant public offices and is chosen TO rep
resent his political party in its most
important councils, he is popularity
termed leader The public is justi-
fed in looking To a i'm as such and in
demanding that he discharge the re-
sponsibilities Of leadership. When i'm
portant issues are in the air, his opin-
ion is supposed 10 he worth something
because he is supposed TO give public
questions more thorough study than
the average man and TO have far more
extensive opportunities for obtaining
information and enlightenment as to
their merits. In short, when the people
are face to face with important issues,
it is time for the leaders t. lead.
What did the Vermont leaders do IN
the recent liquor law campaign? Did
you ever see any body hug the ground
any more closely than most of those old
"political war horses" that we used to
hear so much about? In short, after
years of posing before the public as
powerful men of political consequence,
keen in vision, resolute in action, and
prolific in resource, these WORTHLESS ut
terly collapsed in the first actual test
of statesmanship that has confronted
this generation. Hardly man of them
dared to come out on one side or the
other, run up his colors, and stand by
them. Almost every hanback, of them
played the good Lord good Devil tao
tics that have won out so many times
before, or fled to the cyclone cellar to
wait until the storm had passed. oh,
they are brave lot, those leaders,
with about as much moral courage be-
tween them as would rattle around in
a thimble. Prompt to claim the spoils
of political contest, always: but never
ready to stand out like a man and risk
the personal consequences for honest
opinions sake
Nobody knows better than the news
paper man of what tiimsy stuff some of
these so called leaders are made. No
body knows better than the newspaper
man how difficult it is to get one of
them to discuss public question for
publication, and how they will wriggle
and squirm to avoid committing them
selves to any definite stand one way or
another on public issue. Nobody
knows better than the newspaper man
that one of the most significant reasons
why important public questions have
so long lain stagnant in Vermont life
is because the bulk of the so called po
litical leaders do not possess the cour-
age and some of them the ability to at
tempt their solution.
The public do not expect to look to
any one man or set of men as the foun-
tain head of political wisdom and state
craft. 1t is not possible for any one
man or set of men to be an infallible
guide in the multiplicity of vexatious
problems that confront this busy world.
But it is possible for every man to con-
tribute his share toward their solution
by taking one side or the other, com
ing out into the open and showing
himself, and lending the assistance of
his natural ability and ripened expe-
rience to help the cause he believes is
right. The great mass of people re
spect a brave and honest antagonist.
and no man ever lost the good will of
the public in the long run because the
public always knew where to find him.
The leader who does not come out and
lead is nothing but a trimmer, and
trimmers have had their day for
while in Vermont. -St. Adams Messen-
GER