Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-09-07
"sUTT IN"

. Outt IN ]" somewhat ampllned. tnls
means. "Alind your own business; lei
everything else alone As a genera
thing. implicit obedience is yielded tC
this principle. People dislike to gain
the reputation OF meddlers. They
] prefer to attend 70 their own knitting
and they certainly object to any IN
due interference on the part OF their
neighbors.
This principle, sensibly observed, is
not open to objection. But ike other
sentiments it may be carried to eX-
tremes. Thus, while meddling with
your neighbor's affairs merely ont OF
curiosity or with no good purpose in
view leads only to one result--trouble
and plenty of tia too rigid obsery-
ance OF the rule never to concern your
self about anything that happens out
side your own direct path may con-
stitute a neglect of duty itself. The
parable of the Good Samaritan clearly
illustrated this. The priest and the
Levite passed by on the other side, the
hapless plight OF the wayfarer robbed
and left for dead being no direct con-
Germ of theirs. while 1t remained for
the despised Gentle to 90 ont OF his
way in the performance OF what Christ
called duty.
To illustrate from latter day life. let
Us choose four epochs or incidents in
the lie OF the man who stands today
as the foremost parsonage in the
world-it is unnecessary to name him.
/. As police commissioner of New
York city, he became notorious-and
TO many obnoxious for his tendency
to butt in" whenever he saw error or
ineflicieney or rascality Of any. sort /
in the police department, then infam-
ously corrupt. He never hesitated
moment to expose. to denounee and to
punish such conduct, no matter who
were the perpetrators or what inhu-
ence was behind them In conse-
quence, be became the target for a
time not only Of the numerous element
that promoted vice. but OF others who
resented his activity and questioned
his motives. But be continued to
"butt in where a more timorous
character would have halted until he
had "butted out" a good share OF the
evil that disgraced the New York POI
lice department; until he had raised
the standard and morale of the force
TO plane II had never before occu- !
pied.
?. Santiago 5e Cuba bad fallen and
the Spanish-American war was yir-
tually over, as all agreed But a large
army of unacclimated troops from the
far North was still held by military I
orders in most unsanitary surround
ngs, where the soldiers We're dying I
BY scores and hundreds OF fever and q
kindred maladies. Everyone knew :
he conditions and the dreadful end )
Awaiting them, yet no one in high $
dared make a move to rem ]
,dy the state Of affairs Then this {
nan, a subordinate, a mere lieutenant $
colonel of volunteers. "butted i'm I
gain. He got up a round-robin, 5
igned by nearly all the officers Of the t
Irmy, asking for the immediate trans {
er OF the troops to more healthiul To- t
alities. 1t was a most unbecoming a
hing to do-utterly destructive Of the {
dea of discipline-said the martinets,
,ut they could not refuse the request. e
Red tape was cut in hurry, and by 5
asst steamers the weakened remnant r
i the army was hurried back to home q
nd health. II
3. This "butter-in" had been elect 4
d vice-president. He had become g
through the death of the n
hief executive. There was a disas- X
rous strike in progress in the anthra- d
lite coal regions over a matter of p
yages. Not only were the mines 7
losed, thousands out OF employment t
nd disorder rite, but the whole coun- b
~ was on the verge OF desperation Tor al
lck OF necessary fuel. Once more c.
his man "hntted in" He had no con "
titutional authority TO summon the d
line owners and workers to meet him pi
lr a conference with a view to settling 5,
nc trouble, but he did it. They came,
nd under his eye, the strike was cl
nded, the mines were reopened and IN
espair gave way to joy the country W
YER He went out of his way to do vi
that wasn't, strictly speak th
70, any of his Understanding tn
nat probably no other president would sa
ave attempted. But he did it, and R
he world acclaimed him. w