The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-04-21
A parable d polItica.

William Allen White tells story in
an article in the American Magazine for
April that is calculated to make the
readers of the story ponder. As it cpl
tomizes 50 much Of the good and most
Of the bad In our municipal lift, the
story OF these two men, about whom
the parable is told, bears repeating;
During the early years Of this CEN
fury two men living in a great city in
the southwest epitomized SO entirely
much of the good and most OF the bad
in our municipal lift that the story Of
these men. in 80 far as the story illus
trates the parable Of politics in the great
cities of the land. should be set down
here. One man was rich. lie had family
His father WAS a parsonage in the state
and in the nation forty years ago. The
other man came mp from the people. He
was no one in particular. The rich man
Kept out OF politics; he was in business,
and in society. He was a pillar Of So
eiety. The poor man went into politics,
perhaps with the idea that some day
he might become pillar Of society. He
went to the common council for the
glory Of it. To 60 be went and asked
for the city boss to send him. A city
boss always helps men who are IN poll
tics for the honor it brings. And after
the poor man Rad been in the council
for a time, he found-did this common
eouncilman--that to get results. to get
faYors for his ward, he would have to
tie up with the Combine And the
boss cinehed up the giFth Of his control
ks.la
when the common councilman Joined the
gang. Then when the boss fixed it so
that a little money might be distributed
among the faithful. the common council
man accepted the common practice and
took his share And the other man, the
pillar Of society, the rich man. knew it.
Also he knew chat much money was dis
fributed among the councilmen by the
boss and his friends. For part Of the
money came from funds which the rich
man was guarding He knew how fran
chises were bought, for his clients and
friends were in the market
@But it came TO pass when things
reached their worst. that the pillar OF
society grew disguised with the miser-
able business And when the member
Of the common council heard great
orator tell OF deeds upon the battlefield
Of Gettysburg tbs councilman rose
while the band played the Star spang-
led Banner. and said, as his eyes filed, |
and his voice choked oh, If | could only
lie for my country And then the crash |
came. Arrests for bribing and accepting
brides we're made Whereupon the prose
suting attorney began to get anony-
nous letters faultlessly typed. telling
him what witnesses to summon what
questions to ask them, and in general, /
how to get at the truth. Every day |
anne these letters, and the thieves in |
.he city, big and little, were in eonster-
lation at the acumen Of the district at
.ornev. The district attorney never
athomed the mystery Of his anonymous
friends identity. But he found that the
was invariably accurate. SO
he district attorney followed the blind I
cad and got results. He knew that
ome one was aspiring beyond his eour
lge, that some one saw the sin Of bri-
,ery. that some man. apparently an edu-
ated man. obviously 3 man high high
II financial and social councils was hold
ne out a life line 10 the people. And
hen one day the man who had wept for
chance to die for his country fed
rom his country to foreign land, in
ear Of q prison, and the pillar Of society
led by his own hand, an absconder Of
he funds Of widows and orphans. And
he day the rich man died the anony
nous letters stopped"