The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1909-04-15
Is Politics a Cameo"
Editor Sitter

Editor Sitter
If, as some say, politics is game,
there are no rules to govern it. ever
keeping in mind the motto ''Do 9TH
ers or they will do YOU, let us con-
slider what politics might be, and
what it should be, and what it would
be if every citizen only tried to do
even half of the duty which his civic
obligations lays heavily upon him.
Politics should not be game; but
it should be one of the cleanest.
most open handed, and even sacred
occupations which it is possible for
us to engage in. And we should all
be politicians in the true sense of
the word, fully alive to our duties as
regards our relations to our fellow
men; and this is what true politics
means.
That politics should be given over
to certain class who make a bust
ness of it "for what there is in it"
either pecuniarily or for the honor
attached to any office, is a disgrace
to our civilization, in fact we are not
civilized, in the true sense of the
word, if we practice or allow it..
And be it known that we as Amer
lean citizens, as true Vermonters.
descendants of that brave class of
pioneers headed by such leaders as
Allen, Warner, Baker, and Chitten-
den, whose deeds are so admirably
described in the "Green Mountain
Boys, whose author, shame TO us.
has lain for quite half century in
an unmarked grave,-we as Ameri-
can citizens and Vermonters, | say.
should cover our faces in such a
burning shame as would melt the
veil that hides them, when we ac-
knowledge to ourselves and those
about us that politics is a game.
as some declare, fit only for willy.
oily, selfish, sneaking towards ana
hypocrites, and their hired agents
to engage in with hope of success.
If ''politIcs is game" it is large
ly because those who declare it so
make it so by deliberately failing to
manfully do what they know is their
duty at the ballot box and the eau
Gus hall. 1 have no sympathy with
those who are crying politics is
game" but stink from attempting, to
their utmost, from making it what it
should be. Let them either "shut
their mouths" or come out and fight
for Decency, the Truth, and the
Right.
If the Devil is, really, in politics.
let us drive him out, and drive him
out in such way that he will never
seek to come back.
If politics is a game" we, you
and I, brother citizen, are to blame
for it. When you go TO the ballot
box, either in regular election, or in
town caucus, or in convention ball.
what do you go there fol-? To please
somebody? To give somebody a
turn? To CRAFTY some spite? To
help somebody who has helped you,
Or whom you expect will help you?
To fulfill promise, paid for directly
'rthrough hired agent?
Or do you go as a true American
md Vermont citizen, solely to do
1our duty, as a citizen. according TO
he solemn oath you took when you
became a freeman "to vote for the
pest interests of the state without
ear or favor of any man? Don't
ny politics is game, if you de-
iberately shirk or abuse your duty at
he ballot box.
One of the greatest, most search
ng, and soul trying tests of citizen
hip, is not whether you are helping
ON cone at the ballot box who has
elped, or will help you, but whether
ou will support the one who has
ne best qualifications for the Office
l view, although he may be, per-
'nally, unfriendly to you.
NJ. J. Hapgood,
Peru, VT, April 16, 1910.