Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-08-13
The Torpor Of Today.

.Ihe source OF miSrhirl Is ihr "a
RENE difficulty with which men are r
reused from the torPOr Of every daN.
Blessed is all that agitates the mas
breaks up this tOrPor, aud begias mo
tim"
Doubtless many reading these we'll
known lines of the great thinker, Finer
sou. will be of the opinion that the bless
ing of agitation which is aimed at Tie
torpor Of today is out of all proPorli""
to the need of the times, aud that Tor
the term "torpor" wisdom should be-
substituted to describe the passivlty oil
those who are not yet aroused. But the
word torpid describes justly enough the
mood of those who regret the gradual
disappearance of the old heavily written
lines of separation, politically, between
master and man, and man and the depend
cut female. The really small proportion
of agitation which is evidrnt IN an occa-
sional strike of employees, aud IN the
movement of the lively sutfraeetteS Is
Intended to bring about a partnership
between master aud subjects, peaeeahie
cooperation in place of antagonism,
strife and slaughter. Opposition t" IL
dangerous Fastening of the process oil
reforms ia our social state is well II 1t
proceeds from a logical conclusion to
consideration of the movement. But
active opposition itself is not of much
more real Importance than the blessing
of agitation with which it is confronted,
That mood of the body polite which is
of importance is the colossal indifference
as to whether either conservative or rad
2 ical is right or wrong: why not let well
e enough alone? In this conclusion OF the
e above sentence you have he whole mood
). lin brief form. Is this wisdom or tor
: Dor? Look over recorded events which
n certainly make for keener appree'a
t. ton of the energy and agitation which
# could not be altogether stayed by The
d wisdom aud the inactivity which cons'i
n tutsd the "mass" to be stirred, and thtl
I. deny if you can the need of the advance
IS ment toward liberty and equality. Th
question is should the movement be re
tarded in the same degree as in pas
A. times. If You decide that it should b
h. so retarded you have left ont OF you
D consideration the increased titnes
e. of subjects to share responsibility,
s. Equality of intelligence cannot for man
lit years be attained to, but all who Civ
ur the matter thought. and at the sam
it time put pride and prejudice benin
ms them must admit that strife decreas'
We in proportion to ths amount of equalit
he of intelligence in the body polite, An
ne is it not also fact that extension
- privilege provides the incentive to Sc
he improvement Why then dread inco
10, veniencs in counting votes when the
* is possibility that ultimately two vot
re would act for the improvement of socl
on conditions where one was acted hefol
hi. The word ultimately is used advised
,al since we know that the greatest eYte
ry sion of political privilege which won
10, include the franchise for women mu
a still be more than outweighed by &C
a tain lack of appreciation of idealism co
in corning the social state. Nothing could
MS delay the inevitable attainment to be
he ter state of things than the unjustRab
es, doubts of the natural character and ca
IRE abilities of such as submit as matt
at of course to restrictions in political pri
on ilege. Why, In any extension of privile
an the more advanced, by intel)ectnait
a through having assumed greater sha
an of responsibility, will be the leaders,
90 wherein lies the justice of the attit'
0; toward reform more fully meeting t
* need of the times? The i,lea of ella
I'd privilege, and sex privilege, and IA
de- privilege is as we have said but II sun
he obstacle to improvement compared wi
ew the inertia of the great mass conte
of with state that amounts to uhjectic
'od a state by no means as satisfactory
ed, agitators or their active opponents
in could be new era. Essex.