The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-07-07
THE PROBLEM OF THE AVERAGE
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! The Randolph Herald says: At
fair estimate, we should say that
about one voter in ten cares enough
about politics or the rival candida
cies for offices to attend caucuses on
his own volition. The voter has
formed opinions-or prejudices-
from which he cannot be moved, and
he is on hand to vote. Besides him
are the vastly more numerous who
don't care hurrah about it, one way
or the other. BY going among
them personally, talking and work
ing with them, it is possible to get
them to turn out to the caucuses in
numbers sufficient to affect the re-
suit. They generally need only
stirring up and invitation to come.
But they need this, expect it, and
won't come unless they get it. Few
voters pretend to keep close run
of politics. With the great mass,
personality is everything, measures
and issues little or nothing. This
explains why there is always more
inter est in local town representa-
tive fight than in anything else. AS
the circle wiGens, interest wanes.
The average man, hoeing corn out in
the field on one of the few fair days
of the season, is apt to think that it
is of more consequence to him to put
as many rows as possible behind him
by nightfall than it is which of two
men, personally unknown to him and
who care nothing about him except
his vote, is Governor or Congress
man. And though it runs counter
he is right"
There is altogether too much truth
for comfort or satisfaction in the
foregoing expression of opinion.
Nevertheless it is the average man
hoeing corn or cutting granite, or
working at a bench, or forge, who is
the ruler of the United States, and
of Vermont. A republican form of
government is based upon the rule
of the average man-not the very
rich or the very poor, not the very
wise or the very ignorant, not the
very good or the very bad, but just
the average type of citizen. 1t is
when the average man is too busy
with the hoeing of his corn, or with
the cutting of granite, or with his
toll at the bench or the forge or the
desk that the political heller gets
in his work, He is very careful not
to disturb MI. Average Man, who
really is good citizen, when arous-
ed; but he passes the word quietly
among "a few of the boys" upon
whom he can depend to vote right"
the caucus is carried, and the voice
of the town very likely is given for
men and measures not approved by
the majority of the community. 1t
is this Indifference, this apathy, that
constitutes one of the most serious
of the evils that menace our form
of government. The average man
receives all the protection and all
the privileges granted by the Nation
or the State to its citizens, and these
rights and privileges entail upon him
corresponding duties. Before our
State government was organized,
Col. Seth Warner, being assigned to
the task of securing achievements
to resist Burgoyne's invasion, wrote:
Il should be glad if few hills of
corn unhoed should not be a motive
sufficient to detain men at home. "
The same wish may be expressed
properly in regard to the perform,
ance of political duties. The aver
age man ought to care who is NOM
mated for Governor to execute the
laws of his State, or who is nomin-
ated as member of Congress, to
represent him in the law making
body of the Nation. The Indifference
of the average man is the opportu-
nifty of the least desirable element
in our political life.
The average man is not slow to
criticise his Governor or his Con-
gresham, as he may think occasion
requires, but if he has neglected the
duty of exercising his choice to help
choose or defeat that official for the
sake of hoeing corn, he should con-
fine his criticisms to matters more
strictly agricultural in their nature.
One of the great problems of the
government is how to make the du-
ties of citizenship outweigh the corn
field of the average man.
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