The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-08-04
1trmont @Mrhnran.
BURROWS WISE SUGGESTION.

week, Oulleu OVdleS senator l0eO-
dore e. Burton said:
"A singular, indeed a remarkable,
situation has arisen in this country,
a situation, unfortunate as it may be,
to the disadvantage of the Republi-
can party. / sometimes wish that
our orators would talk less about in
creased bank deposits, revenues and
iron and steel products, and more
about human welfare. There is no
question but there is great degree
of social unrest. There is too mucn
talk of special interests and their IN
fiuence on the public welfare j MAIN
tain that there has never been tlme
when individual man has mad MS
rights safeguarded as they are To-Day
When the Ohio Senator wishes that
our orators would talk less about in
creased bank deposits, revenues and
iron and steel products and more
about human welfare he touches up
on vital weakness in the American
Nation. No sane man will pretend 10
deplore the fact that our country is
great, and rich, and powerful. The
cause for regret and humiliation is
that we have placed an emphasis on
wealth and numbers and area iar
beyond their true value. We have
worshipped at the shrine of bigness.
We have been ambitious for quantity
rather than quality.
In recent years three distinguished
men have addressed large audiences
of representative Vermonters at meet
ings of the Vermont Fish and Game
League. Hon. James S. Sherman, Vice
President of the United States, and
Hon. Joseph G. Cannon, Speaker Of
the House of Representatives, told OF
our vast deposits in savings banks.
of the enormous wealth we had ac-
cumulated from farms and factories,
from mines and from mills. They told
of our wonderful increase in popu-
lation. of our territorial expansion
and cited formidable tables of statis-
tics to prove how we outshine all
our rivals in the family of nations.
Their speeches were a glorification of
our bigness and our material prosper
ity but they lacked any distinct moral
tone. These men were listened to with
respect and were decently applauded
The real truth, however, is that a
great many Vermonters do not care
very much for that old spread eagle
braggadocio style of oratory and the
speeches of Mr.. Cannon and Mr.. Sher-
man evoked little real enthusiasm or
admiration.
Three years ago a speech was de-
,livered before the organization re-
ferred to by Gov. Charles E. Hughes
of New York, which had in it nc
boasting of our National bigness, but
which contained much sound advice
regarding the betterment of politica,
conditions. 1t was the preaching of an
evangel Of political and civic right,
eousness and was an inspiration to
every man in the great audience pres
ent. Seldom has a Vermont audience
been aroused to such pitch of en-
thusiasm as it was by the eloquence
of a man whose deeds have been even
more eloquent than his words in be-
half of what Senator Burton called
human welfare.
When the Republican party follows
man like Hughes it is irresistible
When it follows leaders like Cannon
it is weak Viewed from the unemo-
tional standpoint of practical politics
there is no political asset equal to a
great moral issue. The Republican
party was organized as protest
against the extension of human slav-
cry, and as result it abolished serf-
dom and gave to the world Abraham
Lincoln. The only reason why The
odore Roosevelt in recent years has
been the most powerful factor in
American politics is because, in spite
Of many weaknesses, the people be-
lieve that he stands for a great moral
issue, the protection of the ordinary
citizen against the encroachments of
corporate greed. Within the past five
years some of the most important leg
islation in this State and in other
States has been along the lines Of
human welfare, the protection OF the
rights of the average man.
We are very shortsighted if we
ignore the prevailing social unrest
This paper does not believe that Re-
publicans need to become Insur.
gents, but it does believe that the
party should recognize the forces
which have caused political unrest
and that it should seek earnestly and
speedily to remedy conditions which
are generally considered to be un-
Just There are a great many people
more vitality interested in the high
cost of living than in the output OF
steel rails. Our political leaders viii
be wise if they recognize the fact
to which Senator Burton alluded that
the welfare of men, women and child
rem is the great problem demanding
their attention, rather than increas-
ing the statistics of any branch o.
commercial development. Industrial
SUPREMACY ic praat and q most do