Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-09-25

ltl'S unncHru or IN the Olu "oll"
cause of this difference militancy Is un-
likely to invade this country. And Tor
the same reason it is stnl possible to
maintain that government with us needs
the help of our women
THE OPEN Door FOR VERMONT.
| The communication signed a Loyal
Vermontcr" published in another
| column, presents an unusual point
of view and defends It very cleverly. The
value of such communications lies not
so much in any truth literally conveyed
to the reader as in the originality which
stirs thought out of trodden paths, cor
reefs the accepted viewpoint where 1t
has gone too far and brings up helpful
and unaccustomcd trains of thought
As an attack upon the work being don"
by the publicity department of the state
the letter will hardly be taken seriously
| for neither the Chinese policy of the
| high wall nor the Thibetan policy Of in
accessible secrecy will help us to appre-
ciate more fully the beauty of our coun-
| tryside and the glory of our traditions.
And we are not likely to retain the pros
perty and vitality of Vermont towns
by hiding them from aggressive outsid-
sders for fear they may take the land
away from its present owners. Tho
rivalry OF newcomers will stir NcrmOnters
to their best if they are worthy of the
name. With all due respect to the sonti-
ments OF our interesting correspondent,
we must say candidly that the Vermont
for Vermontcrs' policy seems little
too narrow to be admirable and too mega
tive to be successful
| The most interesting question raised by
| this suggestive letter is the entirely
argucable proposition whether or not an
influx OF summer tourists will democrat
ize our population on this point loose
analogy is drawn to New Hampshire.
| We are not ready to admit that the ira
! "4'loH iudLllN ana spirit vi tHe 4NeW
Hampshire dwelcrs has suffered by tn,
presence on certain barren hllsides OF
great summer hotels We do not wan,
Vermonters made into nunkcys by this
summer tourist business. however profit
able it may be. But we do not believe
they can be reduced to nunkeyism.
This problem of preserving the spirit
and traditions Of a people has been most
notably met by the little country of
switzerland. Here the visits of tourists
and the business OF providing for them
has been going on long enough for its
results to he observed. Switzerland was
a little knot of mountains and mountain
jewellers surrounded by nations Wher
the nations awakened to the Alpine at.
fractions and began to pour in from al
sides, it might have been predicted that
the inhabitants would be swamped and
crushed out of all individuality if no,
oblterated But to-day after generations
have come and gone and left the land
trimming with wealth the Swiss are as
coherent and plain and self-respccting a
people as can be found. Their govern.
ment is the model to all self-governinr
peoples. ana they are said to have tn,
finest school system in the world
The Swiss farmer had culture and
nobility of his own, Just as the s,alwart
purtan-bred Vermont farmer has. Thi.
influx Of peoples failed to dcmoraliz,
them, because they made conscious
effort to preserve their standards. tradi
tons, schools and institutions. And tn,
same thing happened in Scotland which
Walter Scott made in a moment kinC
OF Mecca for all the world. The Scotct
peasant had a culture of his own. II,
was thinker ana philosopher Hi.
brother might be a professor in som,
great institution or one of the leadnl
writer's Of the time. He was not dazzlet
by transient show. neither was he humil
lated by it, but he was canny enough
to make the most of it and sell his pro
ducc to the obstetrics which have grow
up to provide for the tourist
So long as Vcrmontcrs remain Yer
monters, the policy Of the open door ant
the urgent invitation will not hurt Yer
mont. We must make the most cf al
that is valuable in the life characte
ard traditions of our people But W,
must also keep the latch-string out. New
blood will give us new energy and new
ideas.