Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-12
VERMONT MAPLE SAP AND POLL

TICS.
We have been unable to bring our
limited studies in natural history, pohtl-
cal science and theoretical politics 10
bear sufficiently upon the problem to de-
termine the exact relation between the
Vermont maple and politics, yet there
must be a somewhat intimate connection
between the two. Whether 1t is the re-
suit of the mere association of ideas or
whether there is some occult influence
which stirs the political microbe as the
wooing sun starts the flow of maple sap
in myriad tiny ducts, IS a question
which may never be successfully solved
In the brief period of political auie-
tude preceding the reaking OF the
Rooseveltlan storm of 1912 u famous citi-
zen of Vermont in explaining why he
preferred not to be a delegate to the ap-
preaching republican national conven-
ton in Chicago said in substances: Be
for the maple sap begins to flow you
vi NJ Clsllu lllt ItFcCi - ~
termination" We have often wondered
what far-vision enabled this wizard In
more than one field to pierce the political
future so surely and so clearly. Was
the maple microre already beginning to
make felt its subtle influence?
Another close association of politics and
Green Mountain maple is now made by
the Brooklyn Eagle, IN the course of a
rhapsody on democratic progress IN con-
n~ection with a "reminiscences of Samuel J..
Tilden in which It says:
In the language of the old hymn: I'VE
Are Living. We Are Moving in a Grand
| and Awful Time" The sap Is stirring
within the naples Of politics as 1t Is
within the trees o. Vermont, New Hamp-
shire and those cooler parts of western
Massachusetts, from which Jacob A.
Riis is a voluntary winter exile In a
salubrious recess Of Florida.
In truth, politics Is doing its best or
worst and Uncle Sammy thought that its
worst was it. best. and he not seldom
made it's best triumphant. To be sure,
nc overreached himself by too many
aides, but he had to have somebody
through whom to work, and 'shen he did
work through stupids It was more under
coercion than choice, and more due to
misfortune than to v%olition.
He had confidence in his ountry and
In the United States Supreme Court.
His confidence in his country was JUS
tilted. His confidence in the Supreme
Court of the United States was shattered
by the diversion of David Davis from
the bench vt the Senate under the ma
chinations of Illinois politicians.
But the sap did run when it ran, and
It Is running now in Washington, down
South, out West, and in the minds OF
Borah, Pinchot, LaFollette. Congress.
ma Underwood, and the Lord knows
what other pillars or props OF politics in
various sections.
Just how the distant Brooklyn Eagle
has learned that maple sap is running
in Vermont thus early is an enigma
unless Editor Ormsbee retains UNI
dimmed that predominant Vermont in
stinct which has ever caused him to turr
to the Green mountains for surcease from
journalistic strain and find recuperatior
in his native hills every possible season
O. the year.
Blu even this proposition does not &C,
count for the political phenomena or thu
natural history problem involved in tn,
close association in two great minds o.
Vermont maple and politics, or thu
simultaneous flow of the two supposed,
wholly disconnected currents in widel.
separated fields.
Meanwhile it is a prosaic fact who'll,
disassociated from politics that a Yer
mont newspaper man the other day en-
joyed a drink of delicious maple sap, ant
about the same time Vermont had de
termined to vote for direct nominations