Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-12-28
FOREFATnERS' DAY
Continued from Page y


non, though, ~e nave; the consolation
Oh goodly lchoNemp, nave u,eu
hcuueued OF late, wnen burdeucd Nllh
"a growing sense Of MY utter mubinly
10 cope with the WnOlc stupcudous
plObcm-l have been heWtcncd, / say,
ny q reply OF President Wilson, "lou
usk me, 10 ran, "Nhut is 10 happen
10 the commerce OF the world Nu,n
this war Is ovcG / answer that ! 90
not know ad neither docs anyone
chc,
Let us all take heart Of grace; it
was sUrc"d and true comment oil
Bacon that while general couuscIs
the plots aud marshaling Of affairs
must ever be the function of the few,
II is far easier for the mass of men TO
Judge Of particulars one by one, 10
mat humber function we may at least
address ourselves, consolcd by the re
Election that much of the world = most
helpful service is to be placed to the
credit Of the short view. There is keen
analysis Of human nature no less than
delightful humor in the saying of
Washington GLADDEN. that when the
priest and the Lcvite came upon the
wounded traveller and passed by on
the other side, they were probably on
their way to convention at Jerusa.
lem, called TO consider the question,
&" How shall we reach the Masses"
The priest and the Levite are with us
yet. That he disrcgarded the rights of
men in vague enthusiasm for those of
man, was n charge made, not without
reason, against the poet Shelley; but
surely we need not go back so far in
the search for an illustration. | am
minded therefore, making Of a nccc,
Sity the virtue that it proves to be.
to focus our attention on Il purely
local theme; to consider some phases
of our village life as they link them.
selves in an intimate way to mankind s
progressive thought.
We were recently told, in the fclici.
touS and compelling phrase of master
of expression that the world must be
made safe for democracy While grant
ing to the proposition a full and glad
assent, one feels impclIed to question
whether its converse be not equally
true and mportant-whcthcr democ.
racy as form Of government must
not be made safe for the world-and
this in no spirit Of captiousncss or
criticism, but with sober realization
that the latest phase of political evo.
luton, proud as we are and Justly, of
its achievements and its possibilities,
IS ms yet but a great experiment. And
If this be the duty to which we are
now summoned, what more practical
way to do it than to better the de.
mocracy, not of Amcrica-that task in
it's entirety is of course beyond our
powers; nor even that Of the Common.
wealth except in contributory fashion:
but the democracy Of this village of
for whose policies we
alone are responsible, whose life is
what We make it, and whose corporate
deals, to Justify us or condemn, are
composite Of yours and mine. "a
better Vermont, - Surely a splendid
slogan whcn once we have redeemed
t from its vagucncss, There can be
no finer rallying cry if only we do not
ct It remain a generality. We must
not forgct-wc are always in danger
II iorgcttmg-that the task which it
imposes is a local task; il is here mt
lom", or nowhere, that the men and
women Of Middlebury must labor for
Is fuliImcnt. Let us, then, accent
he challenge Of the hour, as the men
# Jerusalem, long ago, built the wall
.or Nehemiah, carrying his plans to n
triumphant end by working, every man
If them, not here and there. haphazard.
nut over against his own house. BY
he very constitution Of things. great
movements for the public good can be
prosecuted successfully in no other
ashton; the centuries have not inn
proved on the Nehemiah way
How, then, shall we win for Middle .
Jury safer democracy? II is most
ltal question, for we all agree. take
t, that dangers lurk in the democratic
principle; il needs but Russia to tell
Is that The New England town. |
meeting was rightly cited by Bismarck
IS the most perfect illustration Of pure
democracy, and vet | doubt whether
my OF us have looked upon it always
IS an unmiXrd blessing | remember
IN annual meeting Of this village some
WontY years ago. when certain i'm.
'ortant matters. of village policy were .
-. MI