The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-06-24
PRESS COMMENT
Poet Laureate of Vermont


Like lot of other things done
at, near, by, or to Springfield, the
choice of a poet laureate by the
federated women's clubs has, pre-
cipitated something of a, protest,
not so much against Robert Frost,
a distinguished Vermonter by
adoption and real poet, as
against the snap judgment that
seems to have inspired the choice.
Things go in women's conven-
tons much as they go in mems.
The voting body of the delegates
leave such things to committees.
Committees half do their work,
but must report something. The
convention presently is face to
face with adopting or rejecting a
report, and in nine cases out of
ten adopts it, without further seek
ing or discussion.
Thence come resolutions con-
demning this or that, committing
the conference to this or that, TAX
ing fai-reaching action, without
looking very far into the future
and particularly choosing officers,
delegates and seemingly laureates,
quite evidently without the merits
of all being suggested.
The Herald's candidate for the
position would have been either
Judge Wendell P. Stafford or Dan
lei l.. Cady, the former for finely
finished, scholarly verse;, the latter
for verse that gets down close to
the real hearts of real Vermonters.
The st.. Adams Messenger does
not agree with US so far as Cady
is concerned, and Cady isn't wor-
rying, one way or the other. He
says that he is not over anxious
to be named laureate of Vermont,
as a very signal honor has already
been done him.
One of the finest two-year- old
Morgan stations that ever was
foaled, he claims, has been named
Daniel l.. Cady". This colt comes
of royal blood, and is owned by
DR.. Alex Fullerton Phillips of
Windsor. His sire is Rob. Roy, his
dam Hippolyta, by Ethan Allen
Ill This, says Cady, is glory
enough for any Vermont literary
man.
One would think, so, indeed,
but when it comes to good verse,
the New York Times is something
of an authority and it had this to-
say of Cady's poem, "Champlain
and Lake Champaign, read by the
author at the tercentenary cele-
bration in 1909:
All these (poets) were eclipsed'
by Mr.. Daniel L. Cady, who per-
formed with ease the seemingly
impossible task of combining lines
that have good sense as well as
good sound. For example:
"Sweet these waters, tasted by
Champlain,
And healthful, sweet and clear
they must remain"
This is a clear and graceful ex-
preston of sentiment linking the
past and present and it may be re-
garded as a sly unitarian drive at
the pulp and paper mills that have
helped to make the streams of
that territory other than "sweet
and clear. Again:
"Fair were these shores in virgin
beauty then;
But fairer now, set with the
homes of men,
And fairer, happier shall they be
when trade
Again resumes the way from
which she strayed."
This is an encouragement to
Canada and the United States
each to stop furnishing itself by
taxes on the things each
wants to buy of the other. 1t is
a boost for reciprocity. X n
We hope Mr.. Taft heard Mn
Cady's poem and that he will re-
member it during the trying inter-
val which he is approaching now
at Washington.
This, of course, does not quail
ify Cady for poet laureate of
Vermont, but when, one consid-
ers that Clinton Scollard, Bliss
Carman and Percy Mackaye also
wrote tercentenary poems, the |
Times certainly did sufficient hon.
or to Dan Cady. The Cady poem
by the way, is a very important
work. 1t runs into fourteen print
ed pages and is embodied in "The |
Champlain Tercentenafy," pub
lished by the New York commits
sion.
The Herald wagers the usual
red apple that not one of the COM
mittee which brought in the Rob-
ert Frost report ever read Cady's
Champlain poem, and it certainly
will bear reading-by any lover of
Vermont and Vermont's native
vegetable, mineral,
poetic or equine, as the case may
be.
Most of US, however, will agree
that any chowder party or tea
fight can select a poet laureate.
LII Lox -