The Band Wagon

THERE is a widespread philosophy which perhaps has always been more or less prevalent, but which sometimes seems to reach epidemic contagion. For want of a better term we identify it in the vernacular phrase by which it is commonly known: getting on the band wagon_riding the popular thing regardless of the principles or the consequences involved; glibly giving allegiance to him who holds the purse strings_until someone else holds them; joining what is popular without too much thought as to what is right; jumping on and getting what we can out of it. In yielding to this so-called band-wagon philosophy it would sometimes seem that we don’t care much where the wagon is going so long as we are with the crowd and so long as the ride lasts. To some degree, this, no doubt, has always been so. It is historically recorded that the world has seen many scrambles to get on the band wagon, whatever they may have called it. It would seem to be an ancient pastime, with perhaps some modern embellishments. It would be interesting to know how many people the world over have switched allegiance or changed avowed loyalties at one time or another because of what hey thought there was in it for them personally, rather than because of any principle involved. This, of course, would be difficult to determine, because where a man’s immediate personal advantage is concerned, he sometimes finds difficulty in distinguishing between principle and profit, between conviction and convenience. Even the Savior of mankind had the disappointing experience of having the multitudes follow when He fed them loaves and fishes, and desert Him when His enemies accused Him. The parades of popular preference move here and there, where the road looks easiest, or where the crowds seem largest or loudest. But with too many riding, the overloaded band wagon inevitably breaks down, sometimes in the most unexpected ways and at the most unexpected times, and then soberly we have to face reality, and get off and walk back, perhaps a long way. The free rides, so-called, are very tempting, but inevitably they are paid for by someone_and experience has proved that ultimately those who pay include those who think they are riding free.