Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-04-26
VOL. XIV. NO. so.

charges do net end here. Other payments
are con'rived, and altogether a large sum,
say perhaps $50, 600 has 10 be levied, PEG.
! pie do not like to pay so much in addition 70
their local taxes. We'll, then, some indi-
rect conlrlvance must be adopted which
will work easier at the moment, though it
may entail heavy consequences. They
proceed therefore to pawn the State to the
money mongers who in the form of banks
extract from the people by the license thus
obtained, at least twice as much as they paw
over IN the shape Of taxes which are aDnar-
emily imposed upon themselves, bat really
on the people; the banks Being merely the
tax galherers al the modest rate Of 100 rer
cent commission. Another most ingenious
con'rVance for involving the people is that
! CT public works. This is a most consum-
mate gloss. It looks so rai>eworhY 10
promote manufacturing industry, it is so
scientific, so cIvlllzing. Canals, bridges,
railways, aud the like are such progressive,
useful, honorable works that they dozzle or
delude easily. So the state encourages
these for the common good and, while the
Legislators are on one hand borrowing money
TO meet their own eXigencies, they lend
money to railway companies on the other.
If private adventures cannot be found will
ing 10 undertake these works, it is pretty
good evidence against their Pro6tablene,s.
| Capitalists are az ready as laborerS 10 Law
out their means 10 the best advantage and
as soon as these works are really wanted
they will be erected on private speculation
! as ships and large warehouses are built
without the especial interference OF the state.
But these expedients are adopted like edu-
cation Of the children by the town assembly,
as purifying and popular sanction to the
existence of the state assembly; with this
further motive that sources Of personal in
come are created by members of influential
talent
| My feeling upon the subject Of these so
called Improvements is that they are no re-
al advantage TO human welfare. see that
! if science could enable US, in one month, TO
compass all the sea and land on the globe, we
should compass no more virtue or happiness.
On the contrary In most countries the
march of manufacturing and travelling skill
has been the march Of misery. However,
| il is need(ul TO meet the popular opinion
where it is, and must therefore show that
! these public works could be erected and
maintained without forced government-
Surprising ii should be deemed desirable
] by parties Interested that a railway should
! be constructed over given space; and, fur
ther, that they have convinced the capitalists
their money might be advanta yeously laid
tout thereon, there then remains nothing but
10 purSIade the land holders 10 sell portions
of their land for fair equivalent. If they
will not consent, the road may take another
direction where the proprietors are willing,
or The execution may be deferred until rea-
soning or the opinion of their neighbors has
accomplished their consent. If the work is
clearly public advantage there will he no
dlssentlents, or if one should be churlisb,
public opinion will sustain the project a.
gainst him, and justify, as 1t does now, the
proceedings Of the company. To this or
deal every disputed point on such questions
has now to be brought. and ii would be as
efiicatious without the government as with
liz. In many cases legislative enactment
, by tying down a public company to certain
forms, is foond so lettering that its protec-
ton is intolerance, and the capitalists pre-
FER to be without it. So, in an enlightened
I community, would il be felt for even the
largest public works. As 10 any assistance
f which the state should give 10 specific spec
? ulations, America, think has had expert
g ence enough. Ii viii! be many years before
the United States can recover the wealth
and credit they have lost by thus going out
4 of their way. The fact that national assist
: ance is needed to accomplish any public
. work is proof absolute that Capitalists think
: il will not give them so good return for
= the outlay as other uses of their MONEY!
|. Why then should we be taxed or exposed
: to taxation when the first principles Of those
It very political economists are against them 2
e The argument is briefly this ; if the work is
Y desirable, it will as surely be done as any
Y other voluntary association is formed One
d feels here rathRr to be combating against
n nobody; and That the real difficulty lies ia
Y finding reasons why the nation should 10.
Y tetfere, and not why il should leave alone.
l know of No other legislative acts
l. which present more difficulties 10 my pc,
r sition than this Of railway, laid down a