The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-09-08

value OF his crops, rs ii rccelNeu ny MIN
who cultivatcs the lands lying near mar
ket, and bearing high value.
And yet as near an approximation to this
as IL possible Is the great demand of the
day in America. Labor Is no longer cheap
here. The burdens of taxation are heavy.
The expenses of living are large. The
natural demands Of free and cultivated
people are larger. And there is not only
growing desire, but there is u growing ne
cessity for the receipt of the producer of
larger share OF the market value Of his
crops. The fluctuations of the markets OF
course are not forgotten. The producer of
staples is perfectly aware that the market
may be glutted for him, just as it may be
for the producer of crops for local consump-
ton. And we all bear in mind that, while
to the American farmer with his social and
civil necessities, high farming in popu-
lous community and for n local market is
the thnh most desirable there still must be
and will be communities devoted to agri-
culture in sparscly-settled districts, whose
prosperity is as important to the country
as that of the most active merchant or man
ufacturcr in the busiest city in the land.
How shall this be sccurcdI
The solution of this problem is by no
means easy. The problem presents itself
in difficult ;Yay to begin with. The con-
sumcr ofcorn at dollar n bushcl is startled
to learn that corn is used fuel on the very
farms. where that which he has purchased
was raised. The producer of corn grows
more and more indignant as he sits before
his fire and reads that the fuel with which
he is warming himself is worth n dollar n
bushcl in the Eastern market. Such in
cqualilies, we think, may exist in India or
on the shores of the Black Sea- but they
ought not to fall on him who is in all things
equal to and perhaps works harder than his
Eastern neighbor. The problem has, there
fore an ugly look at both ends The pro-
Queer complains that he is starved and must
have rclicf--thc consumer complains that
he is robbed already, and that an increase OF
prices will work his ruin. The problem is
indeed hard,
That the burden of solution should be
thrown upon the system of intermediate
trade and transportation is not surprising.
That this system needs regulating there
can be no doubt and that it will be regu-
lated there should he no doubt But while
| remind you of the troubles and difficulties
which belong naturally to the business of
producing the staples of trade and would
join you in simplifying ard cconumizing the
work OF Importation, let me also impress
upon you the necessity Of reform in anoth-
or quarter, II reform important, a. believe.
in national rs well as in an individual
point ofyicw. As have said elsewhere,
and on another occasion, the rcsllcSa and
ambitious desire of our people manitest>
itself in those luxurious and cxtravagant
modes of life which have enervalcd and de-
stroyed empires and republics alike. 1t is
an old story, know. 1t is an cd warning.
Ia /, -,l,..I g
criul people that having risen to u giddy
height in wealth and strength the patriotism,
and energy, and courage, and sturdy sim
plicity which make tgreat, have surrounded
to all the vices and Weaknesses which at
tend upon prosperity; and it has fallen be-
fore the rudcr and harder forces which
found it an easy prey But for ourselves |
mean more than this. | have no fear of our
losing our manly virtues so long us our
broad unoccupied lands wait for our in
creasing population. and so long as the
great mass of our people spring from the
rural districts. But do not look with en-
tire composurc and satisfaction upon the
growing demand ior eXtravagant display in
almost every walk in life, TO support which
the producing classes must be called to oX-
haustive and discouraging labor. We in
sist on palatial railroad stations, on lux
urious and expensive passenger cars, splen-
did enough fora Persian king, on numcr-
Gus wcll-paid off ials, on an eXtravagant
railroad system generally and then complain
that transportation and travel eat up our
substance. We erect elaborate, enormous
and highly architectural mills, and then
wonder that we cannot get our cotton and
wooden factories for nothing. We build
warehouses without counting the cost, and
4 Sx1
pei the occupants to rob the consumer or
starve, or perhaps both, under the pressure
of heavy nts. We construct our houses
as if we were to live forever, and then NOR
tgage them as burden to ourselves and
our heirs. Our children are taught in school
houses whose chief merit is their imp osng
style and their more imposing cost. A city
without an enormous debt for public build
ings and public works of every description,
is no city at all, We compass sea and land,
to supply our necessary wants desert our
homes daily for the fascinating dissipation
of travel and new scenes, and new associa-
tons and earn and spend, and spend and
earn, until it would seem as if our capacity
for both were exhausted. We imported
f.om foreign countries in eight months,
ending the last days of March, 1873, more
than Si34 100000 of various commodities,
the products of other nations, and we cx-
port only 1926, 1000, 900 in exchange and of
these imports more than $50, 900, 900 are
IuXuries and ornaments Now | do not
think that all this is to cool orr patriotism
or cnervatc our arms, or destroy our enor-
gy, or break our courage. But am sure
that it is making such constant draft ON
our resources and forces that the growth of
population and industry, large ms it is, will
fail to meet the inevitable balance against
us. The lessen we must learn is the eXer-
else of public and private economy. have
no doubt we can struggle on without it, for
have great faith in the producing power
of free and industrious people, each man
Ofwhom is engaged in contributing his share
of the vast national industrial product. But
it must be evident to every man of observa-
ton that we can setu e widespread and uni
versal prosperity and comfort only on the
basis of prudence and economy that we can
only establish cheap communication between
the different sections of the country, by Il
reduction of official and material expenses !;
and that we cannot establish our currency on
firm and solid basis so long as will insist
on having the balance of trade heavily
against us, for the qualification OF our luxury
and taste. If we desire rcpOse and pros
perity, aud comfort and peace. aud content
to all the producing classes, we must re-
member that the peryading policy of a re-
public must be economy, and that to true
republic extravaganza and luxury are an
cxcresence and burden.
This, gentleman, consider to be good
agricultural advice, applicable to East and
West, North and South alike. And con
graduating you on the auspit ious opening of
your exhibition, on the intelligent and ener-
gctic friends who have continued to gather
around our society, on the indications of ag-
ricultural prosperity among us, and on the
enterprise which has brought to our grounds
the products OF regions more favored than
our own, beg you to enter upon your
work with that spirit of fairness and justice
which has given the New England Agrcul-
tural Society good reputation, and with
that spirit of courtesy and good temper
which has thus far made II n rnsnectahla aud