Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-02-19
Where TO DCmlcile.

profound onunciation, seeing that indiyid-
uals comprise the state. But there may be
limits 10 the resources in either case that
will tend to fix limitation to the desirable
adyancoments which constitute the MAKE
mum Of that social complexity resulting in
the greatest possible enjoyment. What.
ever prosperity msy fall to the lot Of YER
mont, it is certain not to be Of the onervat-
ing kind, or to proceed from resources
unaided by effort Nor are we exposed TO
the Goldsmithian condition, where wealth
accumulatos aud men decay" For outside
Of "hariy yeomanry aud few "goy-
eminent bonds,' the people Of Vermont
have but slight margin in cumulative re-
sources.
How shall we continue to prosper, to add
to cur wealth and population, aud to extend
and broaden the avenues Of prosperity, uu-
til the garden districts shall extend to
the hill.tops and to the farthcrmost hamlets,
instead Of being more particularly confined
to the valleys. or clustering around but a
limited number Of really prosperous vii.
lagos ? No one need be told that the source
of wealth, or rather the source Of subsst.
ence in Vermont thus far has been literally
the soil, and the fact is equally patent that
the source has not increased in strength,
but on the contrary has been going back.
Many out.posts have been drawn in and
hamlets and farm houses abandoned
Rural districts have become more rural,
and hilsides permitted to grass mullen or
brush over, that once repaid cultivation.
The lords Of this soil and their descendants
have somewhat condensed nearer the meet.
ing.house, the mill aud the post-ofice, bu,
a large proportion have failed to domoiIe
on or near the homes Of the original pro.
prietors and have gone where lands were
broader and waiting to be burdened with
the abundance Of FIRST crops.
This is all common place enough and has
often been better said before, the reader
may well say; but apparent as this is, there
is a question connected with it which must
be correctly answered before this depletion
will stop, aud the indispensable element to
the increasing wealth and greatness Of q
state can be kept at home. The faciite.
and the inducements for migrating are
much greater than they once were. Pioneer
life is now but little more than following
out some line Of newly constructed rail.
way, in picnic order, till the desired point
is reached, and there sit down by the side
Of it, and commence making home on
land that is free gift from the govern
meut, with no forests to hew down or other
heavy drafts save those borne by the break
ing up team, to prepare the soil for its frs
crop. Townships are now planted with
more ease and less djscomlorts in the aggre.
gate, in the lurthermost West, than once at
tended the removal Of single family from
Connecticut to Vermont. Easy transporta-
ton, cheap lands, no disadvantages a,
to climate, with all the civIizing facilitie.
which railroad communication stands for
accompany the emigrant to his new HON,
when he turns his back on the old homestead
and its acres, which have been turned ovel
and skinned until the summer crop fa,
to shade the sunburnt soil. This is tn,
hue in which emigration is now presente,
to the young Vermont farmer who iuds u
room and has not the means to make be
ginning for his agricultural aspirations
where good lands are enormously scarce a
well as high hired labor not remuueratiy
and living expensive. With little capita
to begin with, his first thought is to iuvs,
it where it will count him the most at th
earliest possible moment in the way q
making him home, for so long as " ma
is a domestic ANIMAL if he sometime
d" gories in gunpowder and loves parade,
the average Nermonter glories more in tina
domesticity which best represents the tru
sovereign, aud if he cannot ind it elsewher
he will not stop this side of prairie frol
any fear Of being little farther from Ii
parental hearth-stone than any of his at
cestors ever strayed
But this is not all. He mist go som,
where. There is no room left for him
home unless the industries are in some wa
enlarged and expanded SO as to absorb II
surplus population, for all are surplus no
beyond a certain limit 1t is certain tbi
, no agricultural device can stay the It'd
and, as has often been pointed out in Il
columns of this paper, our only hope is
the increase and building up of manufactu
ing establishments, and the diversion
surplus capital into channels that will afIol
profitable employment to those who are no
compelled to 90 elsewhere for it, This
course involves the question of praoticabi
ity, which means competition, raw matero
freights to and from market, and all Il
other incidentals which determine Il
success or failure of manufacturing entc
prises, which it is not our purpose here
discuss as they are to great extent loo
questions, even within state limitatio
For what might be condition to su,
enterprise in Montpelier might not apply
the least to Burlington or st. Albau
There is " tide water" law Of trade viii,
f can be felt even in Vermont, the inluen
of which must not be disregarded. b
this is not to our purpose.
0 Our only object in these few remarks
' to hint at the utter folly Of preachil
D against emigration to that irrepressit
= portion Of bone, muscle and brains III
b must hang out ON the outside Of the liz
!, OF swarm, unless further provision can
! made at home, as above suggested I
}. Inducements row offered for emigration c
d not always last, especially those appical
d to ex-soldiers, and that Nermonters shoJ