Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-02-11
Danger of Overlooking.

In the present movement Of the farmers
both East and West, against " middle.mcn,
so-called, there is imminent danger Of car
rying the hostility so far as to work serious
injury to the true interests Of the producing
class. So long as the proper distinction is
made, and the starving.out process is con-
fined to that greedy, gracclcss, garrulous set
Of cormorants who, since the high prices and
flush times Of the war, have spread them.
selves all over the land, like the frogs and
lice Of Egypt, palming Of their thousand.
and one patent humbugs, which are only
equallcd in worthlessncss by that Of the
agents thcmselves-we should consider the
Grange movement most mcriiorious or
ganization. Doubtless the West has suf.
fered far more than the East from this
source, for, with the country more sparsely
settled, and agricultural labor more gener.
ally carried on by machinery, the field has
been most inviting to these loathsome YAM.
pires Indeed so intolerable has this nui-
sance become, that some ofthe Western states
have passed laws inyaidating notes given
for patent rights, where the invention proved
worthlcss-as Of course most Of them do.
Nor are these agents-detestablo as they
may be--altogether to blame in this matter !
for with all their cajolery and fattory, the
farmers arc by no means compelled to buy
Of them. But there is an element in the
American character that finds its highest
qualification in being the posscssor Of some
new marvel and the otherwise sensible and
prudent housewife often has a willing car
for the stcreotyped yarns Of the oily-tongucd
peddlor, who knows vol how to cry up bis
wares and exto the children in the same
breath. And thus worthless sewing ma
chine is palned of at five or six times its
cost Of manufacturers a rickoty organ,
or fashy book, or dauby picture. And
so, much Of this needed reform may really
begin at home.
But there are things in this connection
the Changers should not lose sightof. There
must be middc-men, and in warning upor
those itinerant cormorants, no hostility
should be shown towards the substantial
legitimate merchants aud dealers. TIL,
manufacturer cannot leave his mills to ped
die goods, nor can the farmer leave his pillow
to make long journeys to distant manuiac
tories And besides these merchants ar
among the best friends the tilers of the sol
have. In our cities and villages they ar
generally the most enterprising citizens
They usually settle in a place for a term o
years or for life, and have every induce
ment to deal fairly aud honestly, as am
other course would tell fearlully agains
them. Aud all over the country, if thes
agents and pedders had been treated a
they deserved, and trading had been con
fined to known and reliable merchants an,
dealers both in buying and selling, the CT,
; against middle-men never would have beel
heard. Those cheating scamps we're th
enemies of the merchants, and wronged then
as well as the farmers. The war SHOULD
stop when the enemy is driven out; and tn
gross impositions Of those cormorants, nov
fully known to the farmers, ought to remov
the prejudice they SO cunuingy arouse
auainst the merchants