Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-05
Stone Feels Badly.

How do st. Johnsbury people like on the
whole newspaper that Is doing its best to
injure its own town, to destroy its business
prosperity and deinme its worthy citizensp
That Is what the FttrniCr Is doing and has
been doing for the last eight months. - Gale
DOMAIN.
The Catedonidn man has "no desire to
enter into a controversy" We don't ques-
tion that. Some time ago he took occasion
to remark that we had been lying pretty ex-
tensivcly. We asked him to specify or
name an instance, aud his modest disnclina.
ton to controversies prevented his doing So
so all we can know is that we have lied, but
are in the dark as to wherein. Or is it
possible that the charge was lie ITSELF and
therefore the author don't want any "contro-
versy" about it2
Who has educated the people to think the
merchants are set of cut.throats2 Will
the CGtedonian please enlighten us2 We
have always claimed and often asserted in
the FARMER that the outrageousy high
prices which we're charged for goods in St.
JOhnsbury were not because the merchants
were making too much money, but because
there were too many Of them to do the bust
ness of the place, and because of the ruinous
credit system. We should like as well
as any one to see the business of our town
increase, but as long as the number of deal
ers is so much in excess OF the amount Of
business that exorbitant prices have to be
charged to enable them all to get living,
and people are compelled to go to Montpel.
Ter, Newport, Boston, and other distant
points to get goods at reasonable prices, we
do not expect to see much outside trade
coming here to build up the place. Trade
has been driven away from the place, aud
the Cdtedonidn has given its entire inau-
ence to perpetuate this state of affairs which
prevented the growth Of the place. 1t did
this for fear Of loss of advertising patron.
age. How patriotic
allow do St. Johnsbury people like on
the whole newspaper that is doing its hest
to injurc its own town, to destroy its bust
ness prosperity" by not only preventing
people outside from coming here to buy but
compelling our own people to go away to
trade, just because it can thereby secure a
few columns Of profitable advertising?
How do st. Johnsbury working people
like on the whole newspaper" whose editor,
as q. NJ. Stone did a few days ago, says
that the workmen of St. Johnsbury don't
know enough to get any benefit from their
money if they do save it, and therefore it
had better be in the hands of the merchants
who know how to take care of 1t?
allow do St. JOhnsbury people like on the
whole newspaper" that works industriously
and well for every ring, that always lends
its influence to the aid of the rich rather
than helping the poor
The able and disnterested editor
quotes an item from the Springfield RepJii,
can which he says was written by the editor
of the FARMER. We will not dispute him.
The item in question is one we should not
be disposed to disown. 1t is as follows:
Business is unusually dull Mt St. Johns.
bury. Most of the merchants complain that
trade was never lighter, and the Fairbanks
scale works are very considerably reducing
their number of employees. Some Of their
best hands, men who have worked in the
shops for dozen years, are out of employ
ment.
About a year ago there was a statement
in the Republican (which the editor of the
FARMER did write) to the effect that there
had been several failures Of business men in
St. Johnsbury. The Cdledonian announced
that the statement was false. We then
named three cases of failures which had &C.
Cured within few weeks. Probably the
people here can remember how we'll the
Caledonian succeeded in its prophecy that
there were likely to be no more.
At the same time, when the panic was so
affecting business that little if any more
than half the usual amount of help was em-
ployed in the scale works, many men with
families alternating with each other and
working one week in two, and some one
week in three, while many Of the single men
were discharged, IA very creditable and hu-
name action on the part of the company,
giving those men with families depending on
them the preference,) the Caledonian week
after week published and repeated the false
hood that business was never better in the
scale works. Is it strange that people
should hesitate now TO credit its statements
That veracious incarnation Of wisdom who
edits the Caiedonian now attempts to prove
that the business Of the company is larger
than common by stating that the orders for
the FIRST four weeks of this year lin which
are included a large order from Russia,
where the effects of our financial depression
do not reach) are "nearly double those for
the same period last year !" nearly double
those during the greatest financial panic and
period of business depression known of late
years How strange!
But the most horrible crime which the
Ring Organ has charged US with is oducat-
ing the people to think "that if anything is
wanted the best way is to send the money
direct to Boston, or to the manufacturer, +"
thereby injuring our own town and destroy
ing its business prosperity! Did G. NJ.
Stone ever buy a silk dress for his wife in
New York, Boston, or Paris? If he did
was not that crime against St. JOhnsbury I?
Why don't the CaledOaian man get sta.
tionery dealer to buy his paper for him,
charging commission, and SO help to build