Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-02-09

lut Nhus VI
There is no view of any question that can
be taken, no matter how plain it may ap
pear, or how fairly II may be sustained, tha,
some one cannot be found, among the hills Of
Vermont, to manifest himself among the
contrary minded" Our people are very
independent set Of thinkers, as editors are
apt to find, when they venture beyond the
commonplace Of journalism, and try to
make point agains, any Of the evils Of the
times. But wehardly supposed that we had
lately wandered far enough from the beaten
path to rouse any such vehement antagonism
as is manifested in long letter, which comes
to us over the signature Of Sylvester Bauis-
ter, of Warren.
This communication is criticism upon
our article, Cramps and Millionaires." OF
that article he bluntly tells us" Now
should judge the writer to be one of a very
large class Of people that were living beyond
their means, and was finding fault with
everybody because of the hard times, when
the fault really lies at their own doors"
Now, Mr. Banister, it might be that the
article in question was written by just such
person as you Judge did write it. But you
forgot 10 take into consideration, while you
sat in judgment upon us, the fact that one
could write in sympathy with that unfortu-
nate class, and partially from its point of
view, without actually belonging to II, or
sharing personally in its misfortunes. Aud
this is the truth.
Perhaps Mr.. Banister thinks that none
who live beyond their means ought to be so
much an object Of sympathy as TO have their
cause advocated in the papers. lie evidently
does think so, for he says" There has not
been time in the history of this country
when the laboring classes have had so good
an opportunity to accumulate something as
they have for the past ten or fifteen years
but instead Of laying by for rainy day, it
has all gone for fast and riotous living and
they are now finding fault with those that
have made fortunes from their recklessness."
This is an exaggeration, Mr.. Banister,
since the laborng classes, and especially the
farmers, hare laid by considerable capital
during the time mentioned. Their gains
have by no means "aH gone for fast and ri
otous living" But surprising they had,
what has that to do with the points dis
cussed by us in Tramps and Millionaires?"
Has all the fast and riotous living of the
past fifteen years been among the mechanics
and farmers? Have not those gentlemen
who, during the same time, have been roll
ing up huge fortunes from the RECKLESS
ness" OF the working men, they and their
families, also lived fast and rotously2 For
whom have been imported the millions upon
millions in value of silks, broadcloths, laces,
diamonds and other jewels, fine furniture,
costly wines and liquors Who have car
ried abroad and spent in fast living at Paris
and other European cities the other millions
upon millions so much needed now to sus-
tain eur faltering credit and revive our Ian
gushing trade ?
Mr.. Banister will not find us, while do
Tending the righteous cause OF the working
man, also defending his sins. But we ask
him and those who think with him, Who are
the bone and snew of this country, the hope
and dependence of its future prosperity /?
Are they the working men, the producers of
all our wealth, or are they these gentlemen
and ladies that never have added a genuine
dollar to the national resources, and yet, as
he says, shave made fortunes from the reck-
lessness" of the workmen /? And between
the two classes, which should have the sym
pathy and support of the true patriot and
the true Christian
We do not dispute-indeed we know-that
in too many instances, our workmen and
work-women do not lay up as much from
the proceeds of their labor as they ought.
We know that they are often careless and
improvident. And especially is it true that
considerable number of the former devote
aportion Of their earnings to purpose that
aids, more than all things else, the efforts of
the money power to shackle American labor
as European labor is shackled. We mean
indulgence in alcoholic drink. Mr.. Banister
says; at is estimated that this country
consumes six hundred millions of alcoholic
drinks" which, at a dollar drink, would
be six hundred millions of dollars-and
that is probably what Mr.. Banister means.
A fearful evil indeed Six hundred mil
lions of dollars, or half that sum- added an
nually to the savings Of the working class in
this country, would soon make it independ.
ent of the powers Of combined wealth
Watching this leak alone would be sufficient,
II the watching could be made effectual.
But who is doing what is being done to
arrest this evil 7 Is it the capitalist? Il
not the wealth Of this country, where 1t Is
aggregated in single hands to large amounts
thrown with nearly unvarying certainty on
the side of indulgence and lcense2 Ger
tainly it is, and for the good reason that
the poor mans vice is the rich mans oppor-
tunity. Who is it that loans money at high
interest to the Incorporate farmer, and
finally copes his farm? Is it not our coun-
try capitalist, sitting in his village Office,
like spider in the corner OF his webb
We do not defend the sins OF labor, its ex-
travagance. or its intemperance. But we do
say that, sinners or not, our working men
and women have rights that it behooves
them to protect If they would preserve
them. Let us admit their faults, and yet
aggravated to the highest, their personal sins
pale before the sins, both Of commission and
omission, of capital in its relations with la.
Dor. 1t is the sin of capital that 1t claims
substantially all the advantages resulting
from the great inventions and discoveries OF
the age. The profits Of these belong equally
Of right to all mankind who participate In
their application. The cotton gin, the
spinning jenny and the power loom, the
steam engine, the railroad and the telegraph,
the improved machines OF every sort that
have doubled and quadrupled the results Of
productive labor in the factory and on the
farm, must not DO allowed TO pour Their
wealth into the hands of the rich alone
They are the gifts Of God to all men, and
their benefits should be shared by all
In Europe they have been made monopo-
lies, and labor there feeds no better, sleeps
no softer, is clothed no warmer, enjoys no
more leisure, spends no more pleasant hours
because OF them, though the rich are made