Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-03-29
God in the Constitution.

God in the Constitution.
The Ncir England Farmer, in a recent is
sue, has an article on the Millionaire
question, taking similar views to those re-
Gently expressed by us on the subject But
the editor Of the Fdrmcr, with that eye for
the practical, which distinguishes him, and
makes him such good agricultural editor,
wants to know what is to be done about it, |
lie says
II may not be an easy matter to determine what
should he done to prevent the amassing Of such
colossal private fortunes in this country, at the
expense Of its industries, and the comfort Of the
people, hn, it is perfectly clear TO our mind that
there is danger 10 he apprehcndod from the power
such immense wealth has Of absorbing and at-
tracing TO itself the lesser fortunes with which it
may come in contact and the sooner the subject
IL understood and the danger met the easier will
It be to dispose Of It to the best interests Of all
parties concerned
IL will unquestionaby be difficult TO get
anything done to obviate this great evil, but
il does not seem so very difficult to know
what ought to be done. We should comprise
what is necessary in the words at the head
Of this article What We need is thus briefly
expressed" God in the Constitutien;"-
not the word, but the reality.
We often hear this called a Christian
country, bnt when We remember what it has
cost US to get one of the primary elements
of our religion, the brotherhood Of man, so
far made practical reality among US as to
extinguish the absolute ownership of one man
by another, we must be ready to admit that
Christianity has, as yet, little claim to be con
sidercdtheruling principle Of our institutions.
The Christian religion, carried out to its
ultimate results in the life, will make Of
every nation a pure and perfect republic.
And when that is done we shall have neither
tramps nor millionaires. If We were called
upon to say what ought to be done in Amer
lea, in order to bring this about, we should
put it somewhat in this way;
First, we should settle the Indian question
by treating the Indians with common de
cency and humanityi and when their hunting
grounds are made useless by white encroach-
ments, provide them with living, until they
can be taught to earn it in some better way.
Fifty quakers of the William Penn stamp,
or the same number of missionaries such as
France sent among them in the seventeenth
century, would do more to keep the Indians
peaceful than allour army. good mounted
police to keep our own borderruiTans in order,
while detachment of the church militant,
headed by some strong armed Peter Cart
right, were converting them, would do much
to secure the success of this plan.
Then we would disband army and navy,
and appropriate their present cost to the es-
Enlistment and support of normal schools
in every state sufficient to furnish an ample
supply of competent teachers for our public
schools. Then we shonld abolish all patent
laws, and every other form Of monopoly, leay-
ing every tub to stand on its own bottom
The railways, having replaced the old high
ways, should become national or state roads
and the privilege of operating them be leased
to individuals or companies, under strict
governmental supervision
Our next move for putting God into the
Constitution would be to utterly forbid the
manufacture, growth Or importation of alco-
holic drinks, tobacco, opium, or any other
narcotic or stimulant drug. This, in a short
time, would relieve us Of iye-sixths Of our
present expenses for jails, courts, poor.
houses, hospitals, penitcntiaries, reform
schools, lunatie and idiot asylums, and leave
us several hundred millions annually to be
appropriated to the improvement of our pub
lie schools until III every state each boy and
girl should have ample opportunity to Obtain
the highest possible training for their future
,laties in life
For this purpose it would only be neces
sary to take the funds saved by the decrease
Of pauperism aud crime. The wealth hith
crto squandered ON injurious drugs would b,
added to the permanent capital Of the PEG
pie. As yet, the only nation that has at
tempted legislation such as is here suggested
the heather Chinee,' has been compelled
10 abandon it by the guns and bayonets o.
Christian England. When the Chimes,
administration found how the habit of opium
eating was increasing among its population
it forbade the Introduction Of the drug bu
England, in the interest Of its East Indian
opium trade forced the abrogation of tina
benefeeni law. All the missionary societie
Of the world have scarcely done so much /,
spread our religion as that one act effected
with hardly word Of protest from the pull
pits Of the nation that did it, has done :,
prevent the Christianization Of the world
Another step in this radical system OF re
form would be the substitution Of direct il
the place of indirect taxation, for every pur
pose for which revenue is required. w
would have every taxpayer know just hoy
much, in dollars and cents, is taken fror
him for governmental purposes. As long a
he pays his taxes only in the increased pric
OF the commodities he consumes, he is ker
in the dark as to the real cost Of running tn
government, and thus deprived Of accurat
knowledge on point Of the utmost impo
lance to every citizen.
Another change that ought to be made,
the repeal Of every law exempting an
species Of property from taxation. Let u
burden be equally and fairly divided, an
then the great estates and the luxuriol
temples Of the millionaire class would co
tribute large sums TO relieve and make ca,
the burdens OF the smaller property-holder
who now carry most Of the weight
A law forbidding the owning, by any pc
sou or company, Of land, above certa
quantity, not improved for some useful pu
pose, would also be an important and niece
sary provision.