Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-04-11

quiry, as it will also be of strife and con-
tentiou between the different sections OF
society, and the parties that will occupy the
political field
With as little personal interest in the sub
iect as man could well have, and live in
the world, we are chiefly interested in this
question because of our desire to see the
simplicity OF the institutions received from
our forefathers maintained. The equality
before the law, the political rights and the
personal prosperity of our people, are closely
concerned in this matter. An overwhelming
accumulation of capital in the hands OF
comparatively small number Of citizens
means the impoverishment and in time the
subjugation, of the mass of the people to
the rich. 1t means the naturalization among
their descendants of that order of society,
and those methods of government which
our fathers fled away from the old world to
escape. In short, it means the growth OF
| tyranny and the destruction of liberty, no
matter how long the forms of a free govern
ment may be preserved to disguise the fact
Every intelligent citizen ought to study
this subject, of such momentous import to
him and his posterity, by the best lights he
can obtain. As yet the public press has not
taken the matter in hand, since it has not
yet emerged upon the surface of affairs,
with which alone newspaper writers concern
themselves. But the final settlement of the
great questions themselves but preliminary
to this one) which have occupied the people
for the last twenty years is row plainly at
hand and among the new issues this must
take an suspicious place. Its settlement will
occupy at least one generation. Few now
living can hope to see the end of the strug
gle. But we are all interested, because not
even the slavery question excited more
lively passion, or more heat of controversy,
nor was it, we fear, a whit more likely to
end in a resort to arms.
Though the newspapers are yet shy OF
touching the labor question, political econo'
mists and other writers upon public sub
jects are showing their opinion of its i'm
minence, as well as of its Importance, by the
issue of books, as well as by frequent ar
ticles in the leading magazines and reviews.
Among the most intelligent, and, at the
same time, brief and simple expositions of
the subject, is recent work from the pen
of ]. w. Larnad of Buffalo, New York,
published by the well-known firm of ID. APP
pleton & Co, $40 and 55l Broadway, N. Y.
rha s Ia hoo nf ht,nI raJ
and sixty-two pages is, " Talks about labor
and concerning the evolution of justice be-
tween the laborers and the capitalists. u
The subject is treated, not only without
passion, but plainly from the Christian
point of view. Feeling the injustice of the
present position of the working-man there
is yet nothing of craftsmanship much less OF
agrarianism or communism, in the language
or sentiments of the writer. 1t is American
in the best sense, and looks for the solution
of the tremendous problem, as much to the
sense of right and the business intelligence
of the capitalist, as to the agitation and co
operative action of the working-men. W.
must all hope and pray that it may be, il
not speedily, at least peacefully settled, ant
we know of no better means to that enc
than for all classes, employers, workmen anC
and farmers above any other, to seek knowl
, edge by the study of just such works a
this of Mr.. Larned's. We know there are {
considerable number of our readers who de
sire information in this direction, and tt
such we may say that the investment of (
dollar and half in the purchase of th
book will give them great deal more sat
isfaction than the expenditure of the sam,
money in going to horse trot.