Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-01-05
The Farmers Opportunity.

VPPOE'uu'J ehJVyCu 10 uuIy enlointui bhis
article might have been styled the Farmers
Duty. But an opportunity must exist
before the duty can become obligatory, and
here we shall speak Of the opportunity afford
ed farmers and the consequent obligations.
In the first place, the farmer stands at
disadvantage in many respects when con.
trasted with professional or with business
men. 1t is not that the farmers know less,
that their judgment is less reliable, their
solid good sense less capable, or their real
brain power any smaller than that of the
business men and lawyers Of the town, for in
these respects thoy are the equals of the pro-
fessional men. The difficulty is not one of
native ability; it is not mental strength
measured with mental strength; it is not
good common sense put into the balance over
against common sense it is rather uudisci-
plined talent pitted against well or thorough.
ly trained mind. Goldsmith Maid had all
the agility and neetness when she was sim
pie truck horse that she had when she was
queen Of the turf: the difference was that Of
training. Any town meeting where there
are lawyers and few shrewd, cunning bust.
ness men sufiices to show at what great dis
advantage the farmers operate, save in the
mere matter Of numerical majority, aud that
;r ;te osaoroa I, b.,to c.,.o H., A. g.
mer no ideas on subject Usually he has,
though he reads less, is not as well posted"
as the village merchant, manufacturer or
lawyer. Lack of ideas is not his difficulty,
ii is lack Of utterance he does not know
how to make his thoughts, convictlo ns, pur-
poses and experience bear upon others, 50 as
to modify their thoughts, purposes aud con.
duct.
Every thoughtful man engaged 10 farming
sees this. lie feels it more or less keenly, but
how to remedy it is the problem with him.
Not unirequently the farmers out on the hills
fall into the quite natural but wholly unphil-
Osophical habit ofthinking that between them
and the business and professional men of the
village there is natural antagonism, and
that whatever goes toward building up" the
village is damage to the farmers. Years
ago some opposed railroads on the ground
that they would render all property in horses,
present or prospective, valueless. The last
man Of that class left Vermont long ago, but
like the old burdock roots at his back door,
he left his logic behind him and others Lave
entered into its use. This false notion was
natural because few cunning, shrewd and
"touguey" business men aud lawyers in the
village have again and again outwtted the
farmers. Aud this thing will continue just
so long as the farmers permit it. aud they
will permit it until they see it is for their in
terest to change it, and we wish to say that
no permanent change is secured by getting
up their spunk and "votin' down the village
folks IN town meetin'" The farmers must
learn to use their ability; must learn to
speak in public and conduct public meeting
in good parliamentary order. A very small
per cent. Of the farmers in this state know
how to organize and conduct public meet
ing, to pass resolutions or inaugurate and
carry through matters in legal, parliament
tary manner. But just those things have to
be done 10 every town every little while, and
the men take the lead, shape the measures
who can do it, and is it wise and reasonable
for the farmers to 6ud fault? This is an old
state Of things, and must it always be so
No, and we think the dawn of new aud
better day can be already discerned, and in
it we find the farmers opportunity
There is no patent method Of success-it
is the old way of learning to speak by speak.
ing, to think by thinking. There are in this
state, according to the register for 1877,
222 oranges, besides those whose charters
have been surrendered or revoked; that is
nearly one to every town. OF course the
leading farmers Of these towns are the men,
bers Of the oranges, and it at every meeting
Instead of spending so much time 10 routine
and waiting, they would take hold Of real
practical questions, and insist that all the
discussions, motions and proceedings shall be
strictly parliamentary, the change wrought
would be surprising We have looked forgreat
things from the oranges in this regard, but
have not seen all VIC hoped for undoubtedly
we hoped for too much, but we are extreme
ly anxious that the influence Of the far
mers should be more positive and controlling.
1t is of no avail to say that the farmers are
so many in number, are intelligent, and
wealthy and should have more influence
The simple fact is they must learn to exert
their influence, or it will never be exerted
An intelligent farmer told us that two law
yers in the house Of Representatives at Mont
pelier practically controlled the county tC
which they belonged, not by fraud, but as
we have already suggested. Numerically
tho farmers we're IN the majority, prac
tically they were in the minority.
We are pleased with the starting of thai
petition at the state grange in Windsor for
Prof. Golfers services. We shall not dictate
to the University what course to pursue, but
the farmers mean business this time; they
see that the University has the use Of Q large
fund for the sake Of promoting the agricul-
tural interests Of the state, and they are
moving in body to soc that those interests
are secured. Had such grants been made
for the special benefit of the legal, medical
aud clerical professions, they would have
taken organized measures to see that the ia.
tercst OF such grants were secured to them,