Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-11-01

/, change places in tie next generation a. th
grub and the butterfly.
It There is much in ;he orig inal stock whic
J, transmits its leading characteristics frOI
= generation to generation. When Casa
: invaded Eng land, he found rude race O
o men not much more elevated in the scale U
= civilization than sarages, and yet, in tn
v progress of society. and by various Norman
1 and Saxon and Celtic intermixtures, tn
4 English people have now, In peace or war
/ far outstripped the descendants of thei
d former Roman cOnquerors. The world J.
0 not ashamed of the Ang lO-Saxon race nor
, admitting some faults, are We.
, When Vermont was first settled, it had ar
) :ll-repute as the seat of rough back wood
, men and the refuge Of daring Adventures.
, was a mountainous or hilly country, cover
t ed by dense forests, and occasionally ira
. versed by the war parties OF the French oil
, English. The pioneers who came. afraid o.
! neither wild-beasts nor savages, had the
manhood to venture where homes were first
to be made from resources derived from the
timber ielled with the axe only to be burned
, for the ashes. They were robust knights ol
the woods, and as devoted to personal lib
erty and independence as were the Barons
who wrested Magma Chdrid at Runnymede
from King John. Their muscular endur-
ance kept company with their inbOin braiL-
power. They were ready made statesmen
and dipomatists an PLAIN clothes. In de-
Tending their own rights and property, they
socn learned to respect the rights of others.
Far away from cathedrals and religions es-
tsblished by the State or By tradition, they
exercised the freedom to worship God ac-
cording to the dictates of their own con-
sciences, and gloried in building churches
without much Difference to the established
schools either Of architecture or theology.
These men, incapable of compromising g
rig hts and nothing 10th as a fighting race,
founded our State, and its history is not
such as to stir any of its people to flee from
its protection and allegiance. Our ancestors
were happy with their log cabins in the
wilderness, and now, with more well-kep:
modest homes, combining THRIFT and simple
loveliness, than falls to the lot of any equal
number ofrural people. We have every rea-
son to be content. Small tholeh they be,
these smiling homes are not gloomy, close
curtained shams. but places of comfort and
hospitality. and it is no wonder they are
ever regarded. BY the whole family of Yer
monters, with intense enthusiasm.
We sometimes hear little low murMur-
ing about the severity of our climate by
those who are unmindlul Of its salutary
cOmpensations, or that our winter stock
feeding supplies the main resources by
which the continuing fertility of the soil
can be maintained. and farmers here should
not forget that where the booi-ail. horn
distemper ard milk sickness rarely appear,
the climate has contributed something to
the hardness of the domestic animals as
well as to that of the human race. Less
wants, less labor, and much less wages no
donb; can be found in warmer and more
tropical climates, but found in company
with much less physical and intellectual
health and vigor.
While other portions of our country have
been sadly visited by that terrible plague to
which our Southern brethren are not inire-
quently exposed, and when first announced
more dreaded by them than an alarm
h,ll at midnight, our less genial
but mcre hracing and sa!ubrous climate
spares u to tender in some degree
the sweet charities our distant fellow ci;i-
zens 50 much need, and which tend so
greatly 10 exalt the common brotherhood
OF the human race. If at tin es our late and
carly iro~ts appear inopportune, let US re-
member that they are the Divinely ordained
assurance against the pestieEce which so
lately maia,d at noOn-day over the doomed
cities of the more sunny South. Let Us be |
grateful to Providence that our heritage |
has fallen to US in a pleasant place, and, if |
there are men anywhere who feel that they |
are bowed with age, or spent with prema- |
ture decay, with but few years of sorrow
lett. let us urge them TO come to Vermont |
and add 10 their length o! days, years Of |
unahafsd vigor
Many uth'r c"ui t.es are inextricably |
waliowing la tie mire Of deprecated paper
money. Their suff,rings, unlike our own.
are without hope of speedy relief France |
has recovered. Her financial conduct is as |
sound a. that OF Germany OF England. and
her prosperity seems more assured than
that OF any other nation Id Europe. After
years of continual peril, our currency has
almost reached the bes. estate-an equilib-
rum with the standard oe the wOrd-and
stands at less than hall Of une PR c.ut
below par. The fluctuations OF the currency
have here long poisoned every mans busi-
ness, debtor or creditor, whether he had any
thing to buy or sell, and it is clear, eco
nomieally a. well a. ethically, that an
honest, unvary ing standard of money is no
less essential to the prosperity of human
society than honest weights and measures.
This Is now within our reach, and no
MephistOph,lean ugglery should be allowed
to snatch it from US. Whatever g man or
woman by diligence and prudence sdreS at
the year : end, over expenses should have
so much adhering value as not to vanish by
any fiat save the owners. The world refuses
to tolerate any OiiygamnOn imitation Of
dairy products, and dairymen should be the
last to tolerate an oieomdrgarine currency.
The laws in relation to taxation in our
State are so fairly administered as to escape
much criticism, and yet some vigilance Is
required to make all property contribute its
equal proportion for the protection it en-
joys. | hope it may not be considered as
an intrusion OF partisan topic If | call
your attention Tor moment to a policy
without any bottom which, as 1t appears to
me, would. il adopted. exempt a very large
amount of property that now cannot escape
full and complete taxation. 1t must be borne
in mind that bonds. and all other instrument
talities of the Government, issued by the
United States, cannot. as the Constitution
has ever been interpreted, be taxed il they
could be, the Government would exist only
at the mercv and forbearance of inferior.
taI-leyying, local authorities The owners
of United States bonds, taking them while
bearing only four per cent interest. when
other taxable securities Weld six per cent, or
more. actually pay the Government round
tax in advance. Ii is a part of the contract
II the bonds are used AS banking capital,
then that IL subject not only to further na-
llonal taxation, but to State, town, school
district. and highway taxes. No other
bears, altogether, broader burdens.
~ is shown by the present general disin-
,hnatiOn to embark or continue ir the
banking business. II the bonds should he
asen out OF the National banks unpaid,
hey would, in the hands OF individuals,
necessarily be wholly exempt from taxes.
Dr.. il the bonds held by banks may be paid
n paper stamped. this il dollar so may
hey all. But IN order to dispose OF these
'onds at the highest rate, We pledged the
aith OF the Nation to pay IN com. No Yer
nOnter. proud OF the land OF his birth, can
avor the wreck OF the country, OF its plight
q hath and OF ITS most abiding interests,
~ any reputation, either on a grand scale
IT small. Moonshine stamped, "fiss IS a
heese, will not deceive even rats. Again,
1 the paper money en- hand held by any in
Iivldual no matter how large the sum should /,
DC that issued hy the United State II " III be
IN evidence ri governmental dobtedneSs }
or when full value has been received, not
liable to taxation, and, if never to be paid /. .
Or redeemed, 50 much the worse. Oar town
listers. under such circumstance, As they in !
he line OF duty confront the money hold
r., would find the first day of ApTl truly
IN ''All Fools DAY." They would toll and | J
atch nothing. The result could not be !
therwise than a large increase OF property
xempt from taxation on the hands OF those y y
,est able to bear its burdens. Our State = y
happily is out oi debt, though many OF the
owns are not, and it shoald be our ambi- =
ion to make our Commonwealth not only :
he most desirable abiding place hut the !
east laden with taxation. and that the !,
most tquitebly and widely diflu,ed. ! l
Mainly through self-impOsed taxation the /,
opportunity to obtain the best common +
chOol education is offered to every child in h
he state, and Just as fully to the poor a. t. h
he rich. Our higher and Normal schools q
re doing more ana tetter work than ever a
Jur co leg"s are amply equipped to double i,
heir present tasks, equipped to aid all yo- a
atIons OF HE, and at less cost to students u
han elsewhere. All should be uberally, g
OrdIally maintained. Let them do tho /
greatest good L. the greatest nun bcr." h
lnr industrial nInsneIIlY mnch Ia nnr