Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-08-14
Farmers and Communists.

| festations of displeasure with what is called
"ring" rule, and the predomnance of the
capitalist influence in our government by
the name of communism" Even the most
conservative of all interests, that of agricul-
ture, has not escaped. The protests of the
farmers, both organized and as individuals,
in favor of return to simplicity, equality
and honesty in our laws and administration,
meet with this opprobrium.
If farmers were indeed imbibing, to any
great extent, the poison of modern commu-
nism, we might well exclaim, " God save our
country" That the producers of wealth.
the men whose hands, with Gods blessing,
are making the vast crops and the immense
bulk of the products of farm industry, the
growth and expectation of which are to-day
the only stay and hope of returning national
prosperity that these hardy and virtuous
men and women are desiring the general
division of wealth among the idle and the
laborious alike,-that is, the practical de-
struction of property, is an absurdity on the
very face of it. A farmer gets what wealth
he has too hardly.
A philosophic student of the situation as
it is, would come, we fancy, to very differ
ent conclusion, and, to use an old expression,
"put the saddle on the other horse" Let
us look at the matter with what insight we
may into the realities of the case. What
is the basis of that mob cry which comes up
from the beer-shops of the great cities, and
is called communism Is it anything
less than a desire to live easy and be sup
ported on the products of other mems work.
Who so likely to be communist as the fell
low who sits guzzling in the saloon while his
wife earns the family living at the wash-tub
| Now let us face around and ask wherein is
to be found the difference, in principle, be.
tween this beery communist sustained in
life by the industrious hands of suffering
wife, and the equally beer and brandy-loving
| politician who wants to feed at the public
crib, or the Spectator who piles up wealth
upon the mere fluctuations in the value OF
DISQUALIFICATION which he and his
kind in a great measure effect by the tricks
of the exchange, at the expense of the ac
tual producers. Are they not simply trying
to live and possess all the Injuries of life
without work Do they differ from the
communist, or the tramp, except by theii
greater success in robbing the burdened in
dustry of the land ?
1t is quite time that the business interest
of this country should have a clear under
standing of these things. When rogue:
conspire, honest men must combine. Oul
body polite is covered with vermin that
have sucked its blood until it has become
poor and weak. 1t is necessary to make the
case hopeless for both tramp and Spectator
and force them into at least enough of pro
ductive labor to maintain themselves, either
inside or outside of stone walls. The spec
ulator class is getting good many repre-
sentatives on the inside already. In the
flush times, when money was plenty, and
class-legislation to be had for the "iudi
cious" asking, it was possible for such mer
to live aud grow rich without subjectine
themselves to the penalties of the law. But
the hard times have so much curtailed theiI
opportunities that they have been compelled
to resort to fraud, forgery and absolute
theft to sustain themselves until the delega
ton from our aristocracy in penal institu
tons is beginning to equal in number the
crowd of the canaale-and Ponds, Jacksons
Chases, Hathaways, jostle Murphys Bradys
and Sweeneys-the aristocratic Yankee ant
the mobocratic Paddy sitting, cheek by
jowl, on the benches of the prison work
shop.
This is well but we want a good deal more
of it. We must keep America sacred as th,
land where men are expected to earn thei
living by honest industry. To do this effect
ually the working people, the farmers, mechan
les, operatives, laborers and business men
must see to it that their representatives in tn
government are taken, if not from the bes
men of their own class, at least from amonl
those who honor labor not with their lips
but in sincerity, and will so conform legisla
ton to justice as to make our laws the con
slant and strong support of industry and al
effective terror to all evil doors.
In prosperity we have neglected thes
things, and have entrusted the protection o
our rights and our property into the hand
of those who, however they may berate tn
communists in their speeches, have bee
actuated by that prominently communist
, principle of living without work at othe
mems expense--until the nation, like an ovel
laden beast, sweats and groans under tn
weight of wrong and exaction put upon i
in great degree, by the treachery of it
own public servants.