Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-11-26

is mainly held by her farmers, the bloated
bondholders of that republic numbering
five millions,-which by the way is just the
number of dollars that William Vanderbilt
has invested in United States bonds. The
national debt of this country is mainly held
by the creditors of our farmers. There is
big lesson in this, if people would study it.
Extracts from Woolsey's Political Science.
NUMBER TWO.
Vol. H., page 571.-Another theory or
doctrine, which is now meeting men all over
the Christian world, is that of the socialists,
which looks forward to a revolution in So
cety greater than any that has been known
since the foundation of the world, and would
have, if it could be realized, greater eff
fects for time than those to which it looks
forward. We need only refer to the princi-
Piles of communism in regard to wages, and
to the position of the capitalist towards the
manual laborer, to its doctrineof inheritance,
and to that extensively held by its leaders
concerning marriage, religion and God, as
indicating an opposition to the whole frame
work of existing society-au opposition as
entire as that between materialism and athe
ism on the one hand, and God and Provi-
dence on the other. There can be no terms
between such plan of society for the future
and the existing one. But there is danger
that the feeling condemning most of its
doctrines may keep men from condemning
whatever social evils have helped socialism
forward. There is reason to believe that it
derived its origin from abuses in the social
system cooperating with an abstract and
partly false theory of the rights of man.
Neither cause could produce permanent re-
suits, but let not evil in society be defended
by the argument that the socialists COM
plain of it.
Vol. H., page 500, etc.-As ruined en-
pires and ruined city states in abundance
demonstrate, there must be destructive in
huences at work in every nation, which are
apt to get the better of the conservative in
fuences soon er or later. Every form of
civilization contains some worm in the bud,
every nation suffers for its own misdeeds;
it is, in short, the weakness and short sight
edness of human nature, acting on a large
scale, to which national decay IS due.
The cause from which evil is mos. com.
monty apprehended is the increasingly I'M
equal distribution of property in a country,
as it continues its industry through ages.
There will be a few very rich persons and
vast multitude of very poor, with middle
class more or less numerous, according to
the varying success of their labors. The
rich for want of other investments, will
monopolize the land, receiving it in payment
of debts, or being content with a small in
terest on their money. The proletarian class
must live from hand to mouth, without
much intelligence, exposed to great tempta-
tions, becoming weak in body aud in mind
through the influence Of unhealthy food and
lodgings, prey to disease, prey to dema-
gogues. The unity of society is destroyed
by this unequal distribution of wealth one
part, the upper class, can have no great in
tercourse or sympathy with their antipodes,
and thus there is no political security. Hope
! must abandon such society, and vigor of
action how can it live when these are gone?
The freedom of government has little in
Auence in checking these evils. 1t makes
the successful more successful, because he
! can go anywhere and devote his capital to
any use. 1t rather brings on inequalities
sooner than another sort of government
L. Marcus Philippus affirmed, in public
speech at Rome that there were not two
thousand property owners in the state; and
Pliny the elder says that broad farms have
ruined Italy and the provinces" He adds
that six landowners held possession Of hall
the province of Africa until Nero had put
them to death. The gradual gathering Of
land in England into fewer hands, and the
disappearance to great extent of the ole
yeomanry, is we'll known. How can ma
ton thrive for long time where wealth
accumulates and men decay ?"
Vol. H., page 503.-The progress of so
ciety brings with it new problems to solve
At present the problem of the future of tn,
working classes, of their principles and re
lations to property and government, is
very serious one, and becomes gloomy ant
alarming when the pressure of financial ant
commercial distress is felt. These classe
have learned no wisdom, and can learn non
but by coming under the control of pur
moral and spiritual ideas. Tn
truth is that in addition to misgovernmen
and to calamities arising from the clos
connection of the parts of the world, whic
propagate their waves Of commercial di
tress as If through the sky all abroad, W
have new principles of justice, claims c
absolute equality Of condition through 81
ciety, claims which so kindle the feveris
brain of the depressed that nothing can lea
them to patience and tranquility but SON
Of those Christian virtues which they hay
Q cast off. The tendency is not to the di
y charge of duties in these times, but to tn
3 anfnroamant If olaima