Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-02-01
But the opinion of most of us has reached
the point when the feeling amongst the
farmers rather comedies with another verse

farmers rather comedies with another verse
lie! yon alone that's coming It ST. strong
Put down that stick lyon may well look skeered,)
H 90 sa SsS ;SRs You .S 0pss Ssy ssH% & hsh'
You must have lesson to stop your trlcka,
And cure you OF shying them stones aud sticks
Notwithstanding all of Mr.. Atkinson's
smooth aud plausi BILE talk, every investiga-
tion into the proceedings of railway corpora
tions has shown, beyond cavil or doubt, that
their practices have been such as fully to
justify the action of the people in trying to
suppress the abuses that have been revealed.
In the present issue of the Journal is reply
to Mr.. Atkinson from the pen of Honorable
L. L. Chittenden of New York Zone of our
Vermont Chittendens) who briefly but pun
gently sets forth few of the leading facts
in the case. Although Mr.. Chittenden (as
he himself admits) is by no means so pro-
foundly versed in transportation statistics
as Mr.. Atkinson, and is therefore at some
disadvantage on collateral points, yet he
brings out the main point that abuses
abound in railway management, conclusively
and clearly, and in reading his article plain
people will be constrained to ask, with Peter
Cooper, "Why should the people who
create the wealth of the nation, be compelled
to contribute the largest share of that
wealth to the owners of the money and the
owners of the transportation lines, the me-
dium through which the products of the
peoples labor are interchanged Why
should Messrs. Gould, Vanderbilt, Sage,
Miller, Huntington, Crooker, aud few
other railroad managers and few hundred
bankers in New York, be permitted to accu-
mulate their hundreds of millions of dollars,
by simply controlling the money and trans
portation that should belong TO the whole
people 2"
1t is not, however, for printing Mr.. At
kinson's article, nor even for reprinting it in
the present issue of the Journal, that we
find fault with its editor. 1t is for taking
sides editorially with the railway corpora.
tions. We believe that all sensible farmers
will be glad to read all that can be truly
and fairly said in behalf of the railway
managers, and they could have no more
able advocate than Mr.. Atkinson. But fol
a journal ostensibly devoted to the inter.
ests OF agriculture to go even beyond this
excessive measure of impartiality in giving
the other side the fullest chance to be heard
through its ablest advocate, and to editori.
ally espouse the cause of those who are fell
By farmers everywhere as oppressively using
their position TO enrich themselves enor.
mously at the cost of the producing indus
tries Of the country, is little too much
We think Mr.. Real must have become con
vinced by this time of his error as an editor
even though, as an individual, he may still
range himself with Mr.. Atkinson and hi
party. But if the latter be the case W
must tell him, Notwithstanding the goo
work he has done in other respects, that h
is not the man for the place, and that tn
Journal Of The american Agricultural Asst
citation will never receive the support O
American farmers under his management
Perhaps the railroad managers may continu
> to buy and circulate II in the hope of mil
b leading few as to the real feelings and pul
o poses of the farmers. But even this wi
:. soon be found to be quite useless and III
profitable, for, whether right or wrong, tn
= farmers Of this country have made up the
Q minds that all corporations shall be put VI
9 der strict control, and earn their money a
( servants, and not as masters OF the peopl