Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-03-15

This proves that the fortunes of the rich are
eleven per cent lower, those of the middle
class thirty per cent lower the result of
spreading wealth over a large numerical
area, while the condition of the working
classes has improved one hundred per cent.
And it is added as an astonishing fact, that
while the population of the island OF Great
Britain has risen sixty-three per cent since
1910, the wages of workmen and even of
maid-servants are now fifty per cent higher"
The New York journal making this quota
ton considers that its substance proves the
injustice and falsehood of all allegations to
the effect that " this country is being gath
cred up into the hands of a select number
of monopolists, who may some day, ii the
notion strikes them, put it into bag and
walk off with it, government and ALL"
This ignores very important class of
facts, far more certain and well certified to
than the statements of Mr.. Mulhall, which,
however, we are quite willing to accept as
measurably correct We have only to look
at the starving or semi-starving condition Of
the entire working class of an important
portion of the United Kingdom Qreland),
and to consider the overwhelming ruin
which has fallen upon the farmers of Great
Britain in consequence of exorbitant rents
which make no allowance for the inevitable
losses of bad seasons, to be convinced that
there is another side to the picture. No
| had 10 oil I'm at nf hp N
England, that it has been much bettered in
the last thirty-seven years. But this improve
ment is due to that very agitation and pres
sure on the part of the people which it is the
object of the article before us to deprecate
and to class, as is 80 commonly done, with
communism and socialism" The work
ing people in England are only better off be
cause they have insisted upon fairer treat
ment, and have put their votes where they
would do the most good to that end. Re
form has followed reform in England as tn
result of agtations, the leaders of which
have always been called socialists and com
munists, and have suffered Imprisonment
and deportation as the penalty of demand
ing what, after all, the ruling classes after
wards felt themselves obliged to concede
And at this very time the same process i
2 going on, aud Mr.. Gladstone, while impris
oning the Irish patriots, is conceding by tn
most radical legislation nearly everything
that they ask for 1t is curious to observ
how inconsistent an American newspape
S which takes the reactionary or so-called col
servatiye side in these matters will inevits
, bly, appear. Here in one editorial column
, writer sneers at complaints against "poli
Y ical rings and grasping monopolies," whil
in another editorial column we find (doub
less from another handy this paragraph
u The citizens of Philadelphia like those c
=. Brooklyn, are to be congratulated on havin
4 at last entirely freed themselves from Ring
and Boss government 1t has been show
in those cities what can be done for honest
and reform when the people really wake u
and take hand in politics, as every trr
! citizen ought to. We may even come to
: in New York some day"
And in still another editorial article, o
lllt quar- We arc w
that, "Those who are best acquainted vii
the power which politicians WELD in Was
ington, and with the manifold inAuenc
I that can be brought to bear everywher
IN not excepting the jury-room and the court
he will most appreciate the fact that there
ost reason to rejoice in every triumph, large
rly small, aud in every step towards triumph
EN- en- law and Justice over political corruption
my the center OF government"
It's impossible for newspaper having mo
IS. than one editorial writer to keep Americi
ideas out of its columns 1t may print such
ticles as the one we are commenting upon
a matter OF policy, and in order to stand W
with men who can give or withhold of the
vast, illgotten wealth to good objects
which the conductors of the paper are int
ested, but under all this the American hea
loving liberty and equal rights, still bea
IDS and will make its throbbings heard. T
lals llss paper we quote from is religious one, a
Z a among the ablest in the country. II ia II
en- alone in printing articles of reactionary p
yln itics But all such articles, unconsciou,
lby no doubt, ALLEVIATE hundred poor men FRI
. the fold of Christ where they gain the 81
is.. rs., OF one millionaire to the good eaus