Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-02-15

its height, and the farms were all let to the
best farmers at the highest rents, things
came to halt. The profits arising from in
creased skill on the part of the farmers had |
not Injured TO the farmers themselves. They |
had been obliged to give them to the land
lords in increased rents, in order to hold the
farms against other bidders. This was be-
cause land had become a monopoly. The
unsuccessful bidders bad nothing 10 do but
emigrate to Canada, Australia, or the United
States. 1t was hard to leave the old home
and they had rather pay high rents than do
it. But they had to go, and many of them
now bless the day that necessity forced them
off "the tight little island" Those who,
by successful competition, remained in pos
session of the farms, managed to live along
until there came on them succession of
bad seasons and the fierce competition OF
America. Now rents in England are down,
often to less than one per cent on the cost OF
the land, and as many of the would-be, and
good deal Of .hhe genuine, landed aristo-
cracy held their lands under mortgage for
part of the price, suffering is by no means
limited to the farmers.
In America we have been slowly work
ing along in as close imitation Of our Eng
lish forefathers as was possible in a coun-
try where there is yet an excess of land
over population. All the laws relating to
land with a few slight exceptions) have
been transferred from England to America.
and they only fail TO work out the same
result because of the abundance of land.
Everything is call cooked and primed for
landed aristocracy, but the time has not
quite come when the gun can be fired.
Meanwhile other ways Of becoming million
aires, under the favor of good old English
law, have attracted the attention and the
means of our smart men" and the results
are to be seen in our Astors, Vanderbilts,
Goulds and thousands of the money-kings.
At present their attention is directed to rail-
roading and their surplus is invested in
city real estate, in banking, in the bonds
national, state, and corporate which we so
willingly vote to issue-and in farm mort
cages all over the land. Controlling the
highways and the currency of the country
those men are rapidly aggregating to them
selves all the wealth of the nation. When
all the available settling land is taken W
they will have us corralled," and then an
era of foreclosure, and presto behold g
" Greater Britain on the American CONT
nent. What will our ancestors, and al
that are coming STILL have gained by leav
ing Europe when, by bringing with then
European laws and institutions, they bu
fasten European tyranny upon the coming
generations.
There is hardly possibility of salvation
from these impending dangers. What il
needed is fundamental change in our laws
But we choose lawyers to make our law
, and govern us, and the lawyers know yer.
we'll which side their bread is buttered on
We pay them a small salary to see that ou
rights are legally protected, and the million
l aires pay them ten times as much to de
T. some good and patriotic lawyers. There ar
4 even few in congress, and in the stat
o legislatures. They all know the way thing
, are leading, but where do we hear the voic
r of any raised in the interest of the people
I Yet such is our admiration for "smar
n ness " that, like the frogs in the fable, W
n all prefer King Stork to King Log. "
If adore our millionaires and our venal legi
e lators, even while they devour us.
p There seems 10 be but one hope and this
al lies in the fact that the people begin
U dread debt. If we can now have an era
d debt paying, we may throw off the gri
q. that is upon us. If we will pay the n
II tional and all public debts, liquidate our il
,e dividual debts aud make no more, we ms
q even go on under the laws as they are vii
,r little harm. But if we can be coaxed az
d fiattered and deceived into continuing al
ia increasing the sum of indebtedness, we a
simply taking the path backward frol
le American liberty to European serfdom.