Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-03-14
"The Vermont Exodus"

as the consequences of emigration, but
maintained that there was no help for the
state Of things described; that 1t is natural
and the fatal work Of disintegration must
continue. We trust the case Is not quite so
hopeless. We believe the work Of recupera-
ton will come sometime, aud we believe it
is in the power of the state government to
do something to hasten the day TO help to
arrest the backward drift and to make the
state progressive. We believe 1t is the duty
of the state government to see to it that the
civil body over which it presides does not
lapse into chronic condition Of decline and
become decrepit. That the state can do no
thing to attach its sons to its soil and arrest
retrogression implies degree Of imbecility,
of sterility in the conception of recuperative
measures to which we should be exceedingly
10th to believe vermont's legislative and
xecutive wisdom has sunk. The Herald
suggests that the lack of political opportuni-
ties here for ambitious young men is one
reason OF the "exodus." II may be true that
Vermont is not paradise for that class of
aspiring mortals, young or old, the chief end
Of whose existence is politics and who are
entirely happy only in the possession or pur-
suit of an office. As matter of fact, how
ever, Vermont offers inducements to the
ofice-itching man that the larger western
states do not hold out. Some states have
two capitals, but no state, even the largest,
in the normal condition Of its affairs has
more than one governor at time, or two
United States senators and if the boys had
done less to swell the basis eff repre- sentation
in other states and more to protect their own,
Vermont might possibly have had to-day
more congressional districts in which to rear
statesmen to succeed Morrill, and Edmunds.
But in the matter of state offices Vermont
can double discount New York, Ohio, In
diana, Iowa or Kansas, and with an excep-
ton or two, beat any state in the Union.
The national congress is about the only
body which surpasses her in the size of the
lower house of her legislature, and the state
senate is reasonably prolific in positions that
invite political ambition. There is also
full quota of local offices from selectman
down to pound keeper, and the prodigal
supply, from the governorship downwards,
is eked out by relentless adherence to the
time-honored curse Of rotation. So if office
is what young men seek in emigrating, the
advantages seem to be in favor Of the home
market.
Manufacturing of a general or special
character follows natural laws and hourishes
at points favored by nature or circum-
stance. The state has made commendable
progress in this direction and may make
greater; but however it may be in the dis
tant future, at present general manufactur-
ing is not Vermonts strongest point. Lum-
bering, mining and quarrying are important
natural industries. The forests, if intelli-
gently and judiciously worked, the quarries
Of slate, granite and marble, afford oppor-
tunities for business skill and enterprise
and for the accumulation of wealth, but
agriculture is and must always be the lead
ing industrial pursuit of the state. The
idea that farming is science demanding
professional knowledge and requiring study
and investigation as much as the law or
medicine, is of comparatively recent recog
milton. The old idea and practice was to
keep the dullard at home on the farm, and
send the bright boy to college to become a
lawyer, doctor or minister. Farming has
been invested with certain kind of disre-
pute, but the new doctrine of agriculture has
many devout disciples, many shining lights
and many examples of signal success. 1t
means the reversal of the old order of things
making farmers Of the bright boys even at
the risk of damage to the crop of "briefess
barristers," doctors without patients and
ministers without pulpits or hearers. The
dissemination of accurate practical knowl-
edge of farming, the completion of its in
vestiture with the dignity, honor and social
condition accorded TO other industries and
TO the professions, are steps in the move
ment toward arresting "the Vermont ex-
odus," and to some well considered, syste-
matte means to that end, literally endowed
and perseveringly followed up, the state m ay
direct its efforts and may do much to bind
Vermont boys to her soil. Cowherd and
farmers boy have been too nearly synony-
nous terms. Former and majority of the
existing generation of farmers, by their
mode OF life have given too much occasion
for an opprobrious social discrimination
against their sons and daughters. Instead
of the aboriginal attic and bed under the
roof, uncouth surroundings, unceasing hard
work, a scrimped winters term at the
district school, more enlightened domestic
and social surroundings, a more liberal cul
tivation of the amenities of life and Of
the privileges Of the high school or acad
envy, will 60 great ways toward binding
the boys to tine soil and cutting down the
rural recruits to the great army of low sala
ried clerks and commercial travellers. Ju
dicious prizegiving for farm aud dairy
products to stimulate the boys and girls tc
reduce to practice the precepts of their in
structors would doubtless serve good pur
pose In the wooing between the soil and it
future cultivators.
With truer ideas Of the aims OF life an,
lack of political opportunity would not Sc
verely trouble the Vermont boy of sens,
even il the picture of the chances for politi
cal preferment, drawn by the versatile editol
of the Herald were true TO life. We sus
poet, however, that his delineation of tn
prospects OF young men in Vermont for activ
participation in the affairs of the state, ha
no existence outside Of the fertile brain tina
conceived it. Some young men have gon
on the bench OF the supreme court of tn,
state some young men have had the gov
vernorship at their disposal and have wisel
declined the honor some Of the men whom
the state has sent to congress may hay
grown gray in its service, but they have be
gun young enough the present state officer
are not an entirely moss-grown set the pres
emit legislature shows some young men
the front the senate is literally sprinkle
with men who, like the Heralds own towns
man, the sturdy, aggressive and talsnte
Walker, are not exactly "ponderous and a
rogant antiques the house, from Speaks
Martin down, may have been made up, /
the Dictura anue lanUuaoa of our hill; n =,