The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-10

disposition to deal intelligently with the
grave problems before them In proof of
this, shall cite only two matters of press
ing Importance, concerning which no legis-
lation was successful, and name some of the
more obvious reasons why it failed, and
| why, finding universal favor in other states,
1t always fails in Vermont: ~ All educa-
tional and other bills having reference to
the moral, intellectual and physical training
| OF the young and therefore the most impor-
tant and pressing of all, in view Of the la
mentable downward tendency in this re-
gard, were persistently given the cold Shout
der from the beginning; while the proper
bounty to be paid for bushel Of grasshop-
pers, and matters of kindred import and i'm
portance, engaged the earnest attention of
the average legislative Scion. The best
method of arousing the people of the state
from their intellectual and moral sluggish
ness, as compared with the past, and so lay
ing broadly and deeply solid foundations on
which to base vigorous and enduring pros
perity, engaged but little thought, appar-
emily, and certainly gained no favor, from
the majority. (2) The several railroad bills
(notably the short haul bill and the bill Gre
ating an efficient railroad commission, SINH
lar to laws prevailing in other states, where
government still exists by, ofand for the peo-
| pie, and not primarily for corporations), de-
signed to defend and protect the people
against notorious eXtortions, unjust discrimi-
nations, burdensome exactions and other
grievous wrongs practiced upon them by the
| great corporations that the state has created
ostensibly for the public good, were predes-
| tined to sure and speedy death-the fate
that has befallen all similar bills for score
of years, dating from the time when these
creatures of the states fostering liberality
became greater than their creator. So all
powerful are they, that no citizen can con-
tend successfully with them for his clearest
rights and only the state itself, emancipated
| and rehabilitated, can impose the restrain
| inc hand m rafivplv 1pnanda6
ing created these corporations 1t Is clearly
the bounden duty of the state to see to It
that not one of her citizens, even the
feeblest, is wronged by them. And why
| should the railroad corporations of Yer
mont, in this instance almost solidly banded
together, so fiercely resist just state super
vision over them, such as is exercised and
cheerfully accepted in nearly all other
states? This fact in itself amounts to a
practical admission on their part that such
supervision is necessary. The peculiar his
tory of a majority of the railroad corpora
tons in Vermont should have taught them
to be less arrogant and domineering. De-
faulting for the most part vast pecuniary
obligations, in some instances paying neither
principal nor interest of the money with
which their roads were built, impovershing
many contributing to their construction,
and enriching only those fortunate men
who, in various ways and sometimes by
anomalous devices, have grasped their later
| management, tneSe practlcalIy bankrupt cor
porations, even through their very bank
ruptcy, have grown so domineeringly indie
pendent as successfully to ignore the rights
and defy the power of the people. All ex-
perience teaches that nothing is so SUI
premely independent as irresponsibility
and this is precisely the vantage ground oc-
cupied by our railroad corporations. Hav-
ing long since repudiated pecunary obliga-
tions, they modestly emancipate themselves
from all legal, restraints by boldly assum-
ing guardianship over their creator. 1t is
not an exaggerated statement-for the fact
is known to all intelligent citizens-that
for nearly score of years these corpora
tions, either singly or acting in concert
through the expenditure of money that pos
sibly might better have gone to creditors
by the lavish issue of free passes and other
forms of personal favoritism, through paid
attorneys, political henchmen and other
agents and agencies in which they abound,
have substantially dictated, with few
honorable exceptions generally recognized
all important political and civil nominal
tons, elections and appointments; while
controlling absolutely all legislation relat-
ing, nearly or remotely, to their own inter
ests And some of them have not even
stopped here; for either directly, or through
what is known in legislative parance as
log-rOlling," or "you-tickle-me-and-I'll
tickle-you arrangements, in which they
excel, they have constantly exercised a
potent influence on all other legislation
The late session furnished several signal in.
stances of this potent influence on both mer
and measures. There were sudden CONVEX
sions from friendly to an agressively hos
tile attitude toward some of the proposed
railroad legislation, only paralleled by thai
of Saul of Tarsus, recorded in sacred his
tory. The power of the "ring and the
"lobby" was never more potent nor more
openly and shamelessly exercised The
legislature never convenes without the con
slant presence and watchful supervision o.
the trained attorneys and expert lobbyists
OF these corporations, with practiced eyes
quick to detect any insolent movement il
behalf of the people against the assumed
unlimited prerogatives of the railroads
And when any such movement is made by
some bold neophyte, as at the late session
how quickly the great managing moguls
with all their lesser satraps, even down t.
the paid local agents and attorneys in eacl
county, swoop down like an army with ban
ners upon the rash culprit and his doomed
bantling! And so the people, and all who
attempt to serve them, go to the wall; anC
how could it be otherwise, with such drilled
cohorts pitted against the incoherent, pur
poseless, unorganized multitude? During
period of twenty years some of these at
tOrneys and professional lobbyists have
never once failed to come, to stay and to go
with the legislature, until this systematic
humiliating espionage has come to be re
garded as a matter of course, and sensitive
cheeks have almost ceased to Jingle witt
shame thereat. And now, Mr.. Editor,
ask in all candor, is it not high time for the
people of Vermont to arise in their might
and emancipate themselves from this imper
tinent and degrading domination? Not
only are the good name and fair fame of the
state imperiled, but our moral, educational
and material interests suffer grievousy
therefrom For this condition OF affairs
neither political party is solely responsible.
Both have contributed to it equally, no doubt
in proportion to numbers and opportunities
for both have VIGOROUSLY been subsidized
and used, through their managers, by the
corporations. But the people themselves
are ripe for the remedy, even to political
upheaval, if that be necessary; and warn
the dominant party leaders that their foot
steps press perilously near to retributivt
justice. The people are strong and deter
mined; the leaders alone are timid, time
serving and subservient, because expert
ence has taught them that the way of the
political transgressor-(the transgressor al
ways being he who offends the railroad
magnates)-is hard indeed, Once satisfy
these camp-followers that their selfishnes'
would be better served thereby, and they
will promptly cast off their present menia
allegiance, and serve God with the sam,
zeal they have shown for Mammon-as long
as it pays. But do not forget, pray you
even under grave discouragements such a,
now exist, that the people are beginning Il
see clearly and to think earnestly regarding
all these things; and, in their own gooC
time, and at an early day, too, else l am NJ
true discerner of signs and portents, they