The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-01-07

q loss from which every agricultural
landowner is suffering to-day, more or
less--and his capital is all available for
active operations. So long as the in
dustry of farmers is duly shielded from
injustice, it is q loss rather than gain
to them to be landowners, for land
owning at two and one-half per cent is
luxury in which bread-winners can
hardly afford to indulge"
That Professor Sheldon is still, to some
extent, victim of British loyalty to an
tiquated institutions Ga Characteristic
not without its value from some points
of view, and holds to the idea that
" God intended there should be every
where a small class of men, born booted
and spurred to ride upon the backs of
the rest" does not in any way detract
from the clearness of view which en-
ables him to predict that the time is
coming when the land-owning yeomen
of Canada will be converted into
land-renting tenantry. He thinks that
it is all natural and right that it should
be so, and by no means concurs with
Goldsmith's famous lines
an fares the land, to fastening ills prey
Where wealth accumulates and men decay"
All English historians deplore the dis
appearance of land-owning yeomanry
before the growth of aggregate national
wealth. Many of them do this from a
sentimental point of view, and others
from the economic standpoint Profess
sor Sheldon seems to be free from senti-
ment in this matter, and plainly be-
lieves that the farmer can do better
in company with capitalist landlord
than while farming on his town hook"
But when the capitalist is also the law
maker, and makes all the laws in regard
to land tenure to suit his own interest,
there is certainly a fair chance for
another opinion, even in England.
In Canada the "Upper Houses" are
entirely taken out of the control of the
people, and through them progressive
and popularlegislation is easily checked.
In America it appears to be different,
but this is only an appearance. 1t is by
controlling the national and state SEN
ates that our rich men are now seeking
to remodel our institutions and assim-
ilate them to those of aristocratic
Britain. The national Senate is already
well packed with millionaires, who
have bought themselves into their po-
sitions, often, with shameless frank
ness. In the state Senates the same
thing is effected by setting up" the
nominating conventions, and when this
is not quite effective it is supplemented
by the direct purchase of votes. In
deed a New York railroad man, with
brutal candor, is reported as refusing
to aid in the election of candidate,
declaring that it was cheaper to buy
them after election. 1t may be stated
as fact that in almost every state
the millionaires and great corporations
Gown the Senate" And perhaps a
still more dangerous state of things is
indicated by the fact that they also so
control the press that an article like
this could not appear, even in small
rural state like Vermont, in more than
two or three of its journals. The power
of wealth, already, to sway senates and
muzzle the press in this free country,
is little understood and realized by the
people. They very feebly realize how
completely our free institutions are
being Slapped by the insidious and all
permeating power of dollars, and Gin
huence" based upon dollars. We are
cunningly led away from this danger of
the almighty dollar" while amused
and beguiled by simulated fear of the
harmless "dollar of the daddies," at
which the faithless dogs of the press
are being urged by the seek-him " OF
the money lords.
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