The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-09-30
A Very Effective Answer.

AT "labor picnic at Troy, the
other day, John Swinton, the socialist,
made a speech, in which he said that
on entering Troy he saw what he
deemed the homes of the shrunken
and shriveled, sunken-eyed and hollow
checked children of those who built
the mills. Those who built the mills
did not own them, but that, he said, he
considered poor reasoning: How did
that property get into the hands of the
Cornings and Burdens? How did that
land get into Corning's hands where
poor Strang was killed." To this
question the Troy Times makes the
following answer: Fifty years ago or
more there came to Troy poor Scotch
immigrant He was honest, industrious,
temperate and frugal. He was a mas
ter of his trade-that of an iron-worker.
He started little shop on the Wy
nantskill. His skill in handicraft sue
ceeded in attracting business to him.
His little shop grew from its humble
beginnings to works of mammoth pro-
portions, giving employment to hun
dreds of men, enabling the operatives
to care for wives, children and other
dependent ones, and helping to build
up here at Troy one of the great seats
of wealth, population and industry.
When other men were wasting their
substance in dissipation, he was saving
the fruits of his labor and investing it
in new enterprises for the benefit of
humanity in general. When other
men were sleeping, he was spending
his nights in his workshop or in his
study celebrating inventions to tighten
labor and dignity the laborer. He died
rich man: but he had earned every
dollar of his vast estate by industry
enterprise and honest dealing with his
.felow-men. He transmitted his fac
tories and mills to his sons, and they
have gone on charging and adding tC
are celebrated all over the country, no
alone for their extent but for the SUI
perior character of the productions the,
place upon the markets of the world
That is the way, John Swinton, por
ton of the property you speak of CAM
into the possession of the Burden family
Henry Burden, the man who founded
these great industries, was mechanic
and rose from the depths of poverty t.
riches-not simply to riches, but to be
ing the friend, benefactor and pride o
his race. He never belonged to so
called workingmen's union in his life
John Swinton." And of Erastus Corn
ing the Times says: Erastus Corning
the founder of the Corning estate, wa
a man like unto Mr.. Burden. He wen
to Albany poor boy, became mer
chant, lived soberly, uprightly, and deal
justly with his fellow-men. BY year
of industrious application to business
he amassed a fortune; he invested il
iron mills and railroad enterprises, ant
by that means he helped to make Tro
prosperous city and New York tn
empire state of the Union. The dem
ocratic party sent him to congress t.
make laws for the nation, aud he mad
them well. His son is no unworth
scion of an illustrious sire. That is tn
way the Corning works came into pos
session of the Corning family, job
Swinton." 1t is to be hoped that job
Swinton will be satisfied with this an
swer. The taunting question which h
put to the Troy working-men was tyr
ical of the socialist methods in its ma
Lightly. He saw about him the evi
dences of a vast industry and grea
wealth, and he thought it good occa
sion to incite the hatred of the poor fo
the rich, and to make the working-mel
believe that great wrong had bee
done them because the mills of tn
Burdens and Cornings did not belon
to them. His question carried its ow
sufficient answer to any one who knel
the careers of Burden and Corning
These great properties became their
by hard, intelligent industry. The
were poor mechanics, and they becam
rich-not by luck or accident, but b
persistent and well-directed toll. Thei
cases are by no means exceptiona
In scores of instances the accumula
tons of property, about which socialis
agitators rave, have been made by tn
thrift and industry of men of tn
Burden and Corning type, So ia
from being " enemies of labor" the
are its exemplars and its inspiration