The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-12-13

prletor of, perhaps, The largest manu-
featuring concern IN our village.
The writer, in his youth, worked fol
fifty cents day, but was more fortunate
than some Gf it tcdS good fortune) in
that his father. after fifty years OF clos.
est economy and dillgent labor as H
manufacturer, under tariff laws "foI
revenue only" acquired the fortune OF
$l5, 1000, which reverted to his only lid
Since the tariff act of 1861 joel Valen,
lines small mil has grown to be a large
concern, and from it have gone forth
many employees, who have become sue
cessful manufacturers, among whom is
b. G. Lindlotf, less than 90 years from
Sweden, and now President of Nalen
tine Knit ing Company; and David L.
Moore and Norman NJ. Puffer, prOprie-
tors of Stark Knitting Mills
Do these facts look as though labor is
oppressed, and "the gulf between EN-.
ployer and employee is widening 7"
These are the men that have led in
making Bennington the furnishing vii
lage that it is, who have furnished the
employ ment that has made it possible
for native and foreign born to build the
pretty homes with which our village
abounds. These are the men whose
mills show to the visitors eye a content
ed, cheerful body of men and women
workers. These are they W no bring in.
dustriOus people to prosperous cent4rs,
making home market for the pro iucts
of the soil, and helping to make our
country great, prosperous, harmonious
whole.
Yet, Notwithstanding all this, and the
fact that these men spraug from the
laboring classes, Mr. Cleveland says that
''Our workiugmen will reasonably de-
mand freedom for themselves and their
children from the doom of perpetual
servitude." Here | will repeat what
was said in another article, that, of the
thousands of foreign born men and wo-
men that have had in my employ, not
one has ever returned to the land of his
birth, to enjoy the benefits of Free Trade
and low wages.
That labor, as a whole. earns and is
paid good living wages. is, believe, un-
questlonably true, and in proof we have
but to point to the happy homes around
US, owned by working men, and to those
who have stepped, or are about to step
from the ranks of the employed to those
of the employers. Mr.. Cleveldnd's door
for the advancement beyond The limits
of the Iaboring classes" seems to be wide
open.
No more Independent, self-respecting
class ever lived, than our sober. indus
triOus, skillful laboring man and woman,
and the quotations from the message are
an insult to their intelligence. OF
course, not all can be rich; the truth
has been handed down through the ages
that 1.-THE poor We have always with
you but Mr.. Cleveland and every intel.
ligent person in this land knows that no
country does or ever did exit, no time
in the worlds history has or does pre-
sent such opportuniti for the induslri.
Gus, frugal sober, laboring man to &C.
quire competency and position, equal to
our own United StateR, in this year of
our Lord, 1888. And let us be thankful
that our people know il and have shown
a determination to continue the system
under which such condition is possible.
Another thought relatiGg to the PTesi-
dents fortunes real zed by manufac-
turers.' Perhaps even Mr.. Cleveland
would not openly say that capacity, la
Dor, and capital should go unrewarded,
but all can be sure that no manufacturer
can hope for success, who does not de
serve it. Skill, application. and care
not to attempt too much busine+s with
TOO little capital, are indispensable to
success. Industries not so guarded, are
failure, as this community knows to
its cost.
In the cases here mentioned, none are
extremely rich. After deduc irg the
$40 900 so os'entatiOusly given to secure
his own election. Grover Cleveland is
still reputed to be worth a quarter of
million dollars. None of the parties
herein named Except one. and he &C
quired most Of his fortune in other bust
ness than manufacturing, can boast of
so much money as Mr.. Cleveland. Yet
what has the President done to entitle
him to such fortune? Has he helped
any community by giving work to the
workers Has he given opportunity to
any one to develop business capacity, or
has his money built mills, stimulated
business. or lightened the burdens of
the poor | believe any one Of the men
here mentioned, has done more for the
advancement of our country's prosperity
than he, and that his two hundred and
fifty thousand dollars is the TAX on in
dustry" instead Of the laws which have
made Bennington village busy live of
industry. And this man has used his
high position as President, to fallsfy the
facts, and send out state document, to
be quoted in other lands, and to be made
an excuse for labor oppression there,
and. worse still, a document to be quoted |
by Communists and Anarchi'ts for
to come
Mr.. Editor have not half exhaust /
ed the subject, and yet must stop. only |
further. that travel much |
in the West, aud on every hand appears
n refutation of the statements and spirit /
of Grover Cleveland's message. In the
North, East, and West the came condi
ton of things exists as here in Benning |
ton, and by change of names, the same
facts would Lpply to an equal proportion 4,
Of tn? people throughout our country, |
except the South, and even there, there .
is a change for the better.
believe it would interest and benefit
the public if more business men and in
telligent workers, would give in print
the result Of their personal knowledge
and observation. A. b. VALENTINE.
Bennington, VT, Dec. 10, 1888,