The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-11
Oppressed Farmers.

We have had occasion several times
to critcise with some sharpness the
talk of some papers and speakers in the
state of the downtrodden farm
ers "-how 4" the heel of the oppressor
is on their necks, pee an oppression worse
than that of slave times" the " unques-
toned intention to reduce them to con-
dition of practical serfage," etc.-and
have been called hard names for those
same criticisms, which, considering the
source they sprang from, did not greatly
diminish our sleep or sour our temper.
Major Henry E. Alvord, professor in
the Mas sachusetts Agricultural College,
if we mistake not, has been indulging
in language which will call down on
his devoted head something like what
we have been favored with if he is not
more careful. Here is an opening
paragraph from his columns in the
American Cultiudtor: " While attend
ing numerous agricultural meetings, and
reading the proceedings of others, my
attention has been attracted by dis
couraging sort of talk, prevailing to a
certain extent in many places, to the
effect that farmers have no influence
on public affairs, legislators pay no re-
gard to the agricultural interests and
that while other occupations have been
amply protected by laws farmers
continue to be poor, downtrodden
class; neglected, if not utterly ignored.
The assertions are, of course, followed
by appeals to organize, be a man,
and all that sort of thing. have no pa
thence with this kind of talk. 1t results
from most inexcusable ignorance of the
progress of events, or else is pure dem
agogism." Inexcusable ignorance
or pure demagogism," which horn
will our critics take? We are inclined to
assign them the latter. In speaking of
the farmers influence on legislation and
its results, Major Alvord further says:
4" In looking over the whole field there
does not appear to be single business
interest, or class of interest which, DUR
ing the past ten or twelve years, has
secured so much special legislation,
state and national, as the business of
farming" We are in full accord with
Professor Alvord in his opinion and es-
innate, as set forth above, and the man
or the paper which, by general denun-
citation of one class and continued ap-
peal to the prejudices and baser pas
sions of another, seeks to create hostility
between them, or by" inexcusable igno-
rance" contributes to the arraying of
one class against another, is an enemy
to the public welfare, and should be so
considered and treated. Now what do
we mean by general denunciation.
We mean the talk against a class, rather
than the arraigning of a grievance an d
the general condemnation of capitalists
or of corporations. A capitalist is not
necessarily thief. On the contrary,
he may be most worthy and excellent
man, of kindly instincts and noble,
generous nature. But if capitalist is
eXtortionate, unjust, usurious, using his
wealth as power to work evil, condemn
the man and his acts as severely as the
offence demands. Corporations may
exist for noble and generous purposes,
and their existence may be public
benefit. Even a monopoly does not
necessarily imply an evil or an injustice.
Every patentee is monopolist in so
much as he controls the use and cost to
the public of the article he patents; but
the inventors of the sewing-machine
needle or the cutter-bar could hardly be
classed as public enemies because they
were monopolists. So in dealing with
these questions cite the grievances to
be redressed, the wrongs to be righted
the oppression to be removed, and
then put in the very best work to ac-
complish the desired end. Don't 90
about beating the air and crying out
against capital, corporations, monopoly,
oppression, serfage and all that sort of
stuff. Arraign the crime and the GRIM
inal, but do not condemn a class. We
expect the Rural Vermonter, with its
usual unfairness, will, without printing
word we say, give its own version of
this article and speak of it, as of a
former article of ours, as a " lame de-
fence of the railroads and corpora.
tons, which it is not; nor is it intended
in any manner as a defence of anybody
but as an expression of our estimation
of a class of mischievous and per.
nicious agitators.