Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-10-17

II is better to have our lands occupied
by an industrious and thriving popula-
tion than it is to allow them to remain
vacant or tsrn back to a Wilderness
1t is said by some that so much prod
uce is now raised that farming does not
pay and that by bringing in more farm
ers and raising more produce we shall
lower the standard of prices still more.
This may be true,but we do not believe
it, for in bringing producers we also
bring consumers. But the argument
proves too much, and the end of it
would bring us to the abandonment of
most of our farming interests for the
sake of making the business highly
profitable for a select few. States do
not grow, however, under such poli-
cy. They seek an industrious popula-
tion. The aim is to increase the num-
Der of the people and 10 carry the soil
to its highest productive capacity. Our
large cities are sustained by populous
and productive farming country behind
them. These become centers of COM
merce and manufactures and help TO
make the prosperity Of the country
This line of argument is nonsense. The
policy of the country has always been
to bring in people from other countries,
induce them to make homes here. The
recent talk against foreign immigration
has arisen chiefly on account Of the
character of the immigration. We are
always seeking honest, steady, indus
trious men to come and help develope
our resources. 1t has been the policy
of different parts of the country to seek
to draw men from other parts TO their
own. As a rule this policy has proved
wise. Here in Vermont we have hith-
erto acted as though we had no right
to adopt it. Now we are waking up
TO it, and some are so surprised that
they can do nothing but kick against
it, and they do 1t under the shallow
pretext that we want Vermont's farms
for Vermont's sons, when they know /
that Vermont's sons went away and /
left these farms because they did not |
care a picayune aboutthem. Those of !
us who are left are getting lonesome,
and we want neighbors nearer to us.
Some of these newspaper editors whose
offices are in crowded cities where bus
mess is booming know but little of the
desolation on the tops of some of these
hills and in narrow valleys remote from
the line of railroad, where children are
so scarce they lead the calves to school.
Now and then we see an objection to
the proposed colonists on the ground
that they are not as good as the native !
stock. The native stock, however, is
not always of the best quality. Young
men have gone out from Vermont whom
no one is anxious to see return. As
for the Swedes we hear no special OBJ
jections TO them as a class. They are
generally admitted to be better than It
alians or Bohemians. There are bad
characters among them. We once saw
one hung for murder. We have been
acquainted with some who were most
excellent men and women. In the
Northwest where they have settled ell
ther in colonies or scattered commune
ties they are generally. known as peace
able, temperate, law-abiding, industri-
Gus and hardy. They are patient, more
easily contented than some with small
gains. They are carefully trained in
the principles of religion, of the Prot
estant faith, and we unhesitatingly say
that we would rather have them for
neighbors than Chinese, negroes, Ka-
nakas, Modocs, Aleuts anda great ma
nv Yankees whom we could mention,
and will, if parties desiring information
viii leave their address at this office
with ten cents in stamps. Whatever
may be thought of the generation of
Swedes that may first come to our bor-
iers we shall make no objection when
lur gzeat-grandchildren enter into mat
-imonial relations with the descendants
If the same. We stand ready to take
very honest Swede who comes here by
he hand and bid him welcome, and
rould syive every one of them who huva