The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-10-31
IMPORTING FOREIGNERS.

The movement toward bringing
Swedes into Vermont to occupy unoccu-
pied farms is meeting with some oppo-
sition. We do not mean that there is
any armed resistance, actual or contem-
plated, to this movement, but some of
the newspapers, claiming to speak the
sentiments of quite a number of their
readers, especially among the farmers,
say, in substance, that they do not want
the Swedes or any other foreigners to
colonize within the State. Some of those
who talk after this manner, not news
paper men particularly, are presumably
importations from other states or coun-
tries who have been induced to colonize
here by the advantages which Vermont
offers, and of all of us the best that can
be said is that our fathers or great
grandfathers were foreigners. Now, we
do not suppose that Commissioner Val
entine or any of the men associated with
him would for a moment think of bring
ing in foreigners if the sons of the ma
tIves would take root in the soil. But
the enterprising sons of the men of Ver-
mont go out of the State in large num-
bers. The sons of Vermont farmers turn
to other occupations either in or out of
the State and vacant space is left be-
hind them. 1t is this space that we
want to fill, and we want to fill it upon
the theory that it is better to have our
lands occupied by an industrious and
thriving population than 1t is to allow
them to remain vacant or turn back to a
wilderness. 1t is said by some that so
much produce is now raised that farm
ing does not pay and that by bringing in
more farmers and raising more produce
we shall lower the standard of prices
still more. This may be true, hut we do
not believe it, for in bringing producers
we also bring consumers. But the argu-
ment 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 prof
table for a select few. States do not
grow, however, under such policy
They seek an industrious population.
The aim is to increase the number of
people and to carry the soil to its high
est productive capacity, Our large cities
are sustained by populous and produc-
tive farming country behind them
These become centers of commerce and
manufactures and help to make the pros
perity of the country, This line of ar
gument is nonsense. The policy of the
country has always been to bring in peo-
pie 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 seek
ing honest, steady, industrious men to
come and help develop 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 rule this
policy has proved wise. Here in Yer
mont we have hitherto acted as if we
had no right to adopt it. Now we are
waking up to il and some are so surpris
ed that they can do nothing but kick
and they do so 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 about them. Those of US who
are left are getting lonesome and we
want peighbOrs nearer to us, Some of
these newspaper editors whose offices are
in crowded cities where business is
booming know but little of the desola-
tion 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
~ 10 A. hn
we hear no special objections to them as
a class. They are generally admitted to
be better than Italians and 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 set
tied either in colonies or scattered COM
munities they are generally known as
peaceable, temperate, law-abiding, in
dustrious and hardy, They are patient,
more easily contented than some with
small gains. They are carefully trained
in the principles of religion, and we un-
hssitatingly say that we would rather
have them for neighbors than Chinese,
Modocs, Aleuts and a great many Yam
KEGS whom we could mention, and will
# parties desiring Information will leave
their address at this office wi h ten cents
in stamps. Whatever may be thought
of the generation of Swedes that may
first come to our borders we shall make
no objection when our great-grandchild
reD enter into matrimonial relations with
the descendants OF the same. We stand
ready to take every honest Swede who
comes here by the hand and bid him
welcome, and would give every one of
them who buys farm of us COW, if
we had any cows to give or any farms to
sell West Randolph Herald.