The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-09-26
vERMoNr,s PROSPERITY.

more tnan U0e usual amount OF atten-
tion is being called just at the present
time to the development of the resources
Of Vermont. 1t IS assumed that the
State might prosper more than it is now
prospering If the right methods were
employed to encourage manufactures,
agriculture, mining, etc. 1t Is assumed
that riches abound in our vallies, and
that what is needed is some of the en-.
terprise that goes to bnild up other COM
munities applied to our own. We look
upon this movement as favorable sign.
II indicates that as a State we have not
settled into the apathy Of old age, think
ing only of the feeble achievements of
the past, with but little to hope for in
the future. There Is an implication in
much of this talk that we have not done
as well in the past as we might have
done. This is true. There Is the same
feature in all past records. Yet Vermont
has occupied no M an place. Her posi-
tion has made her more Of an agricultu-
raj than a manufacturing State. Instead
of growing rich as some of the other
States have done, there has been con-
tinual drain upon her both of men and
money. We know that Vermont has
grown in wealth at times and then de-
cline in prices has shrunk out some of
the gain OF previous years. Taking a
term of years and comparing with for
mer periods we thing the State can show
material advance. BUTT has never been
the boast of Vermont that she was keep.
ing or could keep pace with some of the
Middle and Western States, but the men
and the women and the wealth of the
State have gone to aid in the building up
those States. There is not State West
Of Vermont to-day that is not more of
State than it would have been had there
been no Vermont from which to draw
men and money. We have given of the
best of our possessions to help others,
sometimes il is feared to our own detri-
ment. If Vermont cannot boast of great
things, her thousand acres farms, her
immense mills and her millionalres, she
has her specialties and by means of these
she has impressed herself upon the
whole country. The poet SAKE, in his
best days, wrote of four things for which
| Vermont was then famous, men, women,
maple sugar and horses. Some
things have been added to this list
since his day while these things have
lost none of their value. Our sugar is as
sweet as when SAKE sung of it, and it
has far wider market, our horses are
as fleet, and the prices they command
would have astonished the poet, and we
are slow to believe that the quality of
our men and women averages less than
in former days. But we have added to
these the choicest products of the dairy,
some of the finest marble in the world,
granite that cannot be surpassed for all
| tho fn w hirh IL 10 onnIia1
and lumber for the choicest kinds of
wood manufacturing. 1t is not TO be
supposed that as a State We can attain
to full growth at once. 1t may not be
desirable to do this. Our ambition ought
to be fairly well satisfied if we are not
falling behind other States. Not one of
the States, even the most advanced, has
reached the limit of Its growth. We ad-
NIT that for farmers the present time is
not as favorable as few years ago, but
the agricultural interests are the funda-
mental interests of any commonwealth,
We all live upon what comes from the
soil. Many of our younger men are
farming outside of the State, and by SO
doing they bring themselves into COM
petion with those left within the State.
Yet they assist in advancing the general
interests of the country in which this
State takes share. In the recent efforts
made to quicken the interest of Yer
monters IN Vermont special account has
been made Of her material prosperity
This ia an essential feature. We need
money or its equivalent to help us along
But wealth alone will not build up q
State or make it prosperous and happy
The richest men are sometimes in poor
health. Men with large fortunes are
sometimes exceedingly corrupt. Per.
haps the moral condition of Vermont
will average fairly well with that oil
other States. Without claiming to be
any better than the average we are moi
ready to admit that we are any worse
Vermont has good laws. Some are open
to improvement, but what IS needed IL
such an interest in our laws by the peo
pie as shall secure their enforcement
We are injured more by lax execution
of law than by the quality Of our law
But in this we will not admit our inferi
ority to other States. We demand as 9
condition of prosperity that we make an
advance on our present status. We are
not specially lax in morals, and yet we
are open to improvement. In intelli-
gence we compare favorably with the
people of other States, and yet we have
an educational system that is open to al
most endless improvements. It may be
that we are not far behind the mass Of
our fellow-men in the observance of the
higher duties Of religion, yet there are
multitudes among us exceedingly indif-
ferent in regard to religious duties
When we talk about booming Vermont
we want to boom it in all these direc-
tions. Prosperity comes from variety
Of sources. A good name with a solid
backing" is worth as much as money
Herald q: NetUS.