St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-12-26
ADDRESS TO THE STATE GRANGE.

Grange in Brattleboro Grand Master
Alpha Messer delivered a strong adj
address upon state affairs. Below
are found copious extracts of the adj
dress:
I'm 1856 Legislature was chosen
from which we had much to expect
In this direction, but the appoint
ment of railway committee by the
speaker prevented the full fruition of
our hopes A law creating a COM
mission was enacted but the duties
of the commissioners were SO circum-
scribed as to render the law of but
little, if any, value to the farmers.
In fact it may well be a question
whether the value of the commission
is commensurate with its expense
and conseQ uent increased taxation.
The Legislature of 1888 was a politi-
cal Legislature and brought burdens
instead of relief to the farmers of the
state.
The Legislature of 1890 should be
a farmers Legislature. | do not
mean a Legislature the lower house
of which is composed mainly of farm
ers and the senate of professional
men, nor do | mean q Legislature
which can be controlled by railroad
and other influences which are known
to exist in our state, but | mean a
Legisla ture which will do exact JUS
tice to all, which will give us an eff
c1ent railway commission with suffi-
cient power to regulate such railway
abuses as exist, or may exist IN our
state. A Legislature which will
guard the public treasury, and keep
appropriations within the proper
limits While the last Legislature
was extravagant and increased taxa
ton beyond q reasonable limit, we
should be careful to guard against
the opposite extreme, and not be
parsimoniOus Ill all apprOpria lions.
Our agricultural and educational in
terests, and whatever tends to in
crease the lateral prosperity of our
state, should be generously support
ed Such a Legislature may be deem
ed an ideal one but the material ex-
lists i'll this state, and the people
would rejoice in its election, and the
time is at hand when, without dis
tinction of class, they should unite
their efforts in this direction.
At the last session of the Legisla-
ture radical and important changes
were made in our school laws For
some years it had been evident to
our educators and thinking men that
the common schools of Vermont
were not up to the standard i'll other
states. 1t did not appear and could
not be shown that the schools were
not making some advances, but it
was plain to be seen that.by strictly
adhering to the old methods, they
were not making as rapid progress
as was desirable.
The town system, whatever its
merits or demcrits, was decidedly
unpopular with the people. The old
district system, with town superin-
tendents, did not seem to meet the
requirements of the time, and the
Legislature, at its last session, effect
ed some important changes. 1t was
hardly to be expected that the new
law would be received with favor by
all of the people. 1t is often difficult
to change old forms and customs and
supplement them with new forms to
the complete satisfaction of all.
The next subject taken up was that
of the current agitation in regard to
onr unoccupied farms. Mr.. Messer
thought harm had been done by con-
veying the impression that Vermont
is a state of deserted farms" and an
undesirable place i'll which to live,
but the discussion may be of benefit,
he said, by directing attention to the
actual condition of the poorer class
of farmers and by stimulating our
people to adopt measures to remedy
the evils complained of. Continuing
he said:
Il am glad to see the general dis
position which is manifested by our
citizens to build up the waste places
and to render what pecuniary assist
ance may be needed for this desired
end, but at the same time | am not
an enthusiast in the scheme to re-
populate our state with foreigners.
While | would throw no obstacle in
the way of bringing to our state the
better class of the laboring element
of the world, would give special
advantage to our poor, but honest
and industrious, native born citizens
In some quarters the reverse senti-
ment seems to have ardent support
ers Right here | do not wish to be
understood, as | have been, that the
foreigners could or would under any
law which might be enacted, have
any advantage over our native-bOrn
population, but | do wish to be I'M
derstood that the foreigners have Ell
listed the sympathy of some of our
people more than the poor, industri-
Gus farmers in our midst"
Mr.. Messer opposed strongly the
proposition to eXemptfrom taxation
the value of the lands to be taken up
by foreigners, but favored the propo-
sitiOn made by the state grange in
1887 to exempt improvements on
such farms and the stock carried on
them for a term of ten years.
The original assessed value OF the
land should not be exempted, but the
improvements and value of stock I'M
der certain conditions should be for
the encouragement of that class of
people of which have been speaking.
| believe in Vermont for VermOnters
first, and if we then have unOccupied
lands which cannot be titled by our
home population, the better class of
some foreign population may be de-
sirable; but wish to emphasize the
fact that much may be done by we'll
TODD VermOnterS to build up the |
state, increase its home population
and sustain its reputation by retain |
ing their surplus capital here, by en-
couraging home industries, and by |
generously supporting measures for |
the general Improvement and pros
peritv of our state. l have discussed |
this matter at some length because | |