The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-09-04
AHARpy, INDUsrR1oUs RACE.

The first number of the new periOdi-
tcal, The Quill, contains several able and
suggestive articles, but no one of them
will interest general readers in this State
quite so much as that by Major A. B.
Valentine on Swedish immigration. p"
In this short paper he sums up his earn
est convictions regarding the Swedes and
the experiment of settling them on Ver-
mont soil, He reminds his readers of
the relationship between the Scandina-
yians and ourselves. The bold ROllo led
his sea .rovers to the north of France,
and Normandy was peopled. William
the Conquerer, descendant of Rollo,
crossed the channel, captured England,
mixed his half French and half Scandi-
navian blood with that of the Saxons,
and made the best type of Englishmen.
The Scandinavian is our cousin, with
like instincts of freedom, secular and re-
ligious." Major Valentine points out
the strong and attractive characteristics
of the race. These can be studied to ad-
vantage in the West, where it is found
that the Dane, the Norwegian and the
Swede become rooted to the soil, build
ing homes of thrift and contentment
"All are good citizens, but the Swede
seems to excel, in that he more readily
assimilates with his neighbors and the
more thoroughly tills the soil, being the
better agriculturist." We are not to
suppose that the new corners are unedu-
Gated. Major Valentine affirms that
Sweden's public school system is better
than anything in this country, and that
ito the age of fourteen the boy and the
girl are better educated than the boy and
girl of Massachusetts,. Education is
compulsory, and none escapes its bene-
fits" J" If the freemen of Wilmington, or
of the other towns in which the Swedes
have located, would send one of their
new neighbors to the Legislature, posi-
bly, he could solve the school problem
which now vexes the State. In a very
few words vivid pen-picture of the
lSwedes as a class is given: "They are
sober, peaceful and religious in DISPOSE
ton, industrious and thrifty; physically,
tall and stalwart, with blue eyes, light
hair and cheerful honest faces; mental
| ly, bright and intelligent, acquiring the
English language with great facility"
No higher compliment could be ap-
piled to race or class of men than these
words. The Swedes are a hardy, indus
trious race. They are like ourselves in
essential respects, They love the land,
and men who cling to the soil are always
good citizens, 1t would seem that the
only thing for the people of this land to
consider in connection with the Swedes
is whether or not they can be induced to
come here and settle, If, by making the
conditions of their immigration and set
tlement as easy as possible and by giving
them warm and generous welcome,
they can be turned in this direction, it is
surely the part of wisdom to do this
much. Sober, industrious and intelli-
gent men are States most valuable pos
session. Major Valentine gives several
reasons why he hopes Vermont will
prove a congenial and permanent abiding
place for immigrants, He notes the
lisothermal lines on which European i'm
migration moves. "The Spaniard and
Frenchman from the South of Europe
and people from the shores of the Medi-
terranean make their home in Louisiana
and along the coast of the Gulf of Mexi-
CO. The German, from the center of
Europe, chooses Ohio, Pennsylvania and
other Middle States. The Scandinavian
from the North builds his log cabin in
the woods of Wisconsin, Michigan, Min
nesota, or his dug-out on the plains of
Nebraska and the DakOtas. The line in
cludes Vermont, and naturally Scandina-
Wan immigration should flow to u.s."
The success of the Maine colony augurs
well for the experiment in Vermont.
The land which this colony cleared, and
on which an increase of nearly fifteen
hundred per cent. in population was
made in ten years, was abandoned by the
natives, who declared it worthless. 'It
is believed that the inducements for the
Swedes to settle in Vermont are greater
than those offered by Maine or are now
being offered in any Western State.
While the Maine enterprise was a great
success, very much greater result may
be reasonably expected in Vermont, with
out one quarter of the outlay there
made" This is fair and reasonable in
ference. The chancess of success are SO
great that the experiment is entitled to
full and unobstructed trial.-Wdtch-
| man,