The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-06-10
Farmers League Meeting.


at Red Mems hall on Friday of last week,
was noteworthy gathering. The attend
ance was large and the speeches were for
the most part both interesting and suggest
i've. Hon. E. p. Cotton of Irasburgh, the
president, called the meeting to order. After
prayer by Rev. G.. p. Beard of st. Adams,
editor of the Farmers AdUocdte, Hon. Will
lam Chaplin of Middlesex made an address
of welcome.
MR. CHAPIN's ADDRESS.
To me has been assigned the pleasing task
of bidding you all hearty welcome to the
capital of the state, to the central farming
county, named for that grand farmer,
George Washington. We cordially well
come the honored president of the National
Farmers League to Vermont-a little state
in length and breadth, but great state up
and down. We hope that he may give us
wise thoughts and timely suggestions of the
best ways to secure and maintain our rights
and privileges as American farmers. We
gladly greet the president and other execu-
tive officers of the state league, who, living
and working among us, know our rights
and wrongs, and knowing, will, with our
united help, defend the rights and redress
the wrongs. Most of all we welcome the
sturdy rank and file of Vermont farmers.
who have come up from the valleys and
down from the hills, from the farm and
field, to meet here and for one long June
day consult and counsel together as to the
best ways and means to promote the gem
eral interests of Vermonts agricultural
population; to devise, if it may be, some
plan of united action by which we may re-
move some of the burdens that do now so
grievously Cypress our calling; to the end
that our young men and maidens may be
more contented with farm life, that the toll
and care of the middle-aged and older peo-
pie may be lessened; in short, to study out
" the greatest good for the greatest number"
Mr.. President and gentlemen, this agita-
ton and uprising of the laboring classes to
demand fair share of the honors and emolu-
ments, the profits and comforts, derived
from their labor, has come none too soon
A sad change has come over the status of
farmers in political, social, financial and
military matters, since the days when
Farmer Chittenden was eighteen years
governor and Farmer Ethan Allen twenty
years military leader since Farmer Samuel
Robinson, senior, was our first agent or
minister to England and his son, Farmer
Moses Robinson, United States senator. In
those days Vermont grew and tlourished /;
the state was well governed and was hon
ored at home and abroad; people and capt.
tai then stayed contentedly here. Now the
rural population falls off every decade: our
young people leave u.s. Vermont capital is
invested out of the state, and about farming
manufactures and many other lines of bust
ness there is 6 general flavor of mild de-
| cay" These things ought not so to be-
With her fertile soil, healthy climate, and
good breed of people we ought to keep at
the front in all lines of human progress
For the last two or three generations the
farmer element seems to have faded out of
the management of our state and national
affairs. Professional men, SPECTATORS
politicians and demagogues have crowded
in, and by hook or crook have taken full
charge of our executive, legislative and
judicial governments; and having got the
| power, they have gradually changed the
laws and customs of the early DAYS. until
the tendency of the times to-day is to make
the rich richer and the poor poorer and to
starve out the middle class. This course is
not for the permanent good of the state
| What the present movement demands is a
fair and equal recognition of the industrial
| classes with the other callings in the affairs
of the state and nation; just and equal tax
alton, the full benefit of the munificent gifts
OF the nation for agricultural education and
experiment, equal benefits from the pro-
tective tariff, and in the use of the national
money And further we expect from con-
gress, the legislature, the courts and the
executive powers the respect due to those
who feed and clothe all classes.
Fellow citizens OF Vermont, with you
| glory in the early history of our state, In the
brave and patriotic achievements of the
"Green Mountain Boys" In my travels up
and down the state have taken great pleas
ure in visiting their battle-fields and their
graves; have stood among the Walloomsac
hills, where Stark and Warner routed the
Hessians and British, and on the banks of
the Saranac, where our fathers fought and
won the day. l have climbed up "Holy
Hill at Bennington and stood by the
graves OF those who fought and those who
fell. AT Westminster have sought out the
graves OF French and Houghton, first martyrs
OF the Revolution. i have stood by the