The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-01-08
vFRMoNr.s CENTENNIlL


VERMONr.s CENTENNIAL.
The centennial of the admission of
Vermont into the Union, to be celebrated
Aug. 10Th, as recently stated in these
when we published the law, has
walked up the special correspondents of
our city exchanges. The following is a |
sample: 1.-THE centennial of Vermont S !
admission into the Union and the one
and fourteenth anniversary of
the battle of Bennington will be COM
with imposing ceremonies
next August at Bennington under the
auspices of the State Government. The
occasion will be signalized by the dedi-
cation of the Battle Monument, and the
event promises TO eclipse the celebration
of the centennial anniversary of the bat.
tie in 1877. The coming celebration will
be held on Wednesday, August 10, as the
10th comes on Sunday this year. This
date was designated by the Legislature
which passed an act providing for the
proper celebration of the States admis-
sion into the Union, and for the dedica-
ton of the Bennington Monument The
Legislature created a commission, con-
sisting of Governor Page, Lieutenant
Governor Fletcher, Speaker Mann of the
House, State Treasurer Field and Secre-
tary of State Brownell, to make the nee
essary arrangements and have general
charge of the exercises connected with
the celebration. The Commissioners are
directed, under the act, to invite in the
name of the State, the National Govern
ment and the States of Massachusetts
and New Hampshire to unite with Ver
mont in the dedication and celebration.
Invitations will be issued by the com
commission to President Harrison and
Cabinet, Vice-President Morton and other
members of the National Government,
and to the Governors and officers OF SIS
ter Statates to be present and participate
in the celebration. The annual muster
of the National Guard of Vermont will
be held here during the week of August
10, and it is expected that the National
Guard of other States will be present the
day of the celebration, One or more
companies of United States regulars are
also to take part in the military parade;
The amount of money to be expended
for the celebration is left discretionary
with the Governor and Commissioners. ~
The venerable HAL Hollister of Paw
let, has also felt the beginning of the
coming enthusiasm and writes an
article for the Granville, n. Y, Sentinel.
We copy his remarks in this connection,
although they are somewhat long. we
think he is mistaken in his criticism OF
the railroads, but we give the article en-
tire because there is great opportunity
for thought thereon, especially in the
| light of the late Legislatures doing lie
says:
One hundred years from the fourth of
ne It March, on the last day OF the second
year of President Washington's Admins
| tration, Vermont was admitted into the
family of States. After having formed a
State constitution in 1777, she petitioned
and struggled for fourteen years before
admission to the Union, being kept out
by the influence of New York, who
claimed to own the territory by virtue OF
grant from CHARLES |, after 1t had been
chartered by New Hampshire to its then
occupants. Washington had large In
fluence in promoting her admission.
The early settlers were robust and en-
terprising, and set themselves very
earnestly to work to make themselves
homes in this then wilderness State,
many of them coming direct from the
battle fields of'the revolution. Coming
largely from Connecticut, she brought
with her the traditions and usages, and
even the statutes of Connecticut,
Soon churches, colleges and
schools were established. Slavery,
which was permitted in all the other
States, was interdicted and never gained
foothold in the State
Vermont, next to Maine, is the farm
ing State of New England, and in hel
virgin state was densely clothed with
timber of all kinds common to the lati
tude. She was foremost in introducing
improved breeds of horses, sheep and
cattle. The imperial Spanish MerinC
was improved into the American Merino,
the finest sheep IN the world. The Nor
gan and Blackhawk horses originated
here. All the cereals, fruits and vegeta'
bles of the middle zone flourished here
She makes more maple sugar than any
other State Her butter and cheese com
mand the highest price. She has ever
been patriotic and prompt to do her duty
as member of the Union.
This has been the birth place of many
of the brightest men of the Nation, bOtl
of those who remained and those who
emigrated. Notwithstanding this SPLEEN
did record, shadow seems to have set
tied on her recent years. All the Other
New England States are getting ahead
Massachusetts, has twelve times the
wealth and six times the population
New Hampshire and Rhode Island eacl
more people, and twice the wealth. Yer
mont lacks the advantage of a sea port
but has water communication witt
Canada and New York city. She has
immense deposits of marble, granite
lime and slate, as well as of iron and cop
per. Then why has she fallen behind
the procession?
If there is any good in stringent pro
hibitory law she has certainly had thu
benefit of it. Surrounded as she is by
States in which liquor is attainable, Yer
mont seems to have all the disadvantages
of the liquor trade with little CORE
spending benefit, as immense sums &C
out of the State in profits to other States
for liquor consumed in this State.
A few years ago she enacted just law
to equalize taxation-sO that personal
property should pay its share of the
taxes But This seems to have had the
effect of draining the State of its re.
sources as many people leave the State
or invest their money elsewhere to evade
taxation. But little pension money
comes here as the soldiers who have left
the State are now drawing nearly'a mil,
lion of dollars which had they remained
would have added so much to the wealth
of the State. Another drawback on the
prosperity of the State is The excessive
charges imposed by the railroad it cost
ing as much to ship goods from the east
line of the State TO Boston one hundred
miles as from Chicago one thousand
miles. The villages of the State what
there are lie mostly on the borders and
all put together do not constitute larger
market than one interior city of Massa-
chusetts, derive large share of their
supplies of farming products from other
States. Again there is quixotic move
ment spreading all over the land to build
up the farming interest to the exclusion
of the manufacturing and all other inter
ests. The farmer is the natural rival of
every other farmer raising the same pro-
ducts and it would be more sensible for
him to bend his energies to build up
other interests so that he might have
consumers for his products. Again there
is heavy drain on the resources of the
people in the prevailing custom of many
to buy their supplies directly in the dis
tant cities so that the city merchants
reap all the profits of the trade which
should belong TO the home merchants
There may be possible exceptions but
the home merchant if patronized would
supply most goods as cheaply as the city
merchant does. Vermont seems to be
drifting into the condition in which Ire
land is nova purely agricultural State.
This may suit other States but it is death
to Vermont interests. No people in the
world ever flourished ON tillage of the
soil alone. And Vermont singular as it
may seem, buys largely of cereals, yege-
tables, fertilizers, fuel and fruits which
she might raise within her own limits.
With all these drains and drawbacks is