Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-05-11
essex County 9frsla.
ISLAND POND, VT. MAYII.
Where VIII Il End ?

In the beginning INC ia'hS'
framed a system of Fundamental
laws, wonderfully fitted to tn
then condition of the country. o
course all their attention wa
directed to the accumulation O
wealth, and they had littl,
thought of how to preserve o
utilize it. They had 10 conception
of the quick and extensive accu
mutations which have been mad,
to the country. Its development
was unprecedented and appar
emily unexpected. They did know
and made various illusions tC
the different and conflicting inter
ests in 80 extensive a country as
this was, and in which there
would arise such various enter,
prises and employments as have
come along with its progress
but comparatively little thought
seems to have been bestowed
upon the manner in which new
conditions would be met. To
illustrate: Take the most rural
portions of the country. The
farmer hired his workman, but
he was in direct and personal
competition in respect to his la
Dor with other farmers around
him, and this protected the work
men. The workmen were in like
competition with others and this
protected the farmers. If the
man who worked by the day or
month got an idea that the far
mer had the advantage. the con,
ditions were such that he could
easily become the proprietor OF
a small farm himself, and so in
dividual rights regulated them so
as to make a fair balance. But
soon immense interests sprang
up, large enterprises were under
taken, machinery fast replaced
manual labor, and the produc-
tiveness of the lands were such
that it required fewer and fewer
manual laborers in order to sup
ply the country, especially with
means of subsistence. These en-
terprises soon passed beyond the
reach of individual and common
laborers, and soon became more
and more monopolies; oppor-
tunities to be dictatorial in
creased; immense profits were
realized, by means of which large
corporate managers became
powerful, politically and other
wise, until those various large
interests somewhat resembled an
ancient barony in influence, but
without reciprocal obligations of
protection. So that although
the presumption is that the re-
duction of wages were based
upon necessity, growing out of a
decrease of profits, yet it gave
the power, which was too often
exercised, to make such reduc-
ton when no such necessity ex-
listed. And when it was made it
unfortunately struck the low
est wage Garner, and sometimes
exempted rich officers of the cor
poration from any reduction.
This of course engendered a feel
ing of bitterness which, by rea-
son of its being in minds more or
less uned ucated, was often i'm
properly and unjustly exercised,
until at this time there is in the
minds of a very considerable por-
ton of the common people of this
country a feeling of jealousy to-
wards those enterprises which
are doing so much to advance
the wealth and prosperity of the
country. This class possess to a
large extent the muscle and des-
perate energy Of the country,
which ambitious men are watch
ing even now with intense inter
est. Formerly emigrants were
much needed; they were we'll
adapted to the business of sub
DUNG the country. The fertility
of the soil and cheapness of lands
enabled everyone to be a proprie-
tor, and was a great inducement
to emigration. This increased to
such proportions that on account
ofhabits of living the emigrant
came in such sharp competition
with the native as to crowd the
latter, making it oftentimes diff.
cult for him to maintain his for