The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-10-28

service should now he terminated, as the
record would not be finished, nor hey ond
the reach Of change or Disagreement.
Frankly permit me to say that | do not at
this moment propose-whatever IL may
seem proper for me to do hereafter-to offer
any practical proof in refutation of Jeffer.
sons declaration that offiCe-holders seldom
die and never resign. But my time, for the
present, and such ability az | may possess,
will be faithfully devoted to the high and
responsible duties to which you have as
signed me-
Some imaginative outsider may say that
nobody else in Vtrmont appears to care for
the Office. That possibly might be a
SANDER, aud yet | believe there are less
chronic office-hunters, proportionately, in
Vermont than in any other state of abe
Union. But, whether there are any worthy
parties who really desire the Office or not /
sometimes feel than an apology may seem
to be due from me to several eminent gem
tlemen with undoubted senatorial qualifica-
tions, who may think there is here some
thing too much of official longevity, and
that
"superfuous lags the vetran on the stage"
They will, however, soon have the advan.
tage, for whatever IL may be worth Of the
precedent now established, but in fact they
should place the responsibility upon the
General Assembly whose action, since be-
neous, certainly unsolicited, as no member
this year nor of six years ago will charge
me with asking for or proposing prolonga-
ton of my public service, however highly,
in these last years of my labor, L may have
priced the distinction.
You will forgive me, hope, for acknowl-
edging that l have sometimes thought that,
in the evening of my days and in the sweet
ness of leisure, l might be able, for the bene-
fit of dear and long-cherished friends, to
Il
recollections concerning the men whom l
have met, and perhaps edit and publish
some of their characteristic letters among
considerable number that were once held TO
bew rtby of preservation. Pleasant dreams
of this kind now, | fear, must be showed
aside for the higher duties to which you
have assigned me.
The growth of our country, since my first
election to congress in 1854, has been so
phenomenal that | feel sure you will par
don me for briefly referring to a few of the
facts which may be regarded as without
parallel in the history of the world since
Adam left the Garden of Eden. Our pop
ulation in 1854 was twenty seven millions
and Is now seventy-two millions. The
House of Representatives then had 227
members, ana now 357. Railroads in =
GRAFTON were then 49, 1876 miles. and 1870 900
in 1896. Having then thirty-one stars on
our flag, representing thirty-one states, we
now have forty-6ve. Tho money in circu-
lation per capita in 1860 WAS Sl3.25, and
S22 05 October |, 1896. The total coin, bull
lion, and paper money in the United States
and in the treasury in 1860, was SAP, 102, =
AT, and in 1896 was S2,345 ,63l 1913. The
product OF silver in the whole world in
1854 was only S40,000000, but in 1895 it was
1854, only $4,000. The total national
wealth in 1850 was Sl6,000,0O0,0 900 which, in
spite Of the boundless destruction north
and south, oy the war Of the rebellion had
| in 1890 increased to 500, 900 900 600. In
! 1860, the product here of pig-il on was ouly
! 821 223 gross tons, and in 1895 had increased
| to 8 446 308 tons. The number of patents
| granted in 1854 was ], 844, but in 1894 the
number was 20, 867. From 1865 TO 1898 be-
sides interest, over two thousand million
dollars of the principal of our public debt
had been paid leaving then 1888, 1863, 475
outstanding. Probably all of the govern
ments Of Europe have not reduced their
enormous public debts by an equal amount.
! The total products of our manufactures, &C
cording to the census of 1850, were Sl,0l3,-
| 1856 463, and in 1890 the amount was SO, 3l0,-
! 107 624, leaving all other nations in the rear,
and showing that the multiplication of the
power of human labor by machinery, since
the invention of the steam engine, has made
masterful progress in the New World as
well as in the Old World.
But the greatest achievement after all
was the emancipation of four million
slaves, once subject to hard labor, ODE
dience and rigid discipline, but now peace
fully dwelling in our country with full
orbed freedom. The condition and pros.
perty of any people is fairly indicated by
not small in 1867. which was then, per capita
five pounds of coffee, twenty-four pounds OF
sugar, and four bushels of wheat These
items, in 1893, had increased to eight pounds
of coffee, sixty-three pounds of sugar, and
five bushels OF wheat. Compare this with
the oat-meal diet OF Scotland, the sour-krout
of Germany and the potato diet of Ire
land.
These are some of the remarkable record,
which adorn the career OF honest industry
in the United States, promoted by sounC
tariffs and sound money. Measures thus
gilded will hardly be discarded for any o
the wild expert nents of "A triple-headed sill
yer combination, for this season only, with
a presidential nominee not less self-Conti
dent and elate with his nomination thar
was the delightful Sancho Panza with tina
of Governor of the Island OF Barataria
The gravity of the political questions nov
pending will Justify me, as republican, II
brief reference thereto. Even my demo
cratic friends do not expect me to be any
thing else than republican, and fee
sure that soon they can confidently rel,
upon again being healthy, evangelical demo
Gratis, and, after the third of Novembe
next, their present three-months' allies will
not be regarded by them as worth fifty
cent dollar, ana may then Do repuulateu
even with honor.
The threatened free-coinage of silver OF
the old ratio of 16 to / OF gold as the stand
ard money of our republic-be1au hun
= dred years ago IL was near the standard @
a large part of the commercial world, an
because it was then ascertained to be ne ar
correct, and was so fixed by LAWS an III
sufficient reason for c,inging to that la,
when the ratio has become false and who'll
discordant with its former relations 81
YER from its excessive abundance, has bee
+ almost hopelessly reduced in value, whic
is also az inconstant as the wind, TIL
, sorry attempt now TO go back to the prat
= teal coinage and use of both gold and silve
} on the old ratio OF 16 TO mo longer mali
, tanned in any other country will figure i
our history by some Bancroft, or Macaulay
= not to our glory but more likely as a shame
= full attempt TO fix and establish by law
= perpetual market and price for silver ia
| above its real value, with the United State
T as the sole purchasing dupe, and wag,
0 earners, with all other Gre ditUrs, among I'll
= sorrowful victims.