The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-10-31
An Artistic Pipe Dream,

Not the linotype but the artist of the
St. Adams Messenger burst all bonds
last night, and in his throes gave the
public" leaning tower Of Vermont"
From a strictly artistic standpoint the
three column cut which is the result of
the delirum is not bad, but not as much
can be said of the "motif." In the
foreground is massive leaning tower,
and in the distance is the Capitol The
relative geographical location of the
two edi6ces indicate that the tower is
situated on the "shifting sands" of
Bear Swamp, or thereabouts. In the
artistic triumph the tower is represent
ed as being founded on the "sand of
unequal presentation" The ground
floor is labeled "politics," the next
double taxation, 'the next"bad roads,"
the next abandoned farms,' the next
"exodus of young men," the next
"prohibition," the roof story "reform
methods" while the cupola is denomi-
mated "bucket shops"
All this is largely an artistic pipe
dream. The editor should have edited
this triumph of high art. Beginning
at the top, the "bucket shop" is not
allowed to exist in Vermont. If any
such financial institution is within the
grasp of our very drastic statute on the
subject, it is summarily closed. The
Burlington episode, being legal on it's
face, must be criticised from q differ
ent point of view. AS to "reform
methods" it does not appear that the
State is suffering at all from this
source. Coming down to "prohibi-
tion," neither does it appear that the
State is as yet actually on the rocks be-
cause of that. Coming down yet fur
Their to the "exodus of young men,"
that has ceased to a considerable ex-
tent and glance around the premises
shows that they are getting all that is
coming to them. Even the editor of
the Messenger has gold plated State Of
fees to throw away. AS matter of
fact Vermont is today in the hands of
its young men, and they are here to
stay. Coming down yet another story,
the suggestion of abandoned farms"
can be treated in the same way. Aban-
doned farms in Vermont are few and
far between as compared with few
years ago, and this question appears
to be settling itself most satisfactorily.
The same and even more can be said
of the vision of chad roads," The
roads of Vermont are certainly improv-
ing, the people are becoming aware of
the value of permanent improvements,
progressive ideas are being adopted
and carried out, and today Vermont
has by far the best highways in New
England, barring possibly western
Massachusetts.
Double taxation" is now reached
and whatever there is of injustice and
inequality can soon be cured by concert
of action by the present Legislature.
"Politics, comprising the ground floor,
is also the sorrowful result of mental
jag. Politics, honorable, clean poll
tics, are an absolute necessity, an in
gredient, in any republican form of
government. "Poltics" as an issue is
bosh. Lastly, it sounds we'll to talk of
"unequal representation" but what is
proposed? Why not introduce some
constitutional amendment on the sub
jectP.
Finally, the Messengers tower in the
theoretical foreground of Vermont's
capital is scarecrow in the field of
Vermont prosperity, a skeleton at the
feast, misty goblin of awful things
which do not actually exist.