Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-01-17
What's the rlatter with Vermont?

Some years ago, when Populism wa'
rampant in Kansas and everything
was subordinated TO a mad carnival o.
politics and freak legislation, certain
newspaper of that state published an
editorial headed, whats the Matter
with Kansas Pr Ii was hot stuff from
start TO finish. 1t laid bare the facts
and prodded them with a pointed
stick. Among the most striking
passages was one which ran about as
follows-"What Kansas needs is to
raise more corn and less hell" This
editorial. republished as it was all over
the country, did more to shame the
honest people Of the Sunhower state
and restore them to sobriety than
perhaps any other one thing.
We are glad to note that a number
of the leading papers Of Vermont are
discussing with earnestness the ques-
ton, What ails Vermont A thorough
investigation of this subject can lead
only to good.
Something ails every state, every
city, every town, everywhere. If this
were not true, that state, city or town
would be Utopia, a place where
perfection would prevail, a heaven on
earth. It would be overcrowded, too,
as soon as people knew about it.
Something ails every state, to the
exact degree that it falls short of that
perfection which all states are, or
should be, striving to attain. No
state should give up in despair because
something ails it, Tor something will
all 1t just as long as man himself is
faulty and prone to error. On the
other hand, no state should accept
that fact as an excuse for becoming
weary in well-doing. Without expec-
tation of complete success, the effort
should never cease to bring about the
nearest approach TO it. Hence the
question, What ails our state? is
pertinent for all states az all times.
A lot of things all Vermont, and the
same things all other states. Perhaps
in some of them we are ahead, in
others they lead us. If we are on an
average plane, all things considered,
we ought to be measureably well
satisfied A question easier to come
at is, Is Vermont behind other states ?
If so, in what respects, and how can
we catch up?
Now in some matters Vermont is
certainly at the head, and in others
well up in the procession. All is not
so dark as we are sometimes told. In
scenery, no state excels Vermont.
Other sections have loftier mountains,
deeper canons, wider rivers, more
majestic waterfalls, lakes as beautiful;
but it is the general expression of
travellers who have seen much of the
world, that no equal number Of square
miles contains so many of what are
generally termed 1.-THE beauties of
nature as Vermont. Admittedly, it is
far above the average in this respect
That absolute necessity, good drink
ing water, can be found in Vermont
far purer and more plentiful than in
scarcely any other section OF the union
or even the world.
The summer climate in Vermont is
grand-nothing surpasses it. The
winters are healthful, conducive to
vigor, but not mild enough to attract.
rather the reverse. With less snow
and cold, more people would find il
pleasant to pass their winters in
Vermont, and the tide would not flow
out at that season. No use lamenting
about that, though. It's something
we cannot regulate.
Turning to material things. Yer.
mont's soil is more productive than
the average; in fact, it stands well up
in the list in this respect. The lands
are so cut up, however, by hills that
the best results cannot be obtained in
working them. The expense per acre
Of tilling the soil is far in excess Of
that in many states, the effect being tc
make agriculture less profitable. As q
partial Offset to the immense returns o.
the great farms Of the West. due Il
their richer soil and the economy witt
which they be can titled. is the NOR,
steady income of the Vermont farm
due to the variety of crops and tn,