The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-08-18
$42o,SS4.O0
S464,SoS.00
S6O2,552.14

EXPENSES, III tHe emu VI JHc
next fve-year period, c<Oo rro11
1897, to be pOOA,ooA.A ~
Then came the era when
the Republican party felt safe
from opposition, and though
still regularly repeating its
promises of economy, still
kept swelling expenditures
until in 1908 they reached
1921 DOL "a, and after de-
Quoting every dime of in
come from state institu-
tions or that was not in
the nature of taxes
1 peG. es' w .epe' 'A- S738,368.05
The peoples money had
been thrown away almost in
proportion as the people
have increased Republican
maiorites.
In 1892 the valuation of the state was
$l49, 1884 ,069 and the population Census
of lSSO) 2.2S6 In 1903 the valuation
was $l66.074,7l0 and the population
census of 1900 343,64l~
Increase in population l-2 per cent
Increase in property ii IL per cent
Increase in expenditures $50 per cent
No other state in the union makes so
bad a showing. Maine, with her pro-
hibition and her next largest and steadi-
est Republican majority, comes next to
it. But Names increase of population
in the same period was IL per cent, or,
over twice as great as ours, and her in
crease in taxable property 40 per cent,
or over four and one-half times ours,
though her bloatng of state expenses,
from the same disease of Republican
misrule was about the same as ours.
Yet this grand little state, where
comes such sorry showing from Repub-
lican policies and Republican legislation
and administration, was in the first
quarter of the last century, under the
Democratic Governors Galusha, Butler
and Van Ness, the FL Dorado of the
union, developing faster, proportion
than any other.
lures God intended her to be, and what
she will be again when blessed with
Democratic ideas and Democratic
methods, with her peculiarly good and
quick soil, whose products are
everywhere recognized rs the choicest
in the markets, her pure air and water
that not only give such advantage in
dairying but make her the Switzerland
of America" in delightfulness of resi-
dence, her vast resources in mine and
quarry and timber-land and the well
nigh limitless power afforded by hel
mountains side streams.
Some shallow pates in the class OF
politician economists not poitica
economists-have sought to explain thi'
condition of things by the fact that Yer
mont is without seaport. The truth il
that the states wonderful development
under Democratic rule was in times
when ocean commerce was large ele
ment in the nations prosperity. The de
cline-as it may fairly be called, in com
parison with other states-has come il
the era of neglect of ocean commerce ant
direction of American energies to inter
nal development In the former err
Vermont prospered greatly in spite o
the disadvantage of lack of seaport
from which other states profited. In tn
latter era she has Jagged far to the rea
OF the procession among the states in tn
kind of development for which she wa
by nature fitted best of all.
How far she has Jagged the censu
shows. In the 20 years from 1880 t
1900, while her wealth increased onl
il IL per cent-Or Dut small IractlO
of what simple interest should hav
added to the capital with which sh
started-the wealth of the nation as
whole has grown, in round numbers froi
S44 900. 100000 to $1,000 100000, or ii
per cent or IL l-2 times faster tina
Vermont.
Others of these shallow pates say tn
trouble has been the rapid developmer
of the West and the drain of our popl
lation and energy to it. Undeniably tn
has been a large factor; but 30 it hi
in the other New England states, who
progress has been several times great
than ours.
The simple and the whole truth is
and there is no escaping it-that IL
mans folly that has so sadly MARE
what Nature intended for Vernon
and that folly has expressed itself in u
tremendous Republican majorities tn
have taken away all sense of polite
responsibility, all the stimulus to goo
work which political competition won
arouse-have lodged petty politics whe
craftsmanship should behave broug
personal intrigue and caucus manipu
tion where real appeal to the peoI
would bring broadening and invigoratil
arI nrogressivc policies-have broug
starnation and decay where in oil