Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-12-06
The Business of the Country.

line new 1orK Sun or frluay, says
Gold, stocks, manufactures, produce, and
nearly everything else saleable, are travelling
on the down grade with full steam on aud
the brakes unset Yesterday gold touched
1877, and all the markets we're sensibly af,
fected by the depression. The excitement
in stocks came very near reaching the de
gree of panic Several spectators are re.
ported to have been set upon their beam
ends by yesterdays tumble, and if the pres
eut condition of things should continue a
few days longer, a general crash in the
speculative business will be inevitable. In
the meantime, consumers should insist upon
realizing their share Of the benefits of the
tumble in the wholesale markets Every
thing eatable and wearable has gone down
materially 10 the wholesale markets within
the last two weeks, and yet the retailers
have to great extent refused to lowor
prices single peg Buyers should bring
this class to their senses by limiting their
purchases to the smallest amounts coDsis-
tent with present requirements Prices
must come down in the retail markets, and
if retailers will not drop voluntarily, they
should be forced into it by partial suspen.
sion of purchases.
The World, of the same date, has the
following on the same subject:
Disguise it as they may, the business
men of the country are looking each other
in the face and asking the question, what
of the future? Trade is stagnant From
every branch of business the report of dull
ness is heard. Were the dry goods merchant
the oily one to complain, the cause for his
complaint might be determined with ease !;
but be is not alone. Within the past few
weeks, not merely dry goods but provisions,
books, and nearly every kind of merchant
able commodities have deprecated in value.
The mporters of dry goods have been forced
to offer their stocks for sale at auction, and
to day goods can be purchased for less
number of dollars in currency than they ac.
tually cost iu gold Book publishers, too,
are doing but little. The fall and early
winter are their harvest time, yet perusal
of their advertisements shows how meagre
is the show of new publications that they
make. English books, we hear, are driving
American books out of the market.
The reason for this, it is not our purpose
at present to suggest, but to the fact we
would call the attention of the public.
Labor, too, is becoming cheaper. Yet from
every quarter comes the cry of distress
save from the New England manufacturers,
who have made enough during the last five
years to support them and the States which
they represent, for more than as many years
to come.
The signs of the times are not SO cheer.
ful as our "loyap' friends would have us
believe, but they need not cause despouden.
cy. Sooner or later, this inflated currency,
now in vogue, must sink to its proper value,
and during the process many people must
suffer. Meanwhile, prudent persons will
control their expenses as much as they can,
invest their money in something which has
an Intrinsic value, and await the good time
when business will be transacted on specie
basis instead of on legal tender paper cur
rency basis, which is as tickle as the wind
and about as unreliable.