Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-12-23
Hard Times.

There are always croake.s to grumble
at the times and call them hard but at
4 present no one doubts it
The abundant crop Of Europe has
more to do with the depression now felt
than any other cause. The foreign de.
mand Tor our wheat has been curtailed
greatly W bile, therefore the Yield of
our wheat fields was good the value of il
Is 81 reduced that tho producer rea ICES
but very little proft on his outlay The
scarcity of corn and the abundance OF
wheat are the upper and the neither mill.
stones between which the country is
ground to poverty We say the country,
not in distinction from the city, but rs in
elusive Of all parts and classes, The
farmer cannot suffer and the rest of us
prosper, The productive class cannot
suffer without involving all classes, at
least in land so predominantly agricul
tnral as our own.
But there are still other causes deserv.
ing OF enumeration besides the one al
ready specified, and which cannot be re-
moved or altered 1t the cost of living
were proportionately reduced it would be
very different But while the farmer is
Obliged to sell for ante war prices his
wheat, he must pay nearly, if not quite,
wH prices for his merchandise. There
was time when the price of what he
sold regulated the price of what he
bought, but it is not 80 now. The fault
is not with The merchant, wholesaler or
retailer, but it is the result OF circum-
stances that are absolute in their con,
troll. While the foreign supply Of grain
likes the price OF flour, the rate of gold
at the time the goods were imported and
at the time they are sold combine to fix
the price OF merchandise There is some
variation in both cases, but we speak OF
prime causes. la u word, gold is the
standard OF values in imports, but not in
exports, except cotton, and we are not
now speaking of the South.
This shows the great Importance of an
early resumption. 1t would not do to Sc
cure it at the cost Of bankruptcy, but
it is certainly desirable beyond all calcu-
AtiOn
Still another cause is excessive taxation.
The heaviest burden is imposed by local
taxation, but the national tax is II grev-
Gus load. 1t ought to be reduced. Con,
gress should not fail to afford the people
reiiet. There is danger OF mistnking the
pubic sentiment on this point The pe)-
MIA hu "A rat,innI III. L..
OF the debt, but it by no means follows
that they want the thing kept up They
reloced that SO long AS they must pay so
heavy tax it was being economically
collected and faithfully applied Ii must
ny no means be thence inferred that they
prefer a continuance Of the present bur
den On the contrary, one especial cause
OF the rejoicing was the thought that
there beng large surplus under the eX
istin9 system material reduction would
propablJ be made by Congress. This
expectation should not be disappointed
The general finances of the conn ry do
not warrant the mainteuances OF the
present system
While the present evils of the times
are not to be ignored nor left remedileSs,
so far as they can be relnedied it is hoped
that out OF these hard times good effects
may come. Extravaganza has obtained
TO an alar Ding extent People live too
fast, and if the brakes of nece,3'- are
put upon them it may be beneficial in the
end The fever OF speculation needs
quoting. t the lesson of hard times is
only learned thoroughly and procticed
faithfully, what seems disastrous will
prove eminently benldcent, - Chicago
JoWadl