The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-11-05
Hard Times.

Cause and effect are nscpcraby connected.
No eiiec. takes place without Il cause, and every
cause produce, some effect. Tie theory of luck
and chance is at variance with all the pilnc-
pies of sound philosophy, and contradlcted by
the universal experience of all observing men
in all agcs and in all sections Of the world:
The cause and effects, to the experienced
eve always bear striking resemblance. 80
much 81 that Il knowledge OF the one Is
usually all that is necessary to discover inc
other. When cause is seen in operation, 1t Is
easy to predict the result or effect; and when
the effect is presented to the accurate observer,
he is at no great difficulty TO diagnose the
cause.
For the last few years, the cry of "hard times"
has been ringing in melancholy tones in every
nook and corner OF our State. Nor is it con-
fined to the State of South Carolina. The cry
is heard in every section Of the Southern States.
Were this cry of hard times mere hypocrltlcal
slang, it would be idle to comment upon it, or
to attempt to explain its remote Or proXma'c c
cause. This is not however, the case. The
facts in the case warrant us in saying that the
present is hard and the future is gloomy.
What is the cause, or rather what are the
causes Of the present state of things, for they
are many? Passing over the abnormal state
of government in South Carolina, we may
mention the fact that the people OF the State
have not rs yet been brought to practical
knowledge Of their real condition. The ne
groes of the State, when set free, concluded
that they could live on freedom without work !;
and the white people concluded that they, not
witistandng the fact that the negroes, the for
mcr laborcrs of the State, were set free, could
live as they always had done. Practically, Il
great many people have not as Yet learned the
fact that the negro is free and that his labor
cannot be controlled rs it once was. This is
one cause of hard times. The nlau who de-
prnds upon negro labor, ;iS it could once be
depended upon will most aSsurcdly meet with
disappointment.
Another cause of hard times, is the fact that
our people, after the war ended, rushed head
long into their former cXtravagances. The
late war taught us that We could make our
own supplies. So soon, however, As the war
WAS ended, the men ceased 10 make bread and
meat, and the women laid aside the cards and
Wheel Every dollar that could be got WAS
expended in dress. Men who had lost all their
property, never hesitatcd to dress themselves
and families with all the taste and expense
that they did when in furnishing circunlstan-
ccs Stores were opened in every nook and
corner of the State, and the last cent WAS cX-
that could have been dispensed with. Cotton
crop after cotton crop has been cxpended-wc
might suv wastcd-in this way. and hard times
has followed not by Il freak of fortune, but by
an irrevcr,ibic law of nature. The merchant
was not made rich, for his head became added !;
aud when it was hopclcssiy too late, hc found
it was impossible to collect wheu there WAS
nothing to collect. The men who, to-day, are
in the best condition, pccuniarliy, are those
who have accepted the condition OF things,
zone to work, lived at home and paid no atlcn-
ton to the fashions With them there i, really
40 hard times. They may rive utt"rancr t"
the general complaint, but il is only sympa-
t:.vlic. There j. in reality, no hard times IN
t"cir homes. incy have plenty and are CON-
trrlaU!r i.u, in those !:tmilit, where there
las been & lIa:lla for brpad-clutl coats. doe
skin pants, fashionable boots and beaver hats,
silk and satin dresses, made in the most ap-
proved styles there is hard times with an ear
nrstuc>, which no language can we'll describe.
1t is often much easier to give 4 correct
liaGno~, ol Il disease, than /" progno>c it and
prescribe Il remedy. Some times too, the phy
sician has Il correct knowledge of the clr>c and
tendency o' disease in his patient, and also Of
the remedy; but the difficulty is, the patient
will not fellow his direction. II is useless to
prescribe to such Il patient, iorthc prescription
will not be followed out. Just SO it is with q
people. Many Of them would rather die than
be cured. Tie remedy for the hard lNc> Of
the present period is Il thorough ignoring OF
the fashions, Il rigid economy, and L produc-
ton Of all supplies. We must commence at
the beginning. After the war WAS the proper
time to have done this. Had this been done,
the country would have, by this time, been
wholly recovered from the cAlamitic, of war;
but it is not still too late. We must conduct
ourselves rs the settlers Of Il new country
would do. The multitude of our people are
poor, and the sooner We accept the condition OF
Il poor man and conduct ourselves accordingly,
the better it will be for Us. Tie effort to ap-
pear rich is running us and will continue to
ruin us lorhrMe En4"jrcr.