Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-10-24
TuE TIDE Is TURNING.

sunlight through the clouds, ana Ike
the returning profigate, our vision
grows clearer as we travel farther away
from the sickening scenes Of our folly.
During the past ten years our people
have been infected. The malaria OF
paper money got abroad in the land
crep, into ever mans vest pocket and
from thence. like subtle poison IN the
blood, diaused itself through the body
polite, and attacked the National brain
We were crazed with sort OF mo'fy
foLin. 1t seemed incurable.
National. State and city rulers lost
balance, and dreamed that "Fraud' had
changed its nature, no longer ending IN
perii,ion, as of old. The ancient land
marks were turned topsy turvy, All
pleas for Honesty were dubbed "SenH-
,ueni." Truth was kicked ont OF doors,
b.iuu too soft for the times. To deceive
became fashionable, and WAS termed
~SmarinesS. Regulations Of quarter
century were battered away for hun
dred thousand OF first mortgage bonds
And Americans who, twenty years ago,
hardly knew the meaning of the word
Bond" have now become so familiar
with every form of legal Indebtedness
that a boot black in the street would
feel insul,ed were his ability doubted to
define the term ~Coupon,
We have "National Debts" estate
Debts" County Debts, Clown Debts
"Hounty Debts, Improvement Debts
ozark Bonds" "Water Bonds, "oink-
ing Funds" "Consolidated Bonds
,Railroad Mortgages, Canal Mort
Cages" and what not. Piled upon
these. one on the other, till our heads
grow dizzy with the contemplation, are
first, and second, and thmd mortgages
on houses and lots all over the land.
We have literally covered ourselves
with debt, mortgaging the sold acct
mutations of our hard working foretath-
ers that we might riot with the pro-
ceeds. Is this not true, reader
Look about you for the proofs. a
gold or silver watch in everybodys
pocket, snowy jewelry about the neck
in the ears, or on the fingers of every
Girl in the land. silk dresses, laces and
embroidery, bronzed shoes, or Jockey
hats and feathers familiar in every work
ingmaas homo, pianos as common as
mahogany tables once were, houses
freseoed at cost which would have
bought the same mans GOmicile before
the war. marble mantels with gilded
crates ard tenders, costing more than
all the frrriture of comfortable home
fifteen years ago.
These are but single items to show
the thoughtful mind what we have been
doing with the proceeds OF all these
mortgage debts. But the great ocean
Of money our people have supertiuously
eaten and drunk, and squandered away
on things which have dissolved like
dew, can hardly be computed. And
vet we wonder that there is abreathless
pausing nova stand still in the bust
hess world. We look into one anothers
faces gloomily-and ii IS yell!
Old heads see in these signs, happy
turning of the tide. You will find no
gloom on the settled faces Of experience
at signs such as these. They brighten
rather. The gloom was upon such faces
when the flood was at full.
Fear not the signs Of the times, read
or. let retrenchment come. The
quicker the better 1t means Safety,
Confidence, low Rents, Payment OF
Debts, Frugality, Temperance, Peace
and Content. There is real prosperity
in it.
'rnc other thing-that which we have
been doing-is folly in its widest form.
1t means In,emperance, Productivity,
Wantonness, Discomfort, Distrust and
early Dissolution. There can never be
anything but ruin in it-Natlonal and
Individual.
By" CIRCUIT CoURr.-The October
term of our Circuit Court, Judge J.
Blair Hoge, presiding, convened on
Tuesday last. The Grand Jury was
I;scborr.d IN Wednesday, after finding