The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-11-04
THE HARD TIMES.

in business exists, bearing down as
with the weight of a great night
mare, the elastic energies of our
country, which has SO often shown
its power to rise again when crushed
under financial difficulty. is a fact so
well known that we do not now al
lude to it as news. These "hard
times" are not confined to any par
ti-ular locality or community, but
is SO widespread as to be almost
universal, and judging from the re-
marks Of many Of our business men,
we are not above feeling the pressure
Of 'Thard timesv even in Eaton, al
though like a thrifty community our
town pursues the seven tenor Of its
way" and We have no reason par
ticularly to apprshend any "fail.
ures'' or Suspensions"
The success of the Radical party
il Ohio was to bring prosperity and
good times all around-there vas to
be no more failures-no foreclosures
of mortgages, and silver was to jim
gle in the pocket Of every poor labo-
ring man that voted for Hayes, but
the topping down, one after another
of business firms all over the coun-
try and hundreds OF Iaborers still
seeking employment, proves the bar
renness of party promises during a
political contest, aud as failure fol
lows failure mems hearts seem to
sink in dread lest the end has not
yet come. If the unhappy effects Of
these disasters and failures, which
overtake the great commercial world,
were only confined to the heads Of
those houses or only to their families,
it would make but little difference,
but these calamities are too often
followed by the distress of hundreds
of widows and orphans whose world,
ly savings are swept away. 1t is q
subject upon which to moralize.-
The world to be sure moves on as
before, in its gay and Haunting ca.
reer, showing us its gayeties but moi
its SORROWS, and who can tell the
story of the fall this winter of many
a family from afiuenee to compare.
tive indigence-the silent fitting
from the palatial mansian to the
modest dwelling in the suburb-the
forced commencement of q new Life
of rigid economy instead of former
luxury and grand display? How
many delightful plans broken up
The dust will accumulate on the Sa
ratoga trunk at home, and the dia
monds and gorgeous costumes of tn,
naughty reighing belle Of the pas
season at the Springs will not fasf
in the dance at the next. The scot
tage by the sea" will not know it.
former owner, but new occupants
who have not chilled" will sit on it,
cool verandahs and listen to wha'
the wild waves are saying. Mean
time, another and a larger class, poo
but respectable, not fnanciers-the
skilled mechanics and working mer
of tine conntry-feel the "hard times
with a keener and a deeper suffer
ing. It is their fate to have to sui
fer and be strong. They have beer
promised, but the great fact stares
them in the face that the manufac
turing industry of the country is
PROSTATE. They know not exactly
why, but thousands CT them have nj
work, and they know enough about
finance that when there il no worE
there is no money. That is theil
experience, and it is a sore one. il
brings want and privation to theil
humble dwellings,, where before was
smiling content and comfort, ani
their spirits are broken under forced
idleness. They were promised bet
ter times and plenty of work. but
neither has come, and the prospect
grows darker and gloomier, because
under the system of Radical con
traction it never will. 1t is the
Money Power that has Labor by the
throat, and the Bondholders an6
Bankers are the only class that will
receive the benefits, while the 'bont
and sinew' of the country will toll
labor and sweat under their relent
less grasp, with no reward but 'hard
times" The screws r Tightening
and everything is stagnant and
gloomy on the eve of winter. Hands
in the manufactures are on hal
wages in 'store pay the workshops
are being rapidly closed; hundreds
of idle men walk the streets of al
the cities yainly seeking for some
thing to do earn bread for themselve:
and families, and although coatrac
tioa is increasing the distress of the
people, it goes steadily on. Henry
Clay said in 1910, that the "people
must be convinced by their suffer.
ing and we believe that declaration
applies with far greater force to the
present condition of the people Of