Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-12-14
The farm aud fireside.
'Origtnal.]
HARD TIMES.

To undertake to prove what everybody ad-
mits, would be waste of time. No man
would be regarded as sane who would under
take to prove that the sun rises in the East
and sets in the West. No one denies this
It is not controverted point; hence, no
proof is needed. The same thing is true with
regard to the times Go where you will, meet
whom you may, and the cry is "hard times"
Admitting that what everybody saysis true,
we may ask what makes the times SO hard
:. To answer this inquiry minutely, would re-
quire great deal of time and much space.
No single thing or circumstance can be re-
garded as the cause of the straitened condi-
ton of our people, Multitudes of circum-
stances conspire to produce the results, which
we, as people, are experiencing. The gloom
lest aspect of the present state of things is
that the farmers of the country are in as strait
ened circumstances as any other class in So
ciety. In fact, the hard times which presses
upon the country, especially of the Southern
country, has its origin with the farmers. The
farmers are more numerous in the South than
all other classes together. In a particular
sense, all other classes in society are directly
and Immediately dependent upon the farmers.
Whatever disturbs the farming interest Of the
country disturbs every other interest.
Usually, in times of peace, the only thing
that places the farming interest Of country
in perilous condition, is the failure Of crops
for number of years in succession. Crops
may be cut offby drought, destroyed by worms
and insects, or ruined by floods. 1t is rare
thing that any cause so extensively affects the
crops as to produce anything more than scar
city in particular sections of country. Never,
so far as we remember, since the first settling
of the Southern country, has anything Ikea
famine been threatened by failure in the
crops. The cause of the present hard times
is not failures in crops. Year after year, for
a number of years past, the earth has brought
forth in abundance Partial failures have
been experienced in small sections, but no
general failure has been felt.
Whatever may be. the principal cause of
the hard times, prodigality may be mentioned
as having brought about no small part Of the
straitened condition of things. If a man
makes two dollars and spends only one an-
nually, he will not get rich fast but he will
not be harrassed with hard times. If, on the
contrary, he makes one dollarand spends two
it is clear that hewill soon be ru-
ined. Hard times will overtake him most
certainly. 1t matters very little how much
we make, if we spend or waste more than we
make. Such a course is prodigal, and will
result in hard times.
With large number of farmers, the p,r.'n-
cipal cause of the pressure which is grir4e'n,g
them to be1ground, is past and presept eroal'
gality, In plain English, they spS more
than they make. The al result
will be that unless they change elr mooe OF
living, whatever propesy tba may nave . 10
their possession, will be tak 70 meet aenolts'
The remedy for the ps fn1 state OF things
is economy. Annual penses must oe re-
duced so as to be less IAN income Ihe bal
his can;taL,s to- 1fajdating his debts.