South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1877-12-14

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when store bills are presented; we hear
itwhen the wife and children need new
dresses. new shoes and hats; we hear it
when County aud State expenses are to
be provided for. when the tax gatherer
comes round; we hear it when Provi-
dence lays his hands upon our property,
when lie sends the floods to remind us
that 1.-THE cattle on thousand hills are
m me-" that the corn. the hay, tho fen
ces. the embankments. and even the
fields are his. We hear it loudest OF all
when the Pastors salary il needed to
buy the necessary comforts Of life; we
hear it when churcaes are TO be built or
repaired; when church expenses are to
be met; We hear it. indeed. from all
classes and under all circumstances il
has become by-word among US. Who
is old enough to say, remember the
time when this cry was not heard?-
Where is the man, woman or child who
has not heard it all their life through
The rich man with his abundance, with
his thousands at interest joins in the cry
perhaps 10 ward Off the cries Of the poor
for help tho man in more moderate
circumstances. who has competency.
and enjoys all the necessaries OF life.
joins in the cry; the poor man who
struggles for bread to satisfy the gnaw.
ing hunger of the little dependent ones
around his hearth, only reiterates the
same cry, hard times" hard times"
But you say, what has Tobacco to do
with ''hard times?" Well, il has some.
thing to do; put it upon trial; call the
jury; let them hear the evidence. Did
you ever hear man cry hard times"
that did not have a big chew in his
mouth, or a cigar in his fingers, or q
good plug in his pocket? You may, but
If You did, that man was an exception.
tbs said there arc exceptions to all gen.
eral rules. Well, what of it, if we do
chew little tobacco, or smoke O few
cigars, that is not much for a dav, or a
week, or month; but look bore AT
ter careful investigation we are assur-
ed by testimony which cannot be con-
troverted, shat in the little town of Rom.
ney, there is sold these hard times in
one year live thousand eight hundred
and eighty nine dollars worth OF tobac-
co; there are in the county, out of the
town. sixteen other stores where tobac-
co Is sold; the six places in Romney
where it is sold average (S93l) rine
hundred and eighty ono dollars; allow
the other sixteen stores out of the town
to average one half the amount named
each, and we have seven thousand eight
hundred AMI fory dollars; add all to-
gether and We have thirteen thousand
seven hundred and twenty nine dollars :;
multiply this By ten years, we find one
hundred and thirty seven thousand two
hundred and ninety dollars; but in
stead of ten. multiply by fifty and we
find six hundred and eighty six thou
sand four hundred and fifty dollars.
We are only taxed six or seven thousand
dollars for all county expenses, count
up all the destruction OF property by
floods. and all the county taxes for the
last fifty years, and SEQ if We can cx-
coed the amount OF six hundred and
eighty six thousand. If we cannot we
will have TO admit That we tax ourselves
moro for the one luxury OF tobacco than
Providence and the county authorities
together tax US, in the manner, and for
the purpose specified. If we are candid
ijurymen and fairly try tobacco on the
charges presented. VIC think our verdict
must he "GHiRy." We forbear at this
time to arraign other luxuries indulgod
in by us. which. with little selr.denial.
we could do as vel; without, and some
Of them much better without, both phys
ically, morally, and financially, and
thus to great extent to get rid OF the
real cause oH HARr TIMES, for our con-
clusion Of the whole matter is that our
needless Indulgence is che chief cause
Of all this sickning cry Of hard times.
tV'Pay the printer and parson what
you owe.
( V'Some people think rudsncss smart.
ness.
tV'Ilandy little girls are darning their
socks for the 2jth inst.
/ EVCJld feet in winter can DO pre-.
vented by washing them in alcohol and
salt.
/ ~ Rockbridge and Rockingham
counties we're taken from Augusta in