Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-05-19
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I,eecher ON Hard Times.

Rev. Henry Ward Beecher aectured
in Philadelphia last Monday night on
Hard Times. The Record of that city
gives the following report Of what he
said -
1.-The period from 1878 to 1874 viii
leng be remembered" opened Mr.
Beecher, "as the dark days and We
have often had these dark days aud
they have not been confined to 1s, but
they have reached across the sea- Meu
are waiting, hoping for something to
tide them over. What is the ma,teri
What has happened! =! A great MANY
reasons have been given; some have as'
signed it to the tariff as eause of the
depression, and others think it lies in
the want OF confdence-,hat If men OH
ly had confidence in each other every
thing would go on right 1t does not
occur 10 people TO inquire why there is
a want of confidence These dcprcss-
lens are sleeps in the commercial world
which result from the habit of giving
credit
Tie speaker regarded the credit sys.
TEN as n great benefit. He inquired ii
"men cannot pay, must they stand still
until they can I" You must give him
an opportunity TO work his way ont *
difficulties, aud 10 give men credit gives
them a chance to begin at once 10 he'll,
themselves. Where business goes on 4
cash basis money goes for everything
and man for nothing. CApplause. Tho
man who has got industry, integrity.
honesty and fidelity has capital which
compels him to guard his manhood and
reputation, and therefore promotes tho
morals OF society. The system ot cred
it has dangers, ii is true; but il il hal
dangers thousand fold it would still
be beneficial. We are in the bud OF Il
great and prosperous future; we aro
through with the winter aud are in the
spring of brighter Ella. The credit
system will be renewed, and il viii hs
renewed on careful basis. Men viii
be thoroughly inspected, aud none but
the gilt edge" will be received. Mr..
Beechcr said :-"It Is not until men ara
| urea thal ibey prove uouts''
Some men there are whom you cln
strip of everything as the tree is stripp-
ed by the blasts of winter, leaf by Leaf,
until nothing is left, and will not sacr.'
fee their integrity, but these men do
not walk in bstlalions. Laughter AMI
applause Men should coniine them
selves within the limits Of their own CO
paciiies and the fact that one is compo-
tent to worthily ill minor position
does not argue that he is equally capa-
bic for the duties of a larger one,' and
because men can pay with a small cred
it il does not follow that they can sus-
tain large one Men say il ia the
want of confidence that produces resul-
sions, "but," said Mr.. Beecher, ~ say
it's the want of cash" daughter and
applause.] F''l
The speaker affirmed rs one great
cause of depression the immense amount
of money invested in railroads, and said
there was S2,loo, 100000 sunk in, this
dark guilt. "Stocks," said he, "wcrc tho
piles driven down by engineers 10 place
the first mortgage bonds upon Claugb.
ter aud the second mortgage bonds
were then built on the first, aud tho
third OH the second [laughter;] 20, Sf
course, the stock was run out Of sight
Great laughter.
After showing how many people
were victimize1 in these bond swindles
the mechanic, tho farmer and tho
preacher There Mr.. Beccher touched bis
own breast, to tho great amusement Of
the audience the rnn caused was hunt
ed out and the effects illustrated. "But
the country is now nearly over tho evil
effects, aud would speedily realize tho
good; and the United States--the uni.
ted country-will bound beneath tho
spur Of renewed activity.
In an eloquent peroraticn Mr. Beech.
er referred TO the regenersted Union,
with no State turning on bayonct ~
its pivot "Wilh a country thus united
we must surely feel the good effects.
What the North needs the South nctjr,
we have got over fighting, and the sun
of prosperity will soon burst forth from
north TO south and from east to west in
brightest splendor.