The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-02-28
ssHard Times and Worse ADJOINING"

For more than year the cry has gone
up from every section of the country !:
"Hard times-hard times, and worse a.
coming" Take the faithful dog that has
been pelted out upon the public high
way, and start after him with hue and
cry of "mad dog" and his whole nature
is transformed, and he becomes what the
people declare.
1t is hard to tell who started the cry
of hard times, but we have all Joined in
with one voice, until the nation Is filled
with the deafening sound. The bond
holder groans because his interest is to
be paid no longer in gold. The banker
mourns at his idle money laying in his
vaults, not knowing who to trust. The
merchant mnrmurs at the economical
spirit which leaves mis- costly fabrics
piled on his counters. The farmer
growls and thinks of starvation and pow
erty when his cribs and granaries are
bursting with fulIness, and his fat cattle
lowing in the barn-yard. He conjures
up the ghosts of cholera that is to de-
vastate his wealth of fat hogs, and makes
up his mind to economic and stop his
newspaper and exchange coffee for
tea of spice-wood and sassatras. And
thus the spirit OF unrest has spread like
the measles in camp, until the nation
has gone into the hospitbl, magma
lively sick, to a great degree, and howl
ing for prescriptions to relieve their
misery.
1t would not be safe TO say there is no
reason for the wide-exlended wall that
is going up. Undoubtedly there is some
foundation for it. The immense loss
of property and time during the long
war had to be sooner or later fully made
up. Then the spirit OF extravagant ex-
pendituro and fast living which entered
every walk and class Of society-which
was not satisfied with cumforts, but de-
manded luxuries as necesslty-this
must become reconciled, and drop back
into the old ways, which, with little
philosophioallcontentment,will make the
children as happy as were the fathers
and mothers who lived and enjoyed
good things before them.
The nations of Europe are torn up,
and every interest Frustrated with i'm
pending danger. In the ancient domin.
ion of China, o great hive of 7O,OOO,O 900
are reported starving for bread. Amer
ica, of all the world, has the least reason
to complain. AS nation her credit is
and her vaults filled with
money to meet every obligation, while
her internal resources are SO great that
she can look hopefully into u prosper
Gus future. If the cry which has gone
up from the masses of the people should
cease, and confidence DO restored, and
the lessons We have learned not lost, the
of money now boarded would
seek the channels of trade, and prosperi-
ty upon firm basis would dawn upon
the land. II an edict could go forth and
be enforced for the next SIX months TO
kill and cremats every man who growl-
ed "hard times" we would by that time
enter new era, not characterized by
broken banks and bursted insurance |
companies and collapsed pocketbooks.
II on Change, in the workshop, and on
the farm we could have the strong and |
sturdy shoulders of men put TO the
wheel, the car of commerce would move
1t is worth while to stop growing and
20 to work like men. The shining sill.
YER dollars will soon begin to chink as
the wheat and corn and hogs move out
TO feed the millions Of Europe who are
busy in schemes of ambition. Ii is the
golden opportunity of America, and If
ali her broad prairies and fertile valleys
DO not resound with song rs the plow-
share is bright in the furrow, and if her
busy spindles do not turn, and her mills
grind, and the wheels upon her network
81 railroads turn day and night, it will
be because her sons prefer to fold their
arms and sit in tho corners and mourn
With the cry of "hard times, and worse
Leave the growing to by.
and dead beats, and let the
men and women Of courage accept the
and, with . spiri. worthy OF
md in keeping with the blessings We
,aye at our disposal, 60 or to success