The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-08-06

AkNMANN A-iAf AAAiAH-A lNNA0N hNhtc
In the sight of all men.
The subject that we have though
best 10 consider this evening is knowI
as "The Times" We will venture Il
assume that il needs no introduction
We have full faith to believe that yoI
have all heard of IL before this. In
deed, we suspect that many of You hay,
talked about il more than about an,
other one thing for two or three years
past. The subject, therefore, is yer,
familiar one, and one that II Is hardly
possible TO say anything new about.
IL may not have occurred to some
however, that there is an anomaly
about these times, something out o.
the ordinary course Of events. In tn,
first place our country is full OF every
| thing necessary To sustain life and CIV,
comfort and even luxury. There is No
want in any direction. Overlooking
abundance is seen on every hand. NJ
matter in what direction you turn youl
eyes, you find no scarcity. Articles o.
every description are TO be found IL
the market al very reasonable prices
Food is to be met with in wonderful
profusion. The earth has not with
held her increase. but grains and fruits
bread and meat. have this year aud FOL
several years past been given without
measure. Indeed everything. for whicl
we especially praise God, exists IL
great aud marvellous abundance.
Yet, on every hand, We hear the cry
If hard times. Everybody is com
planning of the difficulty there is il
loing business and making living. -
And this is not all fancy, it Is a reality
The times are bari. in a certain sense
Money does not circulate freely. Bus
ness is very much at a stand still. i
s very difficult To pay debts. Hardly
lnything can be sold for what IL cos
20 produce it. The market for graiI
wen is anything but firm. IL all thu
produce in our country was thrown up
IN the market, it would soon be full tC
bvertlowing.
And there is very much privatior
aud suffering. Thousands are out o.
employ. Multitudes would gladl,
work for the mere bread they requir,
from day TO day, il the work was To b'
had. But there is no work. NAM
workshops are closed. The grea
manufactures have suspended. In
deed perhaps there never were so man,
out OF employ and suffering for th'
very necessaries of life in our countr,
as at present. or during the past year
Ia fact, there is bat very small mi
nority OF our people who do not II
some way feel the stringency OF tn
| times. Those who have hardly know
the meaning Of the word economy hav
to spell it out abont every morning an'
remember it every night. While hun
dreds are pinched with poverty tha
never saw il before, and Thousand
every day suffer the pqngs Of hunger
Now why is this? What is the caus
II this anomaly? Why this starvation
in the midst OF plenty? Why is none.
80 scarce when there is everything il
The country that ought TO bring money
Here is a demand and q supply and We
they cannot be got together. VIII.
not? Why cannot this TODD reach thos
who are starving for it? This is tn
problem 10 be solved, and one upoI
abich We essay to give our thought. -
We would seek to know how we got IN
20 this condition, and in what way W
lve 10 get out.
Preachers are supposed. Of course
not 10 know anything about none
and it is thought TO be great presump
iiou in them TO talk about finance. -
However this may be. for one j, a
least, have some old-fashioned notion
about these money matters and pur
pose TO use them in solving the prob
EN- before US. One of these notion
s that YOU can't eat your cake an
keep il too; you can't live beyon
your means, spend more than your il
come, without getting in debt and SUI
ieriDg financial disaster. This is Jus
"a true of nations as Of individuals.
nation is but an aggregation Of ind
viduals; il is tho whole OF which eac
oerson is the unit, and what is true c
he unit is true Of the whole. A M
ton. therefore, cannot spend NOR
than it's income without suffering for
iny more than an individual can. No
this is Just what we. as people an
as individuals, have been doing. "
have lived beyond our means; we hay
mortgaged the future to spend on th
present.
As nation we did this by indulgin
in the luxury of gigantic civil war. :
We blew away millions on millions j
gunpowder, aud destroyed million
more in devastation and the material
q war. No matter now whether tn
var was necessary or not, or whetht
il was right or wrong, II existed and
his way we spent vast amount Z
money. Right or wrong this wealt
vas destroyed. And the law Of financ
mas no conscience. II knows nothin
about morals. Right or wrong. 20
can't eat your cake aud have IL too
Won cant spend your money and kee
{ also.
Now no nation ever yet carried on
var without getting IN debt. The Gu
rency that is all sufficient for the pu
poses Of business in the time Of peaS
= always very inadequate TO the nece
sites OF war. War demands q va
amount OF money. Hence this none
must he provided. The nation mu
obtain il Of somebody or issue som
thing that is made 10 pass for none.
This our nation did. Ii issued n larl
amount Of promises 10 pay which u
people took for money. This vast Il
crease Of the volume of the currenS
unsettled all values. Everything wei
mp like a balloon. The prices advan
ed with great rspidity. All busine
was seized with feverish excitemen
Speculation was rife. Everybody mac
haste TO get rich. Every branch
trade and labor was stimulated TO u
highest pitch. Every man put h
business at the top Of its speed. III
manufacturers enlarged their mills AZ
crowded them 10 their utmost capa,
". The farmer bought more land al
used all the new inventions in his lii
TO bring that land under cultiyati,
aLd make il produce the most poss
Ole. The tradesman bought all
could and sold all he could. for 1
profits were large. And 10 make posi
bile this great increase Of busine
everybody got into debt. A the n
tion issued its promises TO pay in ord
10 carry on its business, so the indivi
nal issued his promises 10 pay in erd
10 carry on his business. Indeed
vas a splendid time 10 get in debt.
Money was plenty and everybody "
sure IL he didn't have il then he so
would, aud so there was no hesitate
about promising 10 pay. And this
crease Of currency led at once 90 ,
travagance. Everybody fared out
Money came easily, 80 people spent
just as easily. They plunged into
sorts Of luxury. Business men lv
like princes and their wives dress
like queens. In our fashionable C
cles the women We'd with each other
70 the extent and richness Of their toll
and the country girls aped these de-
tees Of fashion as far as possible. 4