Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-01-31
What Causes the Hard Tlmesp

To the Editor of the HERALD.
There may be an almost endless
number of answers to the above cues.
ton, each of which will be true SO far
as it goes; it may be said, it is be,
cause the people do not know how to
take care of themselves, or knowing,
do not do as well as they know how.
But this, though true, is not definite
enough to be of any practical value.
Did the people of the State know how
to take care of themselves, 1T seems
they would not spend 100000 yearly
in making new laws and mutilating
the old ones nor would they allow so
much money to be drawn from the
Treasury TO pay useless servants for
imaginary services When a half
dozen pets are fed at the public crib,
under the name Of Postmasters, and
more under the title of door keepers,
it is a proof that the State is being
robbed and when the law declares
that certain officer shall have but
$1,000 per year for his services and
they give him that, and then TO evade
the law give him nearly three times as
much more under the pretense that it
is needed for an assistant and to pay
travelling expenses; when such things
are openly done it would seem to
be no trouble to find why taxes are
high and times are hard. When an
average farmer has to raise 800 or 400
bushels of grain or is equivalent in
something else to pay his yearly tax
es, it will require both industry and
economy to get through the year on
the remainder of his crop This is on
the supposition that be is not in debt
How then can that farmer manage to
get through who is paying interest on
one or two thousand ? There has
been OF late years perfect mania for
going In debt. States, counties towns,
and individuals have been alike affect
ed by it. There are 8 or 4 States
now trying to see which can put the
greatest number OF millions into
State house when the people who
will be taxed to pay for them are
probably one half of them 80 badly in
debt that it Is next to impossible for
them ever to get out. And pride, Gus
tom and fashion have each had much
to do in making hard times. When
the queen OF fashion decreed that la
dies dresses should be SO long as to
drag upon the ground, nearly the
whole female population from the At
lantic to the Pacific and from the
Gulf of Mexico to the great Lakes
fastened to obey the decree and forth.
with many million yards of dry goods
were trailed in the dust and mud ):
thus making hideous and repulsive
what the Creator made lovely and
beautiful. And laziness, carelessness
and lack of economy have each had
much to do In making hard times.
Had the men who most do congre
gate around saloons and street corr
ners and spend their time in deciding
nice points in political economy and
theology and settling the great East
ern question, spent it in trying to bet
ter their own condition by honest IN
dustry there is no doubt but it would
have been better for them, and it is
not likely that either political econo
my, or any theological controversy,
or the great Eastern question would
have suffered much by their neglect.
But more of the cause of hard times
can be traced directly to our State
laws than any other one thing. Be-
side the 100000 spent yearly in ma
king new laws and mutilating the old
ones, we have, if / mistake not a
squad of eminent lawyers, who have
been under pay at Is dollars per day
for several years, tinkering at the
laws under pretense of getting them
into better shape; and from the read.
ing OF the Secretary's report one
Land Office Was at Madis n5Ted So 9 saeas
is the number of clerks employed, or
at least under pay in the various
State offices, Of which the State His.
torlcal Society may be taken as a fair
specimen of the others as to its useful
ness to the people an institution that
swallows up many thousands of the
peoples hard earned money yearly,
and yet has never done so much as
find out "who struck Billy Paterson"
and in the nature of things never can.
1t would, no doubt be convenience
for the members Of the Assembly to
have man or boy to carry and fetch
their mail from the Post office, but to
dignity that servant with the title of
postmaster and give it to half dozen
when the State can't make a postmas-
ter looks like carrying the joke little
too far. Would not the members
sleep better at night if they should
take up collection among themselves
to pay the man and while they are
about it throw in enough to pay for
the papers, law books, gold pens,
stamps and dry goods that they nse
and bring off. This would save the
State many thousands yearly, and if it
would cause them to sleep better (and
| think it would) it would no doubt
brighten their ideas so that they
would be better prepared for the next
days legislation. Let the experiment
be tried. LUTHER BRowN
Fashion Notes.