Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-07-04
Hard Times.
Cincinnati Gazette.

OlnCiundtI NTdZ6liS
There are, according to the new direc-
tory, 1,507 saloons and 1 JOY groceries in
Cincinnati. The steamers sailing for Eu-
rope are overcrowded with excursiOnists,
pleasure seekers even taking passage in
the steerage rather than miss the oppor-
tunity to get on the other side of the At
lantie. The crops in this country ere un-
precedentedly large. Spring chickens are
selling in our market at 81 % to 81 90 per
dozen, and other things in proportion.
But what has all this to do with the ques-
ton of hard times? it will be asked
Much every way.
The saloons are patroniZed by very
large proportion of the population. The
amount paid over the counters annually
for liquors of all kinds is much larger
than the amount paid over the counter of
the County Treasurer in June and Decem-
ber on account of taxes. 1t is also safe
| to say larger amount is paid for drinks
than is disbursed at the corner groceries
for food, or at the dry goods store for
clothing, or at the butchers stalls for
meat. Nearly all of the liquor money is
! spent by men. On this side there seems
to be not much economy. Therefore, re-
.duction in expenses strikes women and
! children. This is not temperance lec-
ture, but it may be asked, How hard are
the times, when fifteen hundred saloons
and six thousand able bodied men are
| supported by the purchasers of drinks?
The steamers sailing for Europe are
IOvercrowded with pleasure-seekers. The
crowds surpass those of even prosperous
! years. The excursionists are not confined
to wealthy people, either. Therefore,
there must be great deal of money,
spare money, in the hands of the middle
| classes. Men in embarrassed circum-
stances, or without spare money, would,
of course, not think of going to Europe.
We look in vain in this direction for evil
denee of hard times.
The crops are unexpectedly large. Be
sides, the harvests last year were excel
lent. Agricultural products underlie all
our industries. In the production of these
essential foundations, the United States
have been especially favored. Then, food
and clothing are cheap. A run through
the retail markets and retail stores will,
| GSId GLIS ldGGs I1IC GllIlCS IdIu Ii
| so, why
That times are hard in certain sense
is not to be doubted, but there is no good
reason why, in this country, any cOnsid-
cradle number of people should suffer for
food or clothing, if they practice indus
try and economy. There is money enough
unnecessarily expended in this city every
day to furnish food and clothing for all
who are not able, from a scarcity of work
or other legitimate causes, to earn it. Yes
far more than enough.
Then as to the scarcity of employment.
There is a scarcity, no doubt about that,
but it is not near so great as it seems; nor
are all those out of employment who
know how to work, or really desire work.
In the agricultural districts every person
who can work and wants to work is en-
ployed, but farmer has dislike for a
foafer or a man sllois-the personiication
of laziness. In the city, get your idle men
together and analyze the crowd. A large
| proportion will be found to be composed
of young men who never hardened
hand, and would feel insulted if offered
position where they might learn to earn
! a living elsewhere than behind the coun-
ter, or in some petty place that a woman
could fill as we'll as a man. Another class
would be found composed of refuse me-
chanics and laborers who are dropped on
account of inefficiency. Still another class
would be found composed of men who
would tramp twenty miles rather than
accept work or execute a job, if they
should accidently stumble upon it.
Unquestionably there is a scarcity of
work and much suffering, but much of
it all is due to improYidence, pride, lazi-
ness, and general wOrthlessness. The
American people, as a whole, have hard
ly comprehended the first lesson in econ
omy, and if, instead of croaking and COM
planning, they would make good and
economical use of what they earn or pos
sess, work where they can find it for what
their labor will bring in the market, there
would soon be a revival of business, bet
ter times and improved demand for labor
and higher wages.
There can be no law to punish power
ty. The real poor are to be pitied and re-
, lieved; but there ought to- be a law agains
idleness that, is the result of laziness OF
: intemperance, or both.