Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-10-30
BETTER TIMES.


Brtgnt onions OF Better Times all
Around the Hosizon,
Il. Cleveland Herald.
There are bright omens of better
times all around the horizon. The
crops have been unusually bountiful,
and the favorable weather has ripen-
ed them thoroughly, and enabled
the farmers to harvest and house
them without loss or damage. The
summer crops Of wheat and other
small grains were exceedingly large,
and the Indian corn, thoroughly ma
tured and hardened by the warm sum
shine of the past six weeks, will prob
ably surpass the aggregate yield of
any previous year. Fine weather In
October, such AZ We have had thus
far, is saving Of millions of dollars
to the country ct large by enabling
the farmers to finish, without inter-
ruption the field work Of the season.
The fruit and root crops are abun-
dant, and in most parts of the country
the hay crop, which 10 one of the
great northern staples, has surpassed
It's average yield. If there Is any
dark spot ON the picture Of rural plen-
ty 1t is at the south. whore the yell
low fever has interfered to some ex-
tent with the gathering of the cotton
crop.
Ali the trunk lines OF railway are
being worked to their full capacity
In transporting the vast surplus crop
Of the west to the seabosrd cities.
from whence large portion OF 1t
goes to Europe to bring gold in ex-
change to our shores, and to still
further reduce the burden of our for
eign debt. The brisk foreign de-
mand for our agricultural staples
and the large quantity Of exportsble
produce going forward to meet 1t
makes it certain that the balance of
trade will continue In our favor dur
ing the winter and spring, and that.
there will be steady influx of the
precious metals, so that all fears Of the
failure of resumption may be dis
missed. utt
The effect Of . heavy crop in stimu.
latiug trade and manufactures We
scarcely need point out. The farm
er buys clothing, carpets, furniture,
wagons and agricultural implements
OF the merchant; the merchant in-
creases his orders from the factories
the factories employ more hands
these additional workmen, having
steady wages, become good custom
ers of the butchers, grocers and shop.
keepers of the towns, and thus new
life and movement is impaired to the
whole round Of business activities.
Society is . fabric 20 intricately In
terwoyen that whatever affects one
part affects al others. The good for
tune Of the farmers Is the good for
tune Of transporter, merchants and
mechanics. , S.te IN 5.
Besides the plentiful yield of the
fields, there are other signs Of the
speedy coming Of better times. Our
manufactures are rapidly revivin9
under the stimulus ofa considerable
foreign demand, added to Q much
fuller control Of the home market
than they ever had before. For idle
men are found in manufacturing
towns who are willing and able to
do honest, faithful work. Wages are
low, but NO lower in proportion to
the price of the necessaries Of life
than they were in the flush times, and
not % low % before the war, and
there 10 already tendency to i'm.
provement In many occupations. IL
10 certain that we have touched bot
tom and that the changes Of the fu-
ture, whether they come rapidly or
slowly, will be changes for the bot
ter.
We.may with propriety repeat here
what we have more than once said ON
former occasions, that there 10 no rea-
son to expect return of the era of
inflated prices and frantic speculation
which followed the war. All We
can look for, and all we ought TO hook
for, If we have In view permanent
prosperity and sound public morale,
is an epoch Of moderate business &C.
tivity, fair profits, good living wages,
and full employmsnt for capital and
for all willing workers. Such an
epoch, when 1t comes, viii come to
stay, and win in the end be far more
beneficial than the ups and downs ex-
perienced in the last dozen years.