Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-09-16

w Il
For lhe Middle Atlantic States cioar or partly
westher, cold ncrtheaserly veoTinG: 10 warmer
southeast winds, and stationary 1el!o"ea Dg
falling barometer.
HARD TIMEs.-Rev. L. Fl. Paarce. pastor
of the IL. Il. Church, preached, sermon CO
Hard Times" in that church, last night, 10
largo congregation. The reverend gen.i,cinna4a
took for bis text What Of the night p lie
said all human history runs through night OF
moral and physical evil. Sometimes the night
is vastly darker than at others. All times are
hard. at the very best they might be better
Ii IS only relatively that times are good. They
seem good or bad to u as We have seen Wosa
or bcttcr days The night Of financial distress
through which this country has been passlog
for four or fve years appears to US very dark
because We have seen, or think We have seen,
better ti,nca. We look with sigh at the days
when we were 10 the midst of tho great spree OF
speculation and extravaganza which followed
the war, but # the comparison be made With
the condition OF the great mass OF our people
30. 40 or 50 years agc,the present night OF tllai
will seem less distressing The times have been
made to appear Woro ieaIluIiy cut OF joint than
they really are. But when ell due allowance Is
made for the cxaggeration from the halt cCzan
Causes now considered, there remain certain
facts evident to ell eyes which mako tho nigh.
through which we have been passing pretty
dark. You want NE to tell you the cause OF
this distress. 1t is evident that no man can 90
this. Some men arc confident they understand
thc secret and 80 there is nothing 10 social, re-
ligious. political CT business lite, which has not
been declared 70 be the cause of our trouble.
a Congressional committee has been trying 10
vain to :olve tho question. Bad legislation is
declared by oac class to BE- the occasion apoth
er says the spirit of speculation and CX!rava
gancc anotlicr, political corruption another,
business monopolicS; another. the money sys.
ten another some moral evil, as intcmper-
aucs; another tic use of machinery. But The
meat, if not oil, of these alleged causes have
existed and been operative 10 former years
when The night was not so dark. 1t is about az
logical AS IL is religious to say, We have dark
times because God has said, "lct there be dark.
ness Ere long He will say to US as lie did 10
he chaos OF creation "lIct there be light. is
lIa rot sayiog il nos? It means something
thai the bankrupt law expired two weeks ago
lasS night that VIC have ts0 hundred and sixty
misiious 10 cur favor iGr the last year in the
natter OF experts and imports ; that instead OF
running 10 debt five hundred millions We arc
paying The national debt at the rate OF one hu1-
drcd u;lous a year that paper dollar 10
worth Is silver dollar 10 buSiress that moss Of
the railroads. are bulldog hundreds OF freight
cars q; that there have becu more people at the
watering places this season than Ut any time
before rlorc musical instruments and bugg;cS
among tbc people than before the war thGt
church debts arc being paid of that the over
plus OF tradesmc9, mechanics and professional
nipn arc pouring into tho West to become tillcrs
Of the soil, and that We have just harvested the
most abundant crops the country has ever pro-
.iucad.
II the something which all this, and much
mere, means, is the return of prosperity, what
are some Of the moral and practical Suggestions
Of TIC hour?
First The new era will not briOg exemption
lreu wok. The essential nobility ct labir
,nust not be ignored. An honest days work
i;,r fair days pay will be the just and safe
rule.
The gold Of the Eld1rado which | hope VIC
arc approaching must be dug for.
Second. Agricultural pursuits must receive
greater attention. We have, / hope, done
with the spectacle Ct mechanical and probes.
Sional life oveIcrowaed, while millions Of acres
CT tho national domain, which could be had
almost for the asking, would yield comfort, II
not wealth to the diiigcrt tilIer.
Third. the eXtravagapcGs OF the past have
taught US lcss,ns which should never BE- for.
g0tt2n.
Fourth. Perhaps the Very saddcst sueg6s ion
t the hour IL tic fact that tho dark cloud Of
iptampcrarce continues TO hang over the coun
try. Nothing makes hard times like this.
Nothing promotes poverty and ruin like the
beer aud liquor shops. Dfting our hardest
times, whcu our Iaborng people have been
a;s.ost Begging for bread, VIC hevo spent moro
Tor beer than Tor bread.
Finally, tie outlook is encouraging. The
battle will be strongly couttstcd, but it will he
toward the !jght.