The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-01-08

JAls JANUARY B, 1872
some Rsslsctlons on the Old ant
s New Year.
4 IA pap read by Mr. George W. Wilson be
4 mre the Literary Society of Wilson's Mills
4iuroEx might. January I'd 1892 -EDIToR
The good book saws there is
Il time for everything. This is a facl
Il 80 self evident that no one viii
II pretend to deny it. The old year
has come and gone, and we are
about to enter upon the duties OF
the new; and, as we begin tie new
4 year the time seems appropriate in
which for US to pause; to cease for
a short time from our daily pur.
suits, and avocations and to take d
4 retrospective view of our course
through the year so lately ended.
1 IL we have failed IN the realiza-
4 ton Of our reasonable hopes and
lexpectalions, now is the proper
Tune 70 investigate Tue causes. afid
TO endeavor to ascertain whether
our failures have been the result of
our own lack of energy and mis-
management, or whether they have
resulted from causes beyond our
contfol.
Now is a good time to correct our
bearing if we have gone wrong,
and ID take fresh start for the
year to come; and to endeavor to
profit by our mistakes so as to
avoid a tepetiton Of them.
The wear 1891 has Witnessed a
great many disasters. There has
been loss of life on every hand by
fire and food, by wrecks and COLI
sions. They have occurred in our
immediata neighborhood. We.
ourselves, have been under the
shadow Of great calamity. which
we will all remember with sorrow
and sadness as the years come and
60. Some Of our neighbors-some
of our fellow laborers-who began
the year OF 1891 with us, and with
as bright hopes, and as fair pros
poets as anv of US enjoy to-day,
have dropped out of their places in
the line, and have gone to sleep the
sleep that knows no waking.
There have not only been an un-
usual number of deaths by acci-
dent, but there have been an un-
usual number of financial failures
due to causes better understood
now, that we have gotten farther
away from thnm.
Ninety one came in after a year
of bad crops, and on the heels Of a
great financial panic. which had
It's origin in foreign countries, but
which seriously effected the bust.
ness interests of the people of the
United States
The business in which we are i'm
mediately engaged was effectt d
more injuriously than almost any
other, for everybody must have
victuals to eat, and clothes to wear,
but they are not necessarily obliged
to have lumber. They can put off
contemplated improvements until
more convenient season. So
when money is close the lumber
trade feels it first of all.
Thu supply of money was re-
duced by variety of causes.
Large consignments of foreign
goods had been purchased by i'm
porters IN anticipation of the high
prices which never came, on ac-
count of the Mckinley bill.
The short grain crops. the par
tial failure of the potato crop, and
the Almost total failure Of the fruit
crop, made the cost of the necessa-
/ ries of life SO high that it took a
large proportion of the earnings OF
laboring men to pay for their daily
supplies.
Many millions of dollars went to
pay for the fruits and vegetables
imported from other countries.
In addition to the short crops,
to the panic, and to the large i'm
! portation Of foreign goods, theN
was an unusual demand for money
in Europe, and especially in Russia
which took over seventy millions
of dollars IN gold out Of the country
during the summer months. So
we see there was a combination OF
unfortunate circumstances operat-
ing against the successful prosecu-
ton Of our business.
But the worst is yet to be told
the repeal Of the duty on spruce
lumber BY the Mckinley bill opened
mp to Canada and New Brunswick
the markets which we had supplied
and. the money that had been com
ing here to help US along in our
business, goes into those countries
to make times prosperous, and
business lively there instead oi
here. We will not be able to re-