The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-12-29
A JUSTIFICATION OF THE TIMES.

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Softness is not always a desirable
quality. Many things grow better az
they grow harder. That is the case
with butter. All things within reason,
however; butter may lose its true char.
acter as we'll IN the frigid as in the torrid
zone. Extremes meet; but seldom bring
much of value with them in their
meeting. "Give me neither poverty nor
riches" We relish neither rancid oil nor
frozen chips with our bread. Just so OF
what are called 'the times" They are
10 necessarily worse because they are
harder" than other times. They grow
bad in reality only as they leave the
temperate zone of moral rectitude in.
and "a fair return Of quid pro quo to, the
men of honest toll. The times and but
ter are much alike. There are circum-
stances under which we may say of
both, the harder the better; providing
we still have bread sufficient for our
daily need.
Plain food, plain dress, plain speech,
plain manners, plain dealings, each of
these are the very best OF their kind.
They make the strongest men, bring the
fullest health, do the most good and the
least harm day by day. They, too, pro-
duce the largest and most substantial
results in the long rum. But this is a
hard lesson to learn. Naturally, we do
not believe it; O r have patience to wait
for the long run in anything. To be
content to do so, is a part Of the wisdom
which comes late, to nations al 70 men.
Our craving for easy times, rushing
times: so-called "prosperous' times, 10
always in need Of a check. But, when
the check comes, and we are brought
back to reason and common again,
the results are beneficial; wisdom 10 jus.
tilted OF herlchildren.
The present deafness In trade causes
much suffering; but, to millions OF peo-
pie, in thousands OF ways, it win work
much lasting good. The country 10 put
under arrest; perhaps because it was
violating the law. Her citizens too gen.
orally forsaking honest labor and fair
dealing, were either engaging in, or
learning to wink at or applaud and copy
those who made success OF virtual theft
or open plumber. Ii had too little
thought of whether it was living rightly
to- day, through haste to obtain the
means for living sumptuously to-mor-
row. 1t lost sight of the fact that while
all men are adapted to living rightly for
ever, none are SO built that they can en-
dure to live su~mptuously very long.
Sumptuous living Is a specious fraud
from beginning to end; and the end 10
near in proportion as the sumptuous-
ness is great. There is an old form of
prayer which aptly recognizes this close
connection: I'm all time Of our prosper
ity; and in the hour OF death, and in the
day of judgment, good Lord deliver us"
Perhaps nothing was more needed
than that the country should have its
hands tied and receive a good shaking.
At any rate its hands are tied, and the
shaking has come. Now a good shaking
often brings a wilful child back to his
senses, as no amount OF taffy ever could.
b harder the shake the more foolish
ness is shaken off, and the more good
hess reused up to contend with the folly
which ID sure to remain, When easier
times return, we shall see that our shak-
ing up has not lost US much that was OF
substantial value; but has resulted 70 las
rather in much less folly and much more
wisdom. 1t may have shaken the lux
uries off our tables, the furbelows from.
our clothing. the indulgencies and sell
fitness out Of cur lives, the unousiness-
like methods u of our trading, the in
security out of our banks, the adven-
turers and ne'r do wee!s from our midst;
but 1t will leave US an ample reward in
pleasing substitutes all down the list,
from a better digestion to a stronger
confidence 10 all things.
The effect OF the hard times, whatever
else results, must in the main follow
these very desirable lines. For, they are
corrective, n 0 destructive; purgative,
not ruinous; s~olidifying, N d~isintegrat-
ing. Therefore we may even dare to say,
for awhile at least, the harder the bet
ter; until all things rotten are shaken to
their fall, ard all things sound and good
are knitted firmly together on the side
Of honesty and health; only it is sad
that here too, as in other needed re-
forms, the innocent must so often suffer
with, or perchaDce instead OF, the guilty.
g.
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