The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-08-04
Hard Times,

We commend the attention of our
readers to the following sensible article
on much discussed subject. Farmers
are apt to think that they are much
worse off than other people, but this is
not 30. The writer lives near city,
has more or less to do with business
men, and knows that as a rule they are
having harder time than most Yer
mont farmers. What the future has in
store men cannot tell, but one thing is
sure, the man who works wisely and
steadily, who uses his head and hands
and is careful in his expenditures will
always stand the best chance of sue
ceeding in his business. There are
drawbacks in every occupation, and
farmers have no more than others, Il
! Is bad thing for farmer to get into
the way of thinking that farmers are
worse off than people of any other oc-
cupation. Live in city while, have
rent to pay, everything to buy, get out
of work, hunt for it day after day, and
you will realize how we'll off farmer
is. But we must say that we do not
think the passage of the tariff bill or
anything that the government can do
will bring immediate prosperity to the
farmers. The causes of the present
hard times lie too deep for Congress or
legislatures to reach. We cannot now
enter into discussion of these things,
but hope for the best.
We do not know that farmers CON-
plain of hard times more than other
people. We do know that agriculture
is not suffering more than other indus
tries, and not as much as some. We
know that no industrious farmer with
in the area in which this paper circu-
lstes has suffered for food or the ne
cessities of life during the past four
years of depression. They have had
an abundance of food, and clothing
enough to make them comfortable,
For this they should be thankful
Thousands-yes millions-in other in.
dustries have been deprived of common
necessities; hundreds have mortgaged
their homes in order to procure food
and thousands have been forced to &C.
cept charitable aid. Why grumble be.
cause you are not making money!
or accommodating. Very few are doing
this, and we honestly believe that farm
ers on the whole are at the head Of
the heap" in this respect. And there
is solid prospect for better things tc
come, as we showed last week. Prices
are hardening, and for some products
they are comparatively high enough
Is it not time to quit complaining and
90 to work with renewed zeal and en-
ergy? That is the way-and the only
way-to make wealth, the only way tt
change depression to prosperity. We
!. may grumble about the tariff and the
finances and legislation till doomsday
and it will do us no good if we neglec
our business. We must get down t.
business, work hard and persistently
both with brain and Drawn, use proper
. economy, live within our incomes, at
tend promptly and intelligently to oul
duties as citizens-and we will roll away
the burden of depression and emerge
again into the light of prosperity. i
any man tells you we shall never AGAR
see such prosperity as we have had il
the past, just call him LA croaker
Tell him that history repeats itself, tina
good times have always succeeded bat
times, and that America is too rich il
all substantial resources, too rich in &C
cumulated wealth, too rich in intelli
gent energy, and in all the elements o
prosperity, to be crushed by few year
, of industrial depression.-Ohio Farmer