Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-30
GOOD AVID HARD TIMES ALTERNATE
And Mr.. Reed Gives Excellent Reasons
Why They Do.
! (Thos 3. Reed In The Illustrated
AmeIican.)

| (Thos. Il. Reed In The illustrated
AlneIican.)
Nothing has been more thoroughly
| well understood by those who have
studied the past even in the superb
| eial way in which we all study it tslaa
that tilere is a regular succession Of
prosperity and adversely, of adver&;tS
AID prosperity. which varies in causes
ara appearances. but which is sub
stantially the same century after cei,-
| fury.
We will not press too strongly the
seven fat and seven lean kline which
came up out of the sea in the dream
of Pharaoh, but you may depend upon
1t that that dream had its origin in ac-
tual events, and that the alienation Of
good, times and hard times antedates
the pyramids.
But whether that be so or not. the
complex nature of modern society, the
welding together in matters of trade Of
the whole world from China to Peru
and from far Cathay to the Polar
zones, has made the periodicity OF this
alienation more marked. more clearly
defined, wider spread and more nearly
universal. Has ii ever occurred to you
TO think that the wisdom Of the laws
which govern the universe can even in
THIS case be justified to human reason
and sense. and that hard times them
selves help work out the salvation Of
the human race?
The time perhaps has come for us -
look at this aspect of our situation,and
derive as much comfort as possible
frpy No. fs
aateI' was upon US it was not the time
to point out the blessing. ] suppose
that even the saints who are made per-
feet through suffering do rot quke an
preclate the process until ii Is over
When grief has changed into peace.
and the enduring result mas made the
sorrows undergone merely fading
memory instead Of a grinding present;
torture. only then DO even The saints
realize that sainihcod can come in No
other way.
Every time We enter upon period OF
prosperity We think. Notwithstanding
the fact THAT all history Is against u.
that iglls time se shall escape the on
coming u adversely, that civilization
has at last reached a point where
health win tie permanent and diseass,
banished forever.
But this win never he. Underneath
all the seeming causes If the alterna-
ton. underneath questions VI currency.
tariff, balance vi trade. war. crops
prices. and all cther causes, there HES
the great moving cause ever present
and never to be banished the human
nature Of the human race. We crea-
lures eannoc endure monotony We
mus have change. and We do have il.
Nor Is X Il waste Of time. the human
race being what it d. - ne fallow for
Few years Were the Continuance II
tha feeling Of confidence prolonged, un-
broken, over even single century am
persuaded that all the wealth of tn.
world would he dissipated and we
should BE- as naked as Adam and Eve
came into the world
Just notice how severe IS the punisla-
;nehf OF "A nation whIch merely overstays
its time of prosperity. We have in the
United States and IT'S wonderful uplH4-
ing in the direction Of wealth speciaf
temptations anu We say prosperous, in
our mlAas az least, longer than other ma
Tons and the result rs That we suffer
more severely tAan they We are also
the iasas 20 -ecuperate.
After all why should ii not be so?
W e make nay 3DNUu1nGiN when oar
sun y saiuinE Ind the barns are full.
Why should We be careful about hay
Let Ehe va%tie JRmplc on IL and be bed
ded in it. We hstve plenty.
Way Should We economize2 That takes
brains and. uboYe all, worry. That means
sleofSeSs nights and Goilsome days. Why
should We who revel Ia abundance giean |
also the fields ike the poor? In such
times we ali become lavish and expect
pennies 10 take care OF Themselves
We go on FROM one folly 10 another |
We spend capita, and persuade ourselves |
hat we are only spending income. 1t is |
Easy not only 70 mortgage our future but |
to deceive ourselves and TO say that this |
S only temporary, only meeting passing |
emergency. by our extravaganza ways we |
honeycomb What We have BY and by !
confidence gets broken up ana the clock |
strikrs tor settlement, The properly l. |
an there. bu; wha owns ii?
Nowadays such a settlement is a world !
settlement ana thousand million people |
make X n very complicated business |
How we do 1t We can never quite tell. |
But ii gets done. and when 1t gets done |
he world gradually resumes business ami |
hv cycle again commences. Tais period |
)f settlement is Il standStigl except for |
he necosSlrios of life and of the period |
n which ii occurs.
BY necessaricS of life is meant not |
merely Jnose things without which life |
could not exist, but those things also
WAich have 10y the advance of civilian
80 s-7A