Year: 1878

There are bright omens Of better


times all around the horizon. The
crops have been unusually bountiful,
snd the favorable weather has ripened
them thoroughly and enabled the farm
ers to harvest aud house them without
ljss or damage. The summer crops Of
wheat and other small grains were nu-
expectedly large. aud the Indian corn.
thoroughly matured and hardened by
the warm sunshine OF the past six
weeks. will probably surpass the ag-
g'egste yield Of any previous year
Foe weather iD October, such as we
have had thus far. is saving OF mil
lions oi dollars to the country no large
by enabling the farmers TO fiuish with
out interruption the field work Of the
season. The field and root crops are
abund mt, and in most parts of the
country the hay crop, which is one of
the great northern staples, has sur
passed. its average yield. If there is
any dark picture of rural plenty IL is
at the South; where the yellow fever
has interfered to some extent with the
gathering Of the cotton crop.


All the trunk lines Of railway are be-
ing worked To their full capacity ia
Transporting the vast surplus crop of
the West 90 the seaboard cities, from
whence a large portion 81 u goes 10
Europe To bring gold In exchange 60
our shores, and TO still further reduce
the burden Of our foreign debt. The
brisk foreign demand for our agricul-
tural staples and the large quantity of
exportable produce going forward TO
meet it makes 10 certain that the bal
auce of trade will continue in our favor
during the winter aud spring. and that
there will be steady influx Of the
precious metals, SO that sll fears Of
the failure OF resumption may be dis
missed.


The effect Of a heavy crop in stimu-
lating trade and manufactures we
scarcely need point out. Tue farmer
buys clothing, carpets, furniture, wag.
ons aud agricultural implements Of the
merchant; the merchant increases his
orders from the factories; the factories
employ more hands; these additional
workmeu. having steady wages, become
good customers Of the butchers, gro
GERS and shop keepers Of the towns,
and thus new life and movement rs im-
parted to the whole round of business
activities. Society is fabric so intri-
cately interwoven that whatever affects
one part affects all others. The good
fortune Of the farmers is the good for
tune OF transporters, merchants and
mechanics.


Besides the plentiful yield Of the
fields, there are other signs Of the
speedy coming of better times. Our
manufactures are rapidly reviving un-
der the stimulus of considerable for.
eign demand. added 10 a much fuller
control Of the home market than they
ever had before. Few idle men are
found in manufacturing towrs who are
willing and able To do honest, faithful
work. Wages are low, but no lower in
proportion to the price Of the necessa.
ries OF life than they were in the flush
times, and not as low as before the
war, and there is already tendency to
Improvement in many occupations. II
Is certain that we have touched bottom
and that the changes OF the future,
whether they come rapidly or slowly.
will be changes for the better.


We may with propriety repeat here
what we have more than once said on
former occasions, that there Is no rea.
sou 20 expect a return Of the era Of in-
hated prices and frantic speculation
which followed the war All We can
look for. and all we ought to look for.
IL we have in view permanent prosper
iiy and sound public morals, is an
epoch of moderate business activity.
fair profits. good living wages and full
employment for capital and for all
willing workers. Such an epoch,
when 1t Comes, will come to stay, and
will in the end be far more beneficial
than the ups and downs experienced
in the last dozen years.