The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, July 29, 1897, Image 5

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THE LEDGER: GAFFNEY, S. C., JULY 2!), 1897 5 ✓ LIFE’S BRIGHT SIDE. i thke^prescriptions for the cure OF BUSINESS DEPRESSION. > Rot. Dr. Taliiiuge I’rraclien a Sorinon of ItunineftS Cheo# — ChrlHtian Invrotinont. Spiritual AwakonliiK— A Warnluc- Life’s Sbipwreckw—Worth of the Soul. Washington, July 25.—This dis- ' course of Dr. Tnlniage shews how all may help in the restoration of good times, a*)d is most appropriate. Test, Lamentations iii, 39, “Wherefore doth a living man complain?” A cheerful interrogatory in the most melancholy book of the Bible! Jere miah wrote so many sad things that wo have a word named after him, and when anything is surcharged with grief and complaint we call it a jeremiad. But in my text Jeremiah, as by a sud den jolt, wakens us to a thankful spirit. Our blessings are so much more nu merous than our deserts that he is sur prised that anybody should ever find faul Having life and with it a thou sand blessings it ought to hush into ! perpet ^ silence everything like eriti- 1 cism ol the dealings of G<xL “Where- 1 fore doth a living man complain?” While everything in our national finances is brightening, for the last few years the land has been set to the tune of "Nat ni.” There has been hero and there a < leerful soloist, but the grand chorus has been ono of lamentation, ac companied by dirges over protdrated commerce silent manufactories, unem ployed mechanism, and all those disor ders described by th-3 two short words, “hard tim's. ” The fact is that we have been paying for the bloody luxury of war more than 80 years ago. There were great national ditlereuees, and we had not euc igh Christian character to settle them by arbitration and treaty, and so we went into battle, expending life and treasure and well nigh swamp ing the national finances, and north and south, east and west, have ever since been paying 'or those four years’ in dulgence in barbarism. But the time has come when this de pression ought to end—yea, when it will end if the people are willing to do two or three things by way of finan cial medicament, for the people as well as congress must join in the work of recuperation. The best political econo mists tell us that there is no good reason for continued prostration. Plenty of money awaiting investment. The na tional health with never so strong an arm or so clear a brain. Yet we go on groaning, groaning, groaning, us though God had put this nation upon gruel and allowed us but oue decent breakfast in six months. The fact is the habit of complaining has become chronic in this country, and aft* r all these years of whimper and wailing and objurgation we uw under such a momentum of sniv el thlit we cannot stop. , A A Pica For Cliecrfulnetw. There are three prescriptions by which I believe that our individual and na tional finances may he cured of their present depression. The first is cheerful conversation and behavior. I have no ticed that the people who are most vo ciferous against the day in which we live are those who are in comfortable cireumstam ( s. I have made inquiry of those p< rsous who are violent in their jeremiads against these times, and I have asked them, "Now, after all, are you net making u living?” After some hesitation and coughing and clearing their throat three or four times they say stammeringly, "Y-e-s. ” t-o that with a great multitude of people it is not a question of getting a livelihood, but they are 'dissatisfied because they cannot make as much money as they would like to make. They have only $2,<M) in the bank, where they would like to have ij-l,000. They can clear in a year only if.',000, wh< n they would like to clear if]0,000, or tilings come out just even. Gr in their trade they get $3 u day when they wish they could make $4 or $3. "Oh, ” says some one, "are you not aware of the fact that there is a great population out of employment, and there are hundreds of the good fam ilies of this country who are at their wits’ end, not knowing which way to turn?” Yes, I know it better than any man in private life can know that sad fact, for it comes constantly to my eyo and ear, but who is responsible for this state of tilings? Much of that responsibility I put upon m< n in comfortable circumstances who by an everlasting growling keep public confidence depressed and new en terprises from starting out and new bouses from being built. You know very well that one despondent man can talk 50 men into despondency, while oue cheerful physician can wake up into ex hilaration a whole asylum of hypochon driacs. It is no kindness to the poor or the unemployed for yon to join in this deploration. If you have not the wit and the common sense to think of some thing cheerful to say, then keep silent. There is no man that cun bo independ ent cf depressed conversation. The medical journals are ever illusi rating it. I was reading of live men who re solved that they would make an ex periment and see what they could do in the way of depressing a stout, healthy man, and they resolved to meet him at different points in his journey, and us lie stepped out from his house in the morning in robust health one of the five men met him and said: “Why, you look very sick today. What is tho matter?” He said: "I am in excellent health. There is nothing the matter.” Hut, passing down tho street, he began ^o examine his symptoms, and tho sec- ' end of the five men met him and said, “Why, how bad you do look!” “Well,” he replied, “I don’t feel very welL” After awhile the third man met him, and the fourth man met him, and the fifth man came up and said: "Why, you loo^ as if you had had the typhoid fever for six weeks. What is the mat ter witluvou?” And the man against whom the stratagem had been laid wi at home and died. Ami if you meet a man with perpetual talk about hard times and bankruptcy and dreadful winter* that are to come you break dow n his courage. A few autumns ago, as the winter was comng on, people said: “Wo shall have a terrible winter. Tho poor will bo frozen out this win- it r. ” There was something in the largo !tpre of acorns that tho squirrels had fathered and Mrmethiug in tho phases of tho moon and something in other portents that made you certain we were going to have a hard winter. Winter came. It was the milde st one within rny memory and within yours. All that winter long I do not think there was an icicle that hung through the day from the eaves of the hou.‘.e. So you prophesied falsely. Last winter was coming, and the people said: “We shall have unparalleled suffering among the poor. It will be a dreadful winter.” Sure enough, it was a cold winter, but there were more large hearted parities than ever before poured out on coun try, better provision made for the poor. So that there have been scores of win ters when the poor hud a harder time than they did last winter. Weather prophets say we will have frosts this Kumaicr which will kill the harvests. Now, let mo tell you, you have lied twice about the weather, and I believe you are lying this time. Some people are so overborne with tho dolorousuess cf the times that they say we shall have communistic outrages in this country such as they had in Franco. I do not believe it. The parallel do* s not run. They have no Sabbath, no Bible, no God in France. Wo have until his selfishness cringes and twists and cowers under it, ho will get not only spiritual profit, hut ho will get paid hack in hard cash or inconvertible securities. We often see men who arc tight fisted who Reem to pet along with their investments very profitably, not withstanding all their parsimony. But wait. Suddenly in that man’s history everything goes wrong. His health fails, or his reason is dethroned, or a domestic curse smites him, or a mid night shadow of some kind orops upon his soul and upon his business. What is the matter? God is punishing him for his small hrartedness. He tried to cheat God, and God worsted him. So that one of the recipes for the cure of individual and national finances is more generosity. Where you bestowed $1 on the cause of Christ give $2. God loves to be trusted, aud he is very apt to trust back again. He says: “That man knows how to handle money. He shall have more money to handle.” Aud very scon the property that was on the market for a great while gets a purchaser, aud tho bond that was not worth more than 60 cents on a dollar goes to par, aud the opening of a new street doubles the value of his house, or in any way of a million God blesses him. Christian Generoulty. Once the man finds out that secret and he goes on to fortune. There are men whom I have known who for ten years have been trying to pay God 11 ,000. They have never been able to get it paid, for just as they were taking out from oue fold of their pocketbook a bill mysteriously somehow in some other fold of their pocketbook there all these defenses for our American peo- i came a larger bill. You toll me that t pic, ar.d public epuhen is such that if the people in this country attempt a cutthroat expedition they will land in hfing Sing or from the gallowt go up on tight rope. 1 do not believe tho people of this country will ever commit out rages aud riot and murder for the sake cf getting bread. But u!l this lugubrcs- ity of tone and face* keeps people tie.v.n. Now I will make a contract. If tho peo ple of the United States for one week will talk cheerfully, I will open all the manufactories, 1 will give employment to all the unoccupied men aud women, I will make a lively market for your real estate that is eating you up with tuxes, I will ship the long processions on the way to the poor house aud the penitentiary and I will spread a plenti ful table from Maine to California and from Oregon to Sandy Hook, and the whole l**nd shall earr,] and thunder with national jubilee. But says some one, "I will take that contract, but we can’t affect the whole nation. ” My hearers aud readers, representing as you do all professions, all trades and all occupa tions, if you should resolve never again to utter a dolorous word about the mon ey markets, but by manner and by voice and by wit aud caricature and, above- all, by faith in God to try to scatter this national gloom, do you not believe tho influence would be instantaneous and widespread? The effect would be felt around the world. For God’s sake and for tli** sake of the poor un-d for the sake of the employed quit growling. Depend upon it, if you men in comfort able circumstances do not stop com plaining, God will blast your harvests and see how you will get along without a corn crop, and he will sweep you w ith floods, and he will devour you with grasshoppers, aud he will burn your city. If you men in comfortable circum stances keep on complaining, God will give you s( mething to complain about. Mark that! The lie si Investment. The second prescription for the alle viation of financial di.strt sses is proper Christian investment. God demands of every individual state and nation a cer tain proportion of their income. We are parsimonious. W’e keep back Iroui God thit which belongs to bim, and when we keep hack anything from God lie takes what we keep Luck, aud lie takes more. Ho takes it by storm, by sick ness, by bankruptcy, by any ono of tee 10,000 ways which he can employ. The reason many cf you are cramped in business is because you have never learned the lesson of Christian gener osity. You employ uu agent. You give him a reasonable salary, aud, lo, you find out that In* is appropriating your funds, besides the salary. What do you do? Discharge him. Well, we are God’s agents. He puts in our hands certain moneys. Part is to be ours, part is to be his. Suppose we take all, what then? lie will discharge us. He will turn us over to finam ial disastirs and take tho trust away from us. Tho reason that great multitudes are not prospered in business is simply because they have been withholding from God that which belongs to him. The rule is, give aud you will receive, administer liberally and you shall have more to administer. I am in full sympathy with the man who was to be baptized by immersion, and some one said, "You had bettor leave your pocketbook out; it will get wet. ” "No,” said he; "I want to go down under the wave with everything. I want to consecrate my property and all to God. ” And so he was baptized. WTiat we wifit in this country is more bap tized pocketbooks. I hud a relative whose business seemed to be failing. Here a loss, and there a loss, aud everything was bother ing, perplexing and annoying him. lie sat down oue day and said: "God must have a controversy with me about aome- thing. I believe I haven’t given enough to the cause of Christ. ” And there and then be tcok out his checkbook and wrote a large check for a missionary so ciety. Ho told me: "That was tho turn ing point in my business. Kver since then I have been prosperous. From that tery di.y—aye, from that very hour—I saw tho change. ” Aud, sure enough, he went on, and he gathered a fortune. Tho only safe investment that u man can make in this world is in the cause of Christ. If a man give from u super abundance, God may or he may not re spond with a blessing, but if a man give until lie feels it, if u man give un til it fi-tche* the blood, if a man give Christian generosity pays in the world to come. I tell you it pays now, pays in hard cash, paya in government se curities. You do not believe it? Ah, that is what keeps you back. I knew you did not believe it. The whole wcrld and Christendom is to bo reconstructed on this subject, and as you are a part of Christendom let the work begin in your own soul. "But,” says some cue, “I don’t believe that theory, because I have, been generous and I have been losing money for ten years. ” Then God prepaid you, that is all. What became of the money that you made in other days? You say to your son, "Now I will give you $5C0 every year as long as you live.” After awhile you say, "Well, my son, you prove yourself so worthy of my confidence 1 will just give you $20,000 in a single lump.” Aud you give it to him, aud he starts off. In two or three yearn lie dots not complain against you: “Father is not taking care of me. I ought to have $600 a year.” You prepaid your sou, and he docs not complain. There are thousands of us now who can this y< i.r get just enough to supply our wants. But did not God supply for us in the past aud has lie not again and again and again paid us in advance? In other words, trusted you all along—trusted you more than you had a right to ask? Strike, then, a balance for God. Econo mize in anything rather than in your Christian charities. There is not more than one out of 800of you whoever give enough to do you tiny good, aud when some cause of Christianity, seme mis sionary society or Bible rcciety or church organization, conics along and gets anything from you v.liat do you say? You say, “I have been bled.” And there never was a more signifi' unt figure of speech than that used in com mon parlance. Yes, you have been bled, and you are spiritually emaciated, when if you had been courageous enough to go through your property aud say, “That belongs to God, and this belongs to God, and the other thing belongs to God,” and no more dared to appropriate it to your own use than something that belonged to your neighbor, instead of being bled to death by charities you would have been reinvigorated aud re cuperated and built up for time and for eternity. God will kc-p many of you cramped in money matters until the day of your death unless you swing out into larger generosities. A Great I'romlse. People quote as a joke what is a divine promise, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, and it will return to thee after many days.” W’Lat did God mean by that? There is an allusion there. In Egypt when they sow the corn it is at a time when the Nile is overflowing its banks, and they sow the seed corn on the waters, aud as the Nile begins to recede this seed corn strikes in the earth and conies up a harvest, and that is the allusion. It seems as if they arc throw ing the corn away on the waters, but after awhile they gather it up in a har vest. Now says God in his word, "Cast thy brrad upon the waters, aud it shall come back to thee after many days. ” It may seem to you that you arc throw ing it uway on charities, hut it will yield a harv« st of green aud gold—a harvest on earth and a harvest in heav en. If men could appreciate that and act on that, we would have no more trouble about individual or national finances. Prescription the third, for the cure of all our individual aud national finan cial distresses, a groat spiritual awaken ing. It is no mere theory. Tho mer chants of this country were positively demented with tho monetary excite ment in 1867. There never before nor since has been such a state of financial depression as thera was at that time. A revival came, aud 500,000 people were born into the kingdom of God. What came after the revival? The grandest financial prosperity wo have ever hud in this country. The finest fortunes, the largest fortunes in the United States, have been made since 1867. “Weii,” you say, “what has •pirituul improvement and revival to do with monetary improvement aud re- vival?" Much to do. The religion of Jesus Christ has u direct tendency to make men honest and sober and truth tolling, aud are not honesty and sobriety aud truth telling auxiliaries of material prosperity? If we could have an awakening in this country us in tho days of Jonathan Ed wards of Northampton, as in the days of Dr. Finley of Basking Kidge, as in the days of Dr. Griffin of Beaten, tho whole land would rouse to a higher moral tone, and with that moral tone tho heuest Lx: intca enterprise of the country would come up. You say a great aw akening has an influence upon the future world. I tell you it has a di rect influence upon the financial wel fare of this world. The religion of Christ is no foe to successful business. It is its best friend. Aud if there should come a great awakening in this coun try, and all the banks and insurance companies and stores aud offices aud shops should close up for two weeks and do nothing but attend to the public worship of almighty God, after such a spiritual vacation the land would wake up to such financial prosperity as we have never dreamed of. Godliness is profitable for the life that now is as well as for that which is to come. But, my friends, do not put so much empha sis on worldly success as to let your eternal affairs go at loose ends. I have nothing to say against money. The more money you get the hotter, if it comes honestly and goes usefully. For the lack of it sickness dies without medicine, and hunger finds its coffin in an empty bread tray, and nakedness shiv ers for clothes and fire. All this canting tirade against money as though it ’ ad no practical use, when I hear a msn in dulge in it, it makes me think the best heaven for him would be an everlasting poorbouse. No; there is a practical use in money, but while v/o admit that we must also admit that it cannot satisfy the soul, that it cannot pay for our fer riage across the Jordan of death, that it cannot unlock the gate cf heaven for our immoiUl souk Shipwreck. Yet there are men who cct as though packs of bonds ciid mortgages could be traded off for a mansion in heaven, and as though gold were u legal tender in that land where it is so common that they moke pavements cut of it. Halva- tiou by Christ is the only salvation. Treasures in heaven are tho only incor ruptible treasures. Have you ever ciph ered out that sum in loss aud gain, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world aud lose his soul?” You may wear fine apparel now, but tho winds of death will flutter it like rags Homespun and a threadbare coat have sometimes been tho shadow of robes white in tho blood of the Lamb. % WILL CONSTIPATION KILL? % % Under unusual circumstances yes, but ordinarily it is not @ fc? fatal, because it is not a disease. It is however, the CAUSE of •/ Zj several dangerous diseases, hence prudence would suggest its prompt removal. PRICKLY ASH BITTERS /Q is nn appropriate an-l valuable remedy in this disorder. It rot only n lieves an<l permanently cures constipation but it exercltes curative miu ioiiir pjo- w/ /•ft pertles in tlie Icliiiieys, liver ami stomueh. Tims by regulating am. si .mu.:..- /W •A/ iut; die whole system, it corrects the trouble, wards off disease und jteep^.uie -u - body otrony and healthy. £7 /ffi PRICE $1.00 F2R BOTTLE. Prepr.-ed «.y jIJCELT ASE BITTF.RS CO St. Lcais. ^ % SOLD 3Y ALL DRUGGISTS. "Cherokee Drug Co. Special Agents. mmmm m a-t■■■■■■■■■ KEEP YOUR BOWELS STRONG ALL SUMMER iAN&Y CATHARTIC CUtttCOHStlMnOH 10 ♦ 25* 50* ALL DRUGGISTS A tablet now and thrn will pr*Y*nt (iiarrhOFa.djntfiiterv. ull summer complaints,rauulni, easy.natural reftull*. Sample and booklet fi ce. Ad. STERLING kKMF.DY CO-.Cmea^.;, Montreal, Can., or New York. il'.O j The National Bank of Gaffney. CAl*ll'AL S-YO.OOO. This bank is now open for business and solicits the patronage of the people of Gaffney and surrouiidinK country. It will extend to its customers every ucc miwoduiiou con sistent with safety. Money to loan on approved security. I). O. KOSS, Oitnliier. I 7 '. Gr. CTILVO'Y’', I’rewitlcnt. J. A.V-AKLFIvA'W, Vice-1 »re*ident. i>i i* teerro J. A. CAUROLL. President Cherokee Falls 1 J. I. ^A UR ATT. Merchant and Farmer. Mto. t 'o. II. 1*. WHEAT. Treasurer Gaffney M to. Co. K. M. WILKINS. Late of WilkinsHros...Mer chants. W. c. CARPENTER, of Carroll & Carpenter. Merchants. All the mines of Australia aud Brazil, strung in one carc:tuet, are not worth to you as much us the pearl of great price. You remember, I suppose, some years ago, the shipwreck of the Central America? A storm came on that vessel. Tho surges tramped the deck and swept down through the hatches, and there went up a hundred voiced death shriek. Tho foam on the jaw of the wave. The pitching of tho steamer, as though it would leap a mountain. The glare of the signal rockets. The long cough of tho steam pipes. The hiss of extin- guirked furnaces. The walking of God on the wave. Oh, it was a stupendous spectacle. But that ship did not go down without a struggle. The passen gers stood in long lines trying to bail it out, and irn 11 unused to toil fugged un til their hands were blistered aud their muscles were strained. After awhile a sail came in sight. A few passengers got off, but the most went down. The ship gave one lurch aud was lost. Lo there are men who go on in life— a fine voyage tin y are making out of it. All is well till some euroclydon of business disaster comes upon them, aud they go down. The bottom of this com mercial sea is strewn with the shat tered hulks. But because your property goes shall your soul go? Ob, no. There is coming a more stupendous shipwreck after awhile. This w orld—God launched it G.UJO years ago, aud it is sailing on, but oue day it will stagger at the cry of “Fire!" and the timbers of tho rocks will burn, and the mountains flame like masts, aud the clouds like sails in the judgment burnt uno. God will take a good many (iff the deck, and others out of tin berths, where they are now sleep ing in Jesus. How many shall go down? No one will know until it is announced in heaven one day: “Shipwreck of a world! So many millions saved! So many millions drowued!” Because your fortunes go, because your house goes, because all your « arthly possessions go, do not let your soul go. May the Lord Almighty, through tho blood of the everlasting covenant, save your souls! Hon. \YM. .1 F.FFKKI !•>. Fanner. Home. !i. Hon. W. \VH 1SNA NT. Merchant and Farm er. Wilkinsville. S. HENRY M. McADEN. Capitalist. McAdens- vllle. X. e. ' O. K. WILKINS. ofO.E.Wilkins&Hro.. Gaff J. G. WARDLAW, See’ry. Gaffney Manf. Co. ney. S. ('. Gaffney. I F. G. STACY. Carroll Sc Stacy. Gaffney. S. C Won’t for tho I^iirth ,9fir At?-..- - z Turn.. for it is not ours to sell, but ask for most anvtliiim else and if we 4/ o havont got it we will get it for you, and invariably at the right price. Yours truly, Walter Balter & Co. clti« i’i vot i OIL In I*riee, In <>iuilit>r. In < >or I Is what we Guarantee I ; when you buy youn Drugs, Stationery, Paints, Oil-, etc., from us. I Give us a call. iicSpcetfully, DUPRE DRUG CO. A SeMide Iloumnce. They were sitting on the guilds side by side, looking out over tho ocean. “How peaceful it looks!” said he. “Yjs,” said she, “but how very wet!” “True,” bo observed, “and yet hmv calm and restful it appears! With you by my side I could sail on forever.” “Yes?” she queried. “Yes,” he affirmed, “forever. Will yon, dearest?” “ton one condition,” she replied. “I am u cautious girl, and 1 do not wirh to be overbusty. But I wall let you tnaku the test, and when tho test is made aud you say it is successful I will go with you. ” “Aud that test, love?” he cried. “You take a boat and sail on forever, and after yon bavo sailed on forever tell mo how it works,” she answered. And she left birr, meditating.—Har per’s Bazar. $100 Reward $100. The l e.idt-rs of t tils paper will he pleased to learn (hat Iherelsut least one lirt-aded di.i- miactlisit aeleno* has heen aide toeure In all Its stages, ami thal is ('atari h. Hull's l'a- tiirrh lure is Hie only positive eure know to the tut-dleal fraternity. Catarrh Is-lna 11 | cunsttl 0101181 disi-a-t. lit|ulres 1. constitu tional triutmoi.L Hall's < atmrh Cure is taKoii internally, net lint directly upon the hl'sxl aad nimou.i surfaces of the system, thereby destroying: tho foundation of the dh-.i.e. and cfvlnjj the patient strmgth hy buiidliiK ui« Hie constitution and assistnm natur" toon Its work. The proprietors have so tnueh faith hi it> curative powers, that they offer One Hundro I Dollars for any case tliul It fails to eure. Meud for list of testi monials. Add.ess. F. J CHENEY Sc CO.. Toledo,O. Knld oy I >t iic dsls. 7.V. Hall’s Family hills are the la st. — - • •- • - Rice’s Goose Grease Llnamcnt, cures all aches aud pains, rddd and auarantea-d hy CtltHOKt.Z Dill'U Co. LIMESTONE * SPRIN8S * LIE * WORKS, CARROLL & CO., Lessees. Manufacturers of BUILDING, * PLASTERING * AND * AGRICULTURAL * LIME, And Dealers In Coal, Shingles, Lathes and Platser Hair. Oymamite. Blasting’ Powder. Fuse ar.d Dynamite Caps. ANDREWS’ ANNUAL JULY Furniture, Carpets, Rugs, Mattings, Curtains, , Baby Carriages, Sideboards, Bedroom Suits, &c. Every department of my immense establish ment teeming with the best and newest goods at Reduced Prices during the month of July. GRAND OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU.f€5r* If you can't come and sec for yourself, write for Catalogues and Prices. NDREWS, Largest Dealerio Furniture,Carpets, Pianos aDdOrgaDsutiuState. CHARLOTTE, N. C.