The Writings of Carl Schurz/To Heinrich Meyer, January 15th, 1858
TO HEINRICH MEYER[1]
I am really glad that the abominable calendar year 1857 is closed at last. It was full of all sorts of ill luck. Think of it! I was forty-eight votes short in the election—45,005 against 45,053, and that owing to an obvious election fraud, but which can be proved only at considerable expense. I have no desire to incur that expense during these hard times. So I am contenting myself with the spurs I won in the campaign, where we were defeated because of the carelessness of our party.
So far as material conditions are concerned, I must admit that the money crisis weighs heavily upon us. The most disagreeable feature of the present state of affairs is the dreadful scarcity of money. It is impossible to convert anything into cash; consequently there is shortage everywhere. In the East, money is more plentiful and confidence is increasing and I hope that we shall soon feel the effect here. If this continues, the carpenter who wants to buy a leg of lamb of the butcher will soon pay for it with a table and take a chair as change.