what words and phrases repeat in this scene?

Hard times is a book. Do you mean paragraph one?

Here is the beginning:

“NOW, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir!”

The re-occurring word is "facts". He uses facts as the basis of life and reality, not dreams or even goals.