The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-19
GOOD imes again.

Utica y. Y. Herald.
One OF the most remarkable phenomena
ever seen in this country, is the sudden
termination Of the discussioniof the inan'
cial question. Before the election the
finances were in e%yerybody's mouth. On
the street corners, In the village store, at
the noon luncheon under the shade OF the
big farm tree, the greenbacki the Nation.
al bank, the public debt, the resumption
law, were the constant topics Of conyersa-
ton with the employer and the employe,
the rich and the poor, the politician and
the minister, the learned and the ignorant.
The newspapers, rejecting the popular
opinion, deluged their readers with finan.
cial disquisitions, without satisfying the
craving for that kind OF reading. As soon
as the result OF the elections determined
that the Government Is to resume specie
payment on the LIST OF January in accord.
ance with existing law, this universal dis
cussion ceased as suddenly as 1t had be-
gun. '- tA'
We are within fifteen days OF the re-
sumption OF specie payments. Congress
| lu1 Dttu lhu hGGha AAlsN6oEpif atAN NV =
movement has been made towards the re.
peal Of the resumption law. Business Is
steadily improving all over the country:
Confidence Is coming back to capital, and
a healthy and long absent buoyancy pro
rades In business centers. In no quarter
Is the assertion made that the government
will not be able to accomplish the task 10
which It has resolu.cly set itself. No.
whore can we detect any signs of that
financial terror and business panic which
were. TO have been the inevitable accom-
panimcnts Of the attempt 10 resume Men
await the assured contamination with the
actual Indifference which is born OF the
feeling OF perfect security. Tho wild pro-
tests OF the grecnback organs and orators
are head no more in the land; and II we
re.read their confident predictions OF q
few months ago, In the light OF the present
situation, We may call theln lunatics, with.
out applying an epithet which they them
selves can show to he harsh.
This Is d phenomenon in outward ap- |
p%earance only. II is a phenomenon only
as indicating how impotent mems endcay-
ors' are, In the attempt to checknate the |
operation OF natural causes. The country
was ready for resumption and that event
is simply the return from an abnormal to 4
normal condition. The laws Of trade re.
fuse 10 be d!sarranged by such atransition.
They respond to the %qnickening impulse
asthe human System, reduced BY asickncss
conquered at length. responds 10 The influ-
ence of n tonic. Never In any other way
could the nation have permanently rce0v.
erci FROM the paralysis and prostration
that have been with us since 1873. Look.
ing back to the period previous tothe panic
Of that year, and comparing our condition
at tho beginning Of 1870 with our condi.
ton then, We may safely gay that all
the liardsllips and suffering and loss OF tho
intervening years have been q blessing In
disguise. Without them the reckless
speculation and enormous initiation, of that
period would have continued unchecked,
until the arrival Of u catastrophe immcas-
urably greater than that which has been
already endured and conquered. Without
them, we should have gone on ptling up
our Indebtedness to the rest OF the world
and postponing a day OF settlement which
each'ycar would have made more terrible.
To-day that settlement Is effected, Instead
of making new debts we are paying old
ones; and we arc ready now to start upon
an era OF prosperity not fictitious but real
and permanent. - t.. ,1
We believe that the beginning Of such
an era will come with tho return Of specie
payments. twill eliminate slowly, but
is, progress will be more healthy and Sc.
cure on that account. The new year finds
the nation all ready for q new departure;
and It's end will, see that new departure
stirring the wheels OF industry and chok.
ing tile channels Of trade all over the I'm.
ion. r mi