The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-15
CURRENT PRESS COMMENT.

THERE is no safety but in a rigid limitation of the
note circulation. The notion of bank issues automat-
ilcca!.ly adjustable to to the wants of the business pub
lie is a delusion. There never was such a thing. Bank
issues are susceptible of expansion and contraction. as
the people of this and other countries have learned to
thelr cost; but they are not susceptible of automatic
adjustment to business needs. The only safety, let it
be repeated. is in strictly limiting the amount Of
notes not backed, dollar for dollar. by coin-Chicag0
Times.
THE exclusion of those degraded French wines will
not only protect the public health, but greatly encour-
age the growing of the grape and the manufacture of
wines WITHIN our own territory. Relieved of compe-
ut1on with these adulterated foreign wines, grape
growers here will be encouraged to plant more extern
sive vineyards. and the manufacturers of wines will
take greater care in the conversion of the grapes into
wine. If the French can do without our pork, we can
certainly afford to do without their wine,-Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette.
IF for any reason the American people were now
thrown upon themselves. we should very soon be COM
plete in our supplies. There is hardly anything enter
ing into the fabric Of life, from the s~ealskins of winter
to the palnleaves of summer, which America does not
produce, or could not at short notice. We could get
on ENORMOUSLY without the outside world, while Eng
land would starVe without our food supplies. The ag-
rlculture of the West, including our pasture lands,
compel England to be friendly to us in the exercise Of
her maritime supremacy.-Chicago Inter Ocean.
ENGLAND does not wish to have a more troublesome
%neighbor i'll the Soudan than the False Prophet"
whose power-if it does not perish of itself-she will
crush just as soon as it is for her interest to do so, and
no sooner. Meanwhile the announcement of the evac-
uati0n of the Soudan by all Egyptian troops proves
that the let-alone policy is fully determined upon, and
VIII be gwen practical effect at once. 1t now only re-
mains to be seen whether, having thus rid herself of
an embarrassing question at the outset, England can
so govern Egypt as to satisfy both Egyptians and En-
glishmen. If she does, then the days of political mir
acles are not yet over.-St. Louis Republican.
RETALIATION on account of the exclusion of Ameri-
can pork from France and Germany is not likely to go
further than talk. 1t is not at all certain that this
country would gain anything, directly or indirectly,
by prohibiting the importation of wines from those
countries. Reprisals in commerce are little more SEN
sible than chids play. 1t is not very probable that,
if the boot was on the other leg, any foreign
power could coerce our government. 1t may be well
to place official inspectors at the principal packing
centers, but beyond that it will hardly be wise to go
at present. We cannot reasonably complain OF the
Commercial regulations of other nations.-St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
DAvITT will no doubt regret his errors of Judgment
in attempting to force Mr.. Parnell into an unwise
course, and will soon return to his old-time loyal al
legiance to his sagacious leader. But whether he does
or not, it is the duty of the Irish Loyalty to sustain Par
nell; to frown down all intrigues among their own
countrymen against him; to Danish from political life
those rash, unrehecting, hot-blooded young politicians
who hamper his action or try to drive him into iniu-
dicious courses. The Irish never before had a leader
like Parnel-so wise, so firm of purpose. or so sue
@cessful.. They should unitedly aiI, encourage, and be
advised by him if they want to be guided to the prom
ised~ land.-Chicago Tribune.
IF Germany or France had put a duty on the import
alton of our meats we should have had no right to
complain, but instead of doing that they prohibited
their Importation on a false charge, which injured
their value in all the markets of the world. Congress-
men who are led by their theories to take sides against
their country in a plain matter of this kind, had better
revise Jhelf PATRIOTISM. Inc COurlet-Iou rnal, another
free-trader, insists that we had better waits little be-
fore we talk about retaliation, but to show that a wait
ing policy is not advisable, theforeign dispatches bring
the news that the mere suggestion that we may retail
ate has led the German Chancellor to take steps for the
modification of the obnoxious ecrees.-Louisvills
Commercial.
IF Congress did not persistently encourage our ma.
tional tree d%estroyers by excluding the products of
Canada forests fewer men would be tempted to cut
every tree large enough for the mill and destroy every
other tree that prevents a log reaching the stream
that is to float it to market. While. however, tho
tariff offers a bounty to forest destroyers and timber
thieves, our State cannot too carefully guard the big
woods that must yield her only home supply, not only
at present, but in all future years. Tree planting is
sometimes talked of as a remedy, but where is tho
sense in turning arabic land into forests while W.
have hundreds of thousands of acres already covered
with trees and by nature made utterly unfit for ant
other purpose?-New York Herald.