Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-09

Whatever the real causes Of the financial
depression may be Washington has been
with good reason the last American city to
FEEL the full force of the distrustful tendency
and the first to show reliable symptoms of
recovery.
If. as so many suppose the main source
OF financial evil has been the country's gold
depletion. end the remedy is to be found in
the rapidly approaching repeal of the pur-
chase clause of the Sherman act. then
cure will be effected without any direct
local inconvenience from the medicine ad-
ministered to the patient. Silver producing
communities and those directly dependent
upon them VIII suffer temporarily more
from the remedy than they have from the
disease. and they will be entitled to the
sympathy which belongs to individuals who
undergo hardship for the general welfare.
Washington Is not a silver-producing COM
munIty. Since Rock Creek Park was ac-
quired the District has not figured to any
considerable extent as a rich mining coun-
try, and its product. whatever 1t may
amount to. is gold.
IT. as some contend. injurious financial
legislation is only one of several causes of
the depression, and the manufacturing
communities and those directly dependent
upon them will not enjoy the return Of full
prosperity until the uncertainty in respect
TO democratic tariff legislation becomes
certainty and until these communities have
adjusted themselves after hardship ard
distress to the changed conditions, this
local postponernent of good times will not
apply to Washington. The capital is not
without it's manufactures. but it handles no
great staples, does not rely primarily upon
these industries for it's support and en-
courages, as II should. only light and clean
manufacturing which will not interfere
with the cfty's pre-eminent attractions as a
place of residence. Its great factories are
the government work shops. whose pro-
ducts and wages are not directly ahected
by the tariff. whose workneu are promptly
and. as a rule. literally paid. neither IN
duIging in strikes nor suffering from lock-
outs. Washington is not MANUFACTURING
community in the sense that it must ap-
prehend direct injury from the prospective
tariff legislation
IT. whatever may be the secondary causes,
the existing stringency and depression mere
" mark the reaching of the low
est point in the circle in which the
business world continually revolves-
a circle which carries men in success
sion through confidence and prosperity.
over-confidence. reckless speculation, and
imitation. growing suspicion, and stringency
for the rashly speculative, then universal
distrust. panic. contraction and Distress
there is no local cause to prevent business
Washington from rising into the phase of
Confidence and prosperity with the present
upward motion of the revolving wheel.
The capital Is the republic in miniature
and 1t cannot fail to show forth. as it has
done recently, any condition which prevails
throughout the nation. But it is free from
any additional local drawbacks. The rising
sun of American business prosperity may
reasonably be expected to gid 1t as lofty
mountain peak. long before the inspiring
rays can reach the valleys in which our
distressed manufacturing and silver-produc-
ing communities may be supposed to lie.