Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-22
HOW ABOUT nusINEsss

The New York Tribune says that the
South shows gratifying signs OF busi-
ness Improvement. with sense enough In
some quarters TO recognize that II Is
the result OF Republican success" What
unmitigated bosh, Nowhere In the
South. save in the columns OF the few
Republican papers of this section. IL there
any such recognition" To make
contrary claim Is to reflect upon the
good sense OF the South. That there
has been some business Improvement In
the country since the election, and that
the South has in a measure shared that
Improvement. is not TO be denied. But
this Improvement Is not due to Repub-
lican success. 1t Is due TO the fact that
the presidential contest is settled with
out regard to which party was success
full. Ii is a recurrence of conditions that
have always followed the determination
OF presidential contest and Is at
tributable to the peoples having taken
their minds off politics TO certain
extent. and settled down to business.
No one who is inclined TO treat tho
matter candidly and honestly can fail
to admit that the great business and
Industrial revival that was promised in
the event Of McKinley's election has not
materialized. Only few days ago the
Journal OF Commerce, than which there
is no better authority I'm the country,
on the subject under discussion, con-
ceded. in so many words, that the effect
OF the election upon business had been
disappointing.
However. we are not disposed to be
pessimistic. There are some substantial
reasons for looking upon the brighter
side-for hoping for permanent business
Improvement. The precipitation of the
currency question into our politics as
leading issue was not an unmixed
evil. The agitation Of the question
caused more men of ability to give it
serious thought and study than were
ever known so to do before. The over
shadowing and far-reachlng result of the
campaign as regards that issue Is not
the triumph Of gold, as Is vauntingly
asserted by the Wall-street organs 1t
is the widespread and earnest recogni-
ton that our present banking and cur
rency system will not do-a recognition
that extends to many of the most in
huental and best posted men on finance
in the ranks Of those opposed to the
silver movement. To phrase II different
~. the far-reaching and overshadowing
result Of the campaign in its relation
to our finances is widespread recog-
milton OF one of the chief. If not the chief
cause of business depression. which Is
dearth of currency and the tendency OF
our present banking laws to longest
what currency there is in the monetary
centres.
This recognition Is full OF encourage
ment. full of promise. we may say,
and the promise is accentuated by the
pressure the business bodies Of the coun
try are bringing to bear upon Congress
I'm order 10 secure the application OF a
remedy for the evil. Moreover, ii is
still further accentuated in the indica-
tons that Congress is disposed 10 yield
to that pressure and treat the currency
question as a business question. In the
mean time. however. to bring the mat
ter of business and Industrial revival
directly home. let the Businessmen and
manufacturers Richmond determine
to take advanta such Improvement
as has so FAR follow 3 the election, and
stand shoulder TO shoulder in formulating
and carrying out a programme Of pro-
gress for 1881.