Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-10
ursINEss AND POLITICS.

The Times intinates that the Dispatch
omitted publication OF the last weekly
ranorts of Dun and Bradstreet because
we did not wish the people who read our
naper to see what great revival of bust
ness the election of Mckinley has
wrought. 1t also says that as far as IL
knows we had never failed to print these
reports before. AS TO the first branch OF
,ts charge, we have only to say that the
reports I'm question were put into type
and were ready for publication, and were
only left out at the last moment because
the exigencies of making up the last form
of that issue required that they or WHAT
seemed more important news, should DE
omitted. AS to the second branch OF the
Times's charge, we are much grieved, be-
cause IL shows that the Times does not
read the Dispatch az carefully as IL
should. We have omitted the reports In
question often. to make room for more
important news.
OF course. we know that business has
improved since the election, and we
know-or, at least, believe-that 1t Is
going to improve still more. We know
that the excitement and exaggerated
alarm caused by the canvass caused the
suspension OF work in many mines and
manufactories. and thus locked the wheels
of trade. And so 1t is at every presiden-
tial election-though We are free to admit
that the tension was greater at this cleo
ton than ever before in post-bellum his
tory.
We note now, with pleasure. that bus
fness is going on smoothly again; but we
are not inclined TO give all the credit to
Hanna. 1t was in the order of nature
that. with the tension removed, there
should be business improvement. Though
we have not the exalted opinion of the
ability and worth OF Hanna that the
Times has, we would rob that great
statesman of none of the credit that is
his due 1T Is, therefore, but fair 10
Hanna to say that he managed to make
the election a very decisive one, and
that he put into circulation large sum
of money. This money, having done its
duty in corrupting voters, is now entering
into the legitimate channels of trade.
That Hanna and his associates should
claim all manner of credit for every
sort of Improvement is but natural to
men of that kind. That they should ex-
aegerate their own achievements was TO
be expected. But that the world should
accept them and their services at their
own valuation is asking rather too much
Later on we shall see how substantial
are their claims to having saved the
country and given us an era Of peace
and prosperity. On this branch OF the
subject we shall be better Informed after
Mr. Hanua's tariff bill has been passed
and he has done what he intends TO do
for the protection of the gold reserve,
and to make our currency system what
II should be- And in Virginia we shall
know better the quality of the peace we
are 10 have after We have seen whether
the Times and the "Sound-Money League"
OF Richmond really mean TO force us
forthwith into another political cam
pasgn. But lately ire Sound Money
League here gave public notice that they
had opened an office bere. and would
heneeforward work to secure what they
cali fair elections" If their programme
Is 10 be carried out, the rest OF tne
States OF this Union may enjoy peace
and prosperity while Virginia is nosying
herself with politics.
Nor could we hope for any good results
in the end from such a movement since
we may well doubt whether men who can
see nothing wrong in Hanna's corrupt
ing election practices are really capable
OF deciding what is and what is not fair
in elections. And so we conclude that
the Businessmen OF Virginia have far
more TO fear from the Times's threat to
keep up the so-called 'fair-elections'
agitation than II has 10 fear from the
Dispatchs disinclination 10 credit Hanna
& Co. with all the improvement we see
IN business.