The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-02
AS TO PROSPERITY.
A Common-ssn,s View by n Southern
Newspaper.


Petersburg Index-Appeal Dem):
While It Is not just to class as calam-
ity bowler for partisan effect every bus
mess man who has become infected
with the oontagion OF cronking hard
times and business depression, It is
nevertheless true that with many partl-
sans the wish for hard times as a means
fo dlscredltlng the present admins.
tration and lnsurlng It's defeat In 1900 Is
father to the thought MS well as to the
expression. II Is also true that many
good and honest men are unconscious
~ betrayed into aiding the malign in
fiuence Of these partlsans, and exag-
geratlng the actual condition OF affairs
by the cry which they hear about them
everywhere. and In which they join,
too. often. with unreasoning facility.
To illustrate, gentleman who Is In
the enjoyment OF a good salary and
who has, on his own account, n small
business which he says is more pros
porous now than ever before, was
heard recently to complain that, on ac-
count OF the hard times he could not
ufford an indulgence to which he had
been formerly accustomed. The CONF
.plalnt was promptly challenged by his
employer, who reminded him that, ac-
.cordinE to his own statement his little
private business enterprise was more
prosperous than ever, and that his sala-
~ was now what II was about ten or
iiifteen years ago. on the other hand.
the cost Of living. Including the covet-
ED Indulgence, WAS less than one-haH
OF what II was ten or fifteen years ago,
md, so far from practlclng aelf-denlal
there was absolutely every reason why
he should have INDUCED himself, II he
no wished. The gentleman referred to
"a not narrow. illlbernl or partisan. but
only the victim OF his environments.
BY the force OF association he was lea
honestly TO believe that, In common
with everybody else, he was suffering
from the hard times, and stralghtway
he was tightening his purse strings and
contributing to make the times harder.
All the omens are suspicious to an
early revival Of trade and return OF
prosperity. lie is but n casual and ind
different observer who has not already
noted It, not only In the earnest EVIL
dencea which Congress and the admin
istrntion are giving OF their purpose TO
aid In tho return VI good times, but In
the actual evidences OF the very pres.
ence OF better times now our exports,
not only OF agricultural products, but
OF manufactured articles also show It.
az docs also the gradual revival Of In
dustrial enterprise In many parts Of the
country. One year ago there was hard
~ wooden mill In Rhode Island run
ming on full time. but to-day II IN the
exception 10 find q mill unemployed,
and II II stated on good authority that
some arc having their yarns inndo ont.
side 10 keep up with orders, Some Of
the largest New England cotton mills
have more orders than they can fll nj
an early day, and the Iron and steel
industries are said TO be In an equally
prosperous state. II there not In this
much 10 encourage business men, oBpc.
clally In view ~ the fact that We shall
hoon have the thrlfi question settled for
al least four yehtH, and this disturbing
element remoyed2
lot merchants tnke n more hopnfni
View NJ anAlfe, stop moplng ana push
business with intelligence and ylgOt.
and N anybody In ally enough To be
disappointed because Mr. Mckinley
election, per ~. has not brought IN lin
train stream " prosperity, let him gn
and F0ah his head. and lfy 10 take a
rational nnd cOmmon.ecnao View NJ
things.