The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-30
CONSTANT REFORM NEEDED.

CONtSI.ANI RLtCtGA NILlLDEID.
| am not q Believer in spaSmodc reform
movements Wat we need is a condition
Of constant rct-n. BY this l mean thai
the men who. Because Of their education
wealth, or otHr social status. are sup,
posed to occuF a higher position in life
shGuld minslenAre with the plain people
and help on til cause of good government
by their influece and example. In this
way VIC SIloui attain to higher mora
standard whic would inevitably produce
better civic coalitions.
The workin: classes arc, beyond all
question. honet. Among them the ten
dency constantly is upward. to be faith
full to the trus reposed i'll them. 1 prop
erly treated, tere is no class of citizens
that can be n1re safely depended upon.
From boyhoot up, have mixed with
them and worried with them. and my eX-
perencc is tht there is nothing they
would not do { sustain standard OF high
morality in decentralization of the Gov
crnmcnt. The, realize that the destiny of
the nation is their keeping to as great
an extent as Ii is in that of any other
class All the. need is right leadership,
and that mustcome from above, not from
below.
SO long as tl9se that have wealth treat
them as they deserve to be treated there
will be no difcuty. The masses do not
desire to effect the cortiscation OF prop
erty They Jave no antagonisms to accu-
mulated we:Ith. If there are any among
them that D, they are not Americans and
have not 'een brought up according to
right American ideals. At the same time,
men of wealth have duties to perform
toward ttjse that are less fortunate than
themsel,1s, and it is incumbent on them
not to eyide those duties. We shall have
good municipal government everywhere
when TIE men of means and the men of
Drawn unite to bring 1t ABOUT
THE NATION.AL. BANKS.
There is one matter in which the people
of thefWest are deepY interested, so far
as TIL financial s.tu1ton is concerned,
and which win have Il be attended to in
the mar future. Steps must be taken to
give The currency greater elasticity. so
that The farmers will nit Zoe dependent on
the East every fall whsn the crop move
men! begins. The amount they are re-
uui1.d to pay for financial accommodate ton
for his purpose is enormous. 1t is Il ter
rtblh drain upon their resources. They
must have greater local banking facili-
ties The small banks shlt1ld in my view,
be allowed Il lurger percentage of circu
iatlOn i'll proportion to their capital, and
they should be compelled TO hold {. larger
amount o. cash in Their Gwn vaults than
they 40 u present. L DSL!eHe tiIS Won u
relieve TIE strain that is experienced in
the fall months.
Again, II order TO infuse greater stabil
ity II or entire national banking sys-
tenn, all lational banks should be respon-
siSle for the circulation OF all other M
tional b;,rls; in that event failure would
be mex. to impossible. Dur currency
would be on a much sounder basis. Posi-
blyisome OF the larger banks would OPP
pos, a proposition Of this kind, but if
the- will carefully study the question [
thal1 they will come to ,tle conclusion
that the advantages to the entire system
faI outweigh any disadvantages that
weld be likely to ensue. One thing is
celtain: the Republican part- will not be
pliced beyond all danger of peril in the
Wst until thnt great region of the repub-
lie is provided with the banking facilities
.tHleeds and TO which it is justly entitled.