The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-09-27
WILL WE HAVE HARD
Answer All Depends ON How p
Voters Cast Their Ballots
I'm November.

Whether we shall have hard times
this fall and for four years to come
depends upon the voters. No patriotic
publisher, business man or citizen OF
any kind wand to see hard times in
the fall OF ever. Still less does anyone
who deserves the name of citizen want
to see a panic. Moreover, no public
man of any kind, nor any citizen, Will
do anything, no matter how little, to
bring on hard times from any politi-
cal motive whatever. 1t would be the
basest kind of act, unworthy of any
true man. Unluckily these business af-
fairs are sometimes beyond the control
of any person or group Of persons. The
panic of '93 was caused not because
anybody wanted it, or tried to bring
it on, but began, and waxed more ter
rible as time went by, in spite OF the
efforts of hundreds, perhaps Of thou
sand of patriotic and strong men.
To understand how a season of hard
times or panic will begin is almost inn
possible. A person, or persons, per-
haps a dozen or perhaps 10000, have
felt that a period of contraction and
of stagnated business was about to
come upon them; and then the dozen
or 10000 as a matter of self protection
must curtail their own operations Of
whatever kind. Perhaps they must
loan less, or sell less, for fear that
they cannot get their pay. That feel
ing may not be necessary, but 1t can
not be denied that it is natural. 1t
it were possible to prevent everybody
from imagining that any untoward
circumstances could happen, 1t might
be possible invariably to prevent a
panic, but there is no controlling the
timid. Indeed, in such a matter there
is no controlling the brave. Men of
immense financial and OF
uncommon nerve have been known to
risk their entire fortunes, seeking to
prevent financial disaster, for others
as we'll as themselves, and they failed
failed to do this, and failed inan-
cially.
1t is.to be hoped for our own sakes, as
well as on account of numberless labor
ers and capitalists of the country,
whose interd dependence upon n an
other cannot be denied, and all of
whom depend upon a mutual conf
dence each for the advancement and
happiness of the others, that nothing
like a stringency in the money mar
ket, nothing like a curtailment of
credits, nothing like the faintest timid-
ity on the part of business men any
where, will be perceptible as the next
two or three months pass by. Per-
haps it may seem optimistic to give
the following advice. 1t is that every
body, great and small, high or low,
who is charged with the making or
marring of business, shall consider in
the utmost seriousness whether he or
she cannot 90 a little towards pro-
noting that confidence which is so
necessary for a continuation of good
times, by distinctly determining to
continue things political and econom-
ical as they are, and by distinctly de-
termining not to help bring about a
change. 1t is easy to say that a panic
is not likely. We pray that it is not.
1t cannot be denied that the slightest
appearance of dread at great political
or economic changes has hitherto at
times started a ~retrograde movement
of financial devastation, which it has
been beyond the power of any man, or
any group of men, NO matter how
large, to stay.