The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-11-19
TO THE RESCUE.

TO THE RESCUE.
 People will differ as to the methods to be used by the treasury department to relieve the money stringency, but few will question the motive So con- servative a journal as the Springfield regards it as mistake and recalls the action of General Grant when president in these words: Pres ident Grant not only refused to issue $44,OO0,00O of retired greenbacks as quack remedy for the panic of 1873, but when congress the next year pass ed the famous imitation bill requiring such an issue he vetoed it, and that act has been applauded pretty much ever since. Now we have an administration at Washington which seems to think that more imitation can be made cure for the consequences of inflation." The New York Herald, on the other hand, sees in the proposed issue path out of the wilderness.
 Without attempting a judgment as between these two carefully edited newspapers and without advancing the theory that perhaps it would be better in the long run to let the distressing situation settle itself as it is doing in it's own way, one can find much com fort in those words taken from a letter written Secretary Cortelyou by Presi- dent Roosevelt. They show as noth- ing has yet done the seriousness of his desire to do all that lies in his power to aid in the restoration of general confidence: What is most needed just at present Is that our citizens should realize how fundamentally sound busi- ness conditions in this country are and how absurd 1t is for them to permit themselves to get into panic and cre- ate a stringency by hoarding their sav- ings instead of trusting perfectly sound banks. There Is no particle of risk in- volved in letting business take its nat urai course and the people can help themselves and the country most by putting back into active circulation the money they are hoarding."
 l These are sensible and timely things to say, and coming from a man ot such extraordinary popularity as Pres ident Roosevelt they ought to have an immediate effect. They will have that effect unless the harsh things which have been said of him since the panic arrived have convinced people tha lafter all he is the principal architect oi
 it. Should this prove to be so to any Considerable extent we shall have fol contemplation strong indictment lagainst the folly of idle speech. w
 have never taken the ground nor d.
 we yield it to anyone else that this i
 President Roosevelt's personally con lducted disaster It was in, the combing
 of things to come, but it may be salt
 without exaggeratlon that had he ap preached the consideration of compli
 cated problems with less fury mucl
 that has happened would have been es
 capped. His indignation with the per
 formances of predatory wealth" an
 "swollen fortunes" was justified doubt
 less, but the extent to which he wen
 to condemn them did have the effec of making thousands of people sus 1 picious of all possessors of idle none no matter how insignificant tn amount
 It would be suggestive indeed If no7 7 warning word from him should b , without effect upon the mistaken an
 misguided hoarders of money. It woul 5 show, as we have already said, the fo 3 ly of imprudent speech under any cil 9 lcumstances. It is easy perhaps to pro } yoke mob spirit, but 1t is task ( g different proportions to control mo e It is the glory of American courts ths 0 they proceed with the task of punisl . ing violators of the law with due r, t spect for the processes involved II f lesson of that fact if taken to hea
 now will save additional distress whe
 there are other errors In human col
 duct to correct Moderation and orde
 Illness in procedure represent 9 virt,
 never to be lost sight of, even when u $ facts justify theoretically violent met y ods. In the meantime it is to be q ; voutly hoped that way has be, Il found to revive the confidence of rnt e in each other and that the wise wor u of the President will be soothing j. their effect.