The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-08-30
FOR CONTINUED PROSPERITY.

FOR CONTINUED PROSPERITY.
A number of New Workers. includ-
ing several millionaires, are reported
to have recently made rush to either
sell their automobiles or to cancel
orders for new ones. 1t Is said that
$15,000,000 and that the sacrifice
amounts to 100000. This is but
one of the incidents-one of the dra-
matte incidents-of the recent so-called
rich mans panic" which has swept
over Wall street and the result of
which was seen in the sensational
dropping Of stock values. One west
ern paper, in commenting upon this
Wall street slump, tersely remarks
that the west is Independent and is
taking care of itself without regard to
the financiers on Wall street.; that, in
other words, western automobiles are
not for sale at second hand sacrifice
sales. And while this is true to a
large extent, it must not, at that, be
forgotten that the prosperity of one
section of the United States is, after
all, closely linked with the prosperity
of all other sections and that the gen.
eral business welfare of the whole
nation will be best served by a con-
tinuation of healthful commercial con-
ditions in the east as we'll as the west,
in the north and in the south. The
country today is like one man and the
country is in the pink of health when
| the heart the lungs, the stomach, the
brain, the nerves-in fact every re-
gion and every organ that is factor
in the community as a whole, is in
hearty condition and performing its
share of the labor Of progress.
That course, therefore, which will
best tend to preserve the nations pros
perity is the course to which the coun.
try in general will give most ready
welcome and most cordial support.
Just what that course is may perhaps
not be fathomed without some serious
thought on the part of thinking people
But interviews and speeches which
have been issued during the past week
indicate very strongly that there Is Sc.
rious concentration of gray matter
upon present business conditions Just
now, and that all sections are eagerly
trying to reason out the logical way
in which we should go, lest the path.
way lead off from the general prosper.
ity route.
According to all available sources
of information, there has never been
a time when the country's prosperity
should continue with more smoothness
than now. Crop conditions are good
factories are busy, and all commodities
are bringing good prices. 1t has been
pointed out in many ways that the
recent Wall street furry will in nc
way be reflected outside the street
But nevertheless the furry indicates q
condition of unrest and that unrest Is
apparently due to continued agitation
unquestionably sincere on the part OF
some but purely the shouting of dem
agogues on the part of others, regard
ing business conditions Of one sort
and another. And, while the country
is unquestionably better off for some
of the agitation that has been let loose
it is probably equally true that there
is a limit to this sort of thing which
the country must regard and beyond
which we can not go without gravely
endangering present prosperous times
|, Indeed Chicago business men ant
others representing the west are quot
ed in Chicago newspaper as believ
ing that, while much good has come
both for corporations and people IL
abolishing rebates, etc., the time has
come for caution and for calm delib
Grafton in matters governmental. West
ern business men, according to thi!
newspaper, while endorsing things tina
have been done, now practically joir
, in the opinion that past violations o
laws which for years were not en-
. forced, should not now be punished
: The government should give the pub
lie to understand, say these represen
tative business men, that in the future
all laws shall be enforced to the letter
, but that for the sake of innocent stock
holders and for the sake of the coun
, trys general prosperity. past sin!
should be wiped off the slate.
With new standards and new con
ceptions as to what is the law ant
what ought to be the law, argues tn,
west, there should be a new deal ant
a new game. We should begin ovel
again.
The effect of the enormous fine
, against one company upon the stool