The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-09-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Comptroller of the Treasury Ridgley
who has just returned from trip
through the west has had something to
say on the general money and trade con-
ditions of the country. He made it his
business in addition to investigating bank
conditions to see what the business out
look was. Mr.. Ridgley says that there is
no question but that the country has just
passed through serious financial crisis.
Money is still tight, but this is true more
with respect to the time loans than to
call money. There has been an immense
movement of farm products, grain and
tobacco, and there would have been more
but for car shortage. This is significant.
The erich mans panic'' in New York
hurt stock prices, but it did not materially
hurt either the credit of the big fnanciers
or restrict the amount of money that they
have for disposal But It suits their brook
just now to put the worst possible face on
financial affairs. They have purposely
restricted time loans, which are for the
most part legitimate loans, but they have
the money and they want to keep it
working and are not averse to letting it
out on call. The car shortage is another
part Of the business depression scare.
There is no reason with the summer sea-
son just over why there should be either
a shortage of cars or a congestion of
freight. 1t is an artificial condition and
one of the avenues through which the
Wall Street powers can work if they will
for political effect. AS to the real bus
mess of production both in the field and
the factory, Mr.. Ridgley found it good.
The country is too great producer to be
hampered unless the brakes are put down
very hard. The country in the past
month exported about FIVE and quarter
million bushels of wheat and corn, which
was fifth of the worlds trade in these
cereals. Altogether the outlook is not
bad.
~
The War Department is having tronble
just now over one of the same sort of per.
sonal squabbles that was more common
near the close of the Civil War. General
Joe Wheeler's monument has been erect
ed in Arlington, the National Cemetery,
without the record of his Confederate
service being inscribed on it. There were
a couple of blank lines left on the stone
where his Confederate record should have
gone, and the fact was discovered only
by accident. Miss Wheeler was naturally
indignant and there was some talk of
having the body removed from Arlington
to his home in the South. AS soon as
the row was raised, however, steps we're
taken to correct the omission, and it was
explained at the War Department that
the matter had all been settled and that
it had been intended to cut in the miss
ing lines all along. There is no question
that the record will be fixed satisfactorily.
When the monument was first erected
the question of inscribing the Confederate
feature of the record was raised and re.
ferred to President Roosevelt. He said
that it was part and an honorable part
of Gen. Wheeler's life work and that it
would be small and foolish to omit it.
Probably he thinks that it has been
done long ago.
The War Department ought to realize
if it does not that the surest way to call
attention to the Generals Confederate
service would be to omit it from the
monument, for it has a standing lesson
in the line on the Cabin John Bridge just
outside of Washington. This bridge at
the time it was built and up to few
years ago was the longest single stone
arch in the world and as such was an
engineering wonder. There is stone on
the western end on which are engraved
the names of the engineers who built the
bridge, the chiefof engineers of the Army
and some other names connected with
the work. And there was at first the
name of Jeff Davis who was at the time
Secretary of War. But when the Civil
War broke out and Davis went south,
somebody in authority got busy and had
his name chiselled off the stone. The
result is now that every visitor who sees
the bridge asks what is the meaning of
the blank line and is told that it is where
Jeff Davis name was erased. Naturally
they go away remembering the connec-
ton of Jeff Davis with the great engi-
neering work and forgetting everyone
else connected with it. This probably
would be the case if such an omission
we're made on the Wheeler monument.
***
After all the fuss that has been made