St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-11-23
Lack of Confidence.

P"D''S"0ioh ~ AS"9P"PS'"
OF comments on the present tinan
cial condition of the county has
been deprecated and attention
called to the injury that might re-
suit from keeping the subject
prominently before the public.
Since 1t is undoubtedly true
that an impending crisis, heralded
by the press, might preclpitate a
panic, why should not the an
nouncement that the country Is III
a prosperous condition be received
with equal faith and confidence?
Does the law of seIf-preservation
intervene to destroy reason?
Columns upon columns of edlto-
rails have appeared in the papers
throughout the States assert
ing the prosperity Of the country
and deploring the injurious con-
sequences of the panlckY feeling,
without producing the desired eff
feet.
How different would be the re-
suit were there an implicit conf =
dence that the editorial columns of
the papers could be relied upon TO
represent exact conditions and to
give expressions resulting from
thorough investigation and unbi-
ased consideration.
This may suggest an ldealistlc
and impossible condition, especial
ly IN view of the hurried work
that has to be done; yet 10 1t not
true that If IN the present financial
trouble there had been source OF
information upon which thorough
reliance could have been placed,
and which could have, been voiced
by the press throughout the coun
try, that the boarding and with
drawal of money from circulation
would have been prevented, aud
the monetary disturbance of TO.
day reduced to a slight distress
that could have been soon allevi,
ated?
The trouble 10 that facts are
| magnlfed or reduced to suit the
object to be attained, and the read
ing public, instead of placing i'm
pliclt reliance upon what ls said,
begin to search for reasons and
draw their own conclusions as to
the motives behind declarations.
1t should be the object Of the
press to establish feelings of con-
fidence between itself and It's read
ers; and when it shall have come
to pass that it's utterances are relied
upon to represent true thought and
are the expression of convictions
resulting from a thorough investi-
cation and intelligent conception
of the subject discussed, without
Interior motives, then such ques'
ton as the advlsabllity of discus
sion by the press will not be raised
| In its stead will come demand
! for information and instruction
Had this confidence existed, there
would have been no run on banks
in New York that were perfectly
Isound, and there would be no re-
lstrlctlon to day In the amount Of
withdrawal IN our banks in Gov
ington.
The press throughout the United
States has repeatedly declared tina
the country Is in no distress, ane
that business conditions are good
that all that is needed is confidence
to restore business TO Its norma
condltlon. But this confidence Il
lacking, and faith IN the press Il
not strong enough to overcome tn
thought that there may be possible
danger. There is no stronge
power than the press, and 1t ha
done much 20 allay the fears o
the people in the present crisis
yet its power would be much IN
creased by the establishment of
thorough reliability for every sen
tence IN its editorial columns.