The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-02
PRACTICAL OPTIMISM.

PRACTICAL OPTIMISM.
In all the yociferous talk of crooks of dis
honest officials of corporate dishonesty, of the
oppression growing out of the fostering of
special interests there is danger quite as real
as that which upon agitation OF this sort is pre-
sumcd to be based.
We would NOT be understood as minimizing
either the reality Of the danger or the foundation
of the agitation. What does happen, however, Is
that denunciation which neglects to be specific is
as hurtful if not more hurtful, than the abuses
which general attack necessarily includes. In
other words, the hysteria of such wholesale and
ndserimnate utterances includes, along with
many evils, denunciation of much that is man
ifesty good. If INDUCED and appauded by
popular sentiment such an era of attack can have
no other than the necessary result of including
in the charge of dishonesty much that is honest
and useful 1t is out of the want of confidence
inspired by such a course that panics are born !;
and it is out of the certain reaction from such
agitation that new and greater abuses are bullded
upon the wreck of those that have been destroyed.
Public enlightenment is slow but, positive; when
the public has been betrayed into wrongful sus-
picon Of business III general, it is natural con-
sequence that it should in the effort to repair
its unfair attitude give further rope to the very
evils against which It's passion has been aroused.
We have been tempted to these patent but we
think timely platitudes by the opinion, voiced
by Governor Mann, of three Governors from the
South and West recently in attendance upon the
tax convention in Milwaukee. Mississippi, Vir-
ginia and Wisconsin are States that taken to-
geher, are largely representative of the country.
lin far ba nj G1lphS tint
the Governor of Virginia goes on record in the
agitated West as saving:
Il am an optimist as far Virginia
% is concerned for | believe Nirginia's
possibilities are greater than those of
any other State in the Union. Of
course, the agtator is power to be
reckoned with. There is danger, but
agltators cannot contiscate property,
and there Is no reason for alarm. |
believe the country is on firm a
foundation as IT ever was. Nothing
but an artificial panic can prevent the
onward march Of prosperity, and even
an artificial panic would be adjusted
in the end for | have faith that the
sober, common sense of the people will
he asserted at the proper time. States
can regulate corporations. We do in
Virginia We oblige the corporations
TO do their duty, and to meet reasonable
demands of the people. Colonel Har-
vey is certainly right. There can be
no war with foreign power no con-
hscation of property by the govern
ment nor will the agtator succeed in
his efforts TO create distrust nor will
the corporations crush the life out of
trade" $ ia
Such an expression at this time we conceive
performs very real and timely service. No
matter how INSCRIPTIONS may be the motive I'M
DERIVING the tariff, no matter to what extent
the pernicious principle of special protection Is
in certain instances fostering great trusts, rails
ing the prices of necessities of life, injecting into
the system of government corrupting virus, the
fact remains that the business of the nation is
being done, not by the trusts, not by the special
interests, but by the people themselves, and by
the corporations which are manned and capitaliz-
ed by progressive and ambitious individuals.
This is big country, so big that in comparison
with its volume of business and investment, the
largest trust is an industrial pigmy. 1t is for
the country's good that the oppressive trust
should be attacked, that the teeth of monopoly
should be-arawn but when such campaign is
waged in way to include all business, to alarm
and render doubtful every form of enterprise,
the situation is calling for just such re-
currence to a fundamental trust in the char.
acter and ability of the people.
Optimism is always an asset. 1t is particular
" valuable one at moment when the sweep of
against evils is carried forward UNI
mindful of, and even in denial Of, the far pre-
ponderating good.
SIMPLIFYING THE BOOK TANGLE.
The intervention of Judge Rhea in the school