The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-20
The Crucible of History

Ine OrucIDlc or dlStOry
 "The crucible of time is bringing facts for history that will tell the true story of some of the prominent figures in the great drama of war and reconstruction that held this country in its grasp for near 12 years." said a man who keeps in touch with current literature.
 "I was very much interested in the comments of the Literary Digest on the Diary of Gideon Welles.' who was sec retary of the navy under Lincoln and Johnson. Welles was a Jacksonian dem ocrat and for some years editor of the Hartford Times. He parted company with the pro-slavery wing of his party and contended for what he called humani- tarian party.
 According to MT. Welles. in his con- duct of the office of secretary of the Navy, in such matters as the construc- ton of the Monitor he was damned if he didn't build more, and after it's de- struction, damned because he did
 ''The story of the cheating and swln1 ding of the government by contractors is dealt with courageously. His criti- cism of General Halleck, at one time gen. eral in chief of the federal forces, is oaustic and frank, as all his comments on the failure of Meade to follow up the results of Gettysburg.
 Tt is gratifying to know Mir. Welles' son has given the world the diary unex- purgated, and the purpose of his father will have therefore been the better &C., complished. John T. Morse, Jr., in his introduction, says the most remarkable fact is that Mr. Welles judgment of men and measures are the judgments to which posterity has TOW arrived
 T sincerely hope that some public spirited citizen will purchase the three volumes and place them in the public library, making them available to many men of advanced years, who would be interested to read them. but can't afford to pay s1o, the price at which they are sold"
 Business Conditions Better Henry Clews, in his Saturdays review. says in part:
 Confidence and sanity are gradually resuming their sway in the business world. Depression and resentment went to extremes and big business is now beginning to find that 1t has been more frightened than hurt. Its discomfort at being compelled to change from a sys- tenn that was against public policy to a system that is in compliance with pub lie policy was easily understood. For nearly 20 years our industrial leaders | had been working on the lines of in- dustrial monopoly. TO be obliged to sud- denly change that policy and face the risks of unbridled competition was un- questionably an undesirable and some what startling revolution in business
 methods. It has been accomplished, how ever, without serious friction and with
 out the disasters 50 freely predicted. The question as to what shall be done with
 the sherman law is now one of the fore
 most problems of the day. Congress will undoubtedly give it much attention durin g the coming session; yet 1t is doubtful If any important changes will be effected until after the presidential election. the
 two chief issues of which are certain to
 be the trusts and the tarin.
 This weeks stock market ends with higher prices and increased confidence.
 Underlying conditions continue sound and l show no change, except for the better
 Money remains yer yeasy, but gold ex- ports have started upon considerable
 scale, chiefly to Canada and Argentina This weeks shipments amounted to near ly s60OO.00o and more is expected to fol- low. The effect will be beneficial in tend. ing to reduce the extreme ease of money s1|' I|