The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-12-29
Henry Clews Says 1918 Will Go Into
History as One Bringing People
and Government Together,
TARIFF AND CURRENCY
BILLS NOW OUT OF WAY
Big Business and Manufacturers Can
Go Ahead With the Wheels
of Industry.

New YORK, Dec. 21.--No intclIi-
gent observer taking mental stock
of tho closing year can escape the
conviction that We have positively
entered a new era If great political,
social and economic possibilities.
This remark does not apply to the
United States alone, hut to all
Europe and to the Orient quite as
much as to the Cccident. Ciyiiza-
tion is progressing at tremendous
pace, and the year 1918 will 80
down into history as one OF the
most marked in social and political
changes in several generations. The
striking feature of this movement
has been the rise OF democracy, and
an almost universal effort to bring
government and people closer to-
gether. Education has been the
handspring of this movement. $
AS a matter of fact there is less
cause for popular discomfort in tho
United States today than there has
been for many years, and a recogni-
tion OF this fact would do much to
restore popular confidence, business
activity and a more genuine good
will.
The year 1913 closes with many
rplcone for opoo,tro ootnnpt ,,.b;,L
did notU exist when ii began. 1t
opened with grave uncertainties
concerning tariff. currency. trusts
and railroads problems which fer
many Years have been ae the botfom
of much of the discomfort in bust
mes and politics. 1t closed with sew
eral Of these problems practically
settled and with adjustment to the
new order Of things the ch cf nrccs-
sity Of tho future.
The tariff bill has been passed
ana is now beyond range of discus
sion which kept so large portion
of the business community under
constant discouragcmcnt and uucer-
tainty. Our manufacturers now
know The conditions upon which
their calculations must be based
and they can go ahead without dis
concerting uncertainty
Time is necessary for ascertaining
the full effects of the new tariff. but
thus far at least there is no cause
for alarm, Profits have been cut
down, and few obsolete plants
closed, hut this might have happen
cd in any case.
AT last we are to have an elasti,
banking and currency system. fitted
to the growing requirements of the
country, and giving the advantage
OF centralizing under public control
with view to preventing its abuse
by private interests. The import
ance of this step cannot be immcdi-
ately gauged. Months, if not years.
VIII be required to work out it's re
suits and to amend any minor de- |
fects N the new plan Suffice to |
say that 1t will give the country a |
centralized banking system and an |
elastic currency with a sound bo.
Sis; one capable of rational expan- |
sion or contraction according to re-
quirements, and one that will prove
1. l..
ouiwark Of safety in time of emory |
cncy Or panic. It's value in rutur7 !
will largely depend upon the tvpe |
OF men on the regional reserve
board, and heavy responsibility |
Tails upon the President i'm tho Sc
lection of men of adequate ability
and character.
Another very important dcvelop-
ment which should tend tn tho ros-
toration of business confidence is
the attitude of President Wilson nm
the trust question. The president |
considers the Sherman law. suei-
cient for all prac' cal purnoses bo-
cause the Supreme Court has road
reason into the statute. He is
consequently opposed to changes
further than supplementary legisla-
tion FOR clearing up Ambiguous
points. President Wilson was nm
doabtedly sincere when he said his
policy was ito build up business on
sound basis, and to him must be
accorded the chief credit in settling
the three disquieting problems OF
tariff, currency and trusts-whether
settled on basis pleasing to every
body or not. -
The more favorable attitude oil