Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1914-01-08
optImism In A.eendeney.


speaking after the manner ofythe man
behind the mule. With the disturbing |
e ;itoriat comments that have been so
common in recent months. ard almost
steadily since the New Freedom came
in. have always thought there were
substantial difficulties enough to dis
tufb the public peace and to please the
Respondent. professional or real, whose
muaic is invariably set to minor kew.
end ! hape felt there could be no more
serious violation of independents of the
press than its abuse by those who
would use this great right to nlanufact-
ure false sentiment for 20 other pur.
Pose than to score partisan point or
to turn a speculative corner.
Public Ledger Inspiring.
II have been reading the Public Led
ger with great deal of apprehension
and have read nothing that has been
published in it with more encourage
merlt than its special commercial SER
vice. and the information it has given
in its news coiums of what is going on
in the business world Weary of The
stories toll of business stress and fail
ing factories, and hungry men going
without employment, / have sought in
these simple business annals comfort
and hope, aud generally my quest has
not been in vain. Take the Public Led
ger today and two of its pages are full
of inspiration
With builishs tendency IN Wall
street and speculation much more act
i've this week than at any time for a
long while, there ought to be- "a net
ter feeling in the market places. The
steel and iron interests are holding
their own, and, after. and after par
donable shutdown. Of week or two
around the holidays, a resumption of
activity is expected There IS no dan
ger of domestic goods being driven out
of the home market by foreign weaves,
and Mr.. Lewis Moore, who speaks with
authority, believes the Underwood bill
is the best balanced tariff bill, so far
as it affects textile manufactures, that
we have had in the 13 years that have
been in business.
Industries Thrive.
"A machinery concern in Philadelphia
until recently pessimistic,, has more or
ders than for some time, and is encour-
aged in the hope that business ia about
to take on entirely new life. Aleath-
er mandatory in Philadelphia will re
sumo operations on Monday an capacity
with work for every employee. Ae-
cording to Bradstreet.s evidences of
renewed aggressive preparation for the
new year numerous. President
Wheeler of the National Chamber. of
Commerce. thinks there ia every cause
for conservative optimism in the BUSH
ness world. and traders in cotton
goods believe that prices have reached
rock bottom and look for a sseadiness
from this time forward With the
balance OF Ega6e on sshe side of the
United States fCf II months of this
ca,erdar year to the extent of over
| SsG42, coo, 900 and our exports exceeding
our imports by s7ss. 200, 600, it would
look as if we had Zone family good
years business in spite OF the very
natural disturbance attending a COM
plete change in the policies of the Cow
eminent. There is great deal of en-
couragenent in the fact that the ex-
ports from the United States during
the month of November just passed
were the second largest for that month
in the last six years.
Buebear Routed.
81 fin much cause for satisfaction
in these things It will take some time
probably to get used to the new system
of banking; but the fact that more than
1000 national banks have filed their APP
plications for admission to the system
would seem to show that. however
much agitators may be afraid of it, the
bankers are not alarmed, why not
help the thing along
The squsbbling about how the eoune
try shall be divided into banking dis
tricts and whether or nots Washington
or Baltimore. or Atlanta or New Or
leans shall be reserve city is interest
ing enough in way-I think because
of its enormous business. its financial
strength, its industrial primacy, Phila-
delpha should be made reserve city
but the present effort Of all the COM
mercial centres should be to use their
best endeayors to make the new cur
rency system successful. If any are
dispirited by the cs0aking Of the croak-
ers, would advise them to read the
commercial reports in the Public Led
ger. It IS SO much better to i've on
high ground than down in the valleys