The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-11-20

Hayes by simply declaring that the
government proposed to resume paying
its debts in gold on the date fxed-Jan-
uary l, 1879.
AS long before as 1866, Salmon P.
Chase, then Chief Justice OF the sl-
preme Court, had written Horace Gree
" that "the way to resume is to re-
sume;" but not even after Congress In
1877 had declared by act that the gov
eminent would do so on January l,
1879, was there any great degree OF
confidence that It would.
Many Of the statesmen Of the day
predicted national bankruptcy If 1t
were attempted, and all the newspa-
pers had varying opinions of the wis
dom and the probable effect OF the
move. .. .........
The controversy as to whether we
would, could or should pay our national
obligations IL gold buried out Of sight
the unalterable fact that we had pledg-
cd our houOr to do so--inasmuch as We
had received in gold. The country
loundered in uncertainty.
Capital sought safety business halted.
no one seemed to know what January
/, 1879, would bring forth. The coun-
try awoke one fine morning to read
that Secretary Of the Treasury Sher-
man had declared that he proposed to
resume, and that gold would be on
hand at the national treasury on the
date fixed to meet any and all demands.
1t was on hand-and nobody wanted
It.
While they were in doubt about the
governments purpose or ability to pay,
people clamored for gold; when they
realized that they could have gold IL
they wanted it, they no longer bothered
themselves about it.
Business started up with a rush.
Financiers and banks had basis for
confidence, everybody seemed over
night to have put aside uncertainty for
certainty, pessimlsm for optimism.
Just one will and voice, expressed in
a single sentence, backed by deter
mined purpose, had changed the
whole trend of the country as though
touched by magic. There had been
business enough to do, there had been
waiting home market Of generous
proportions for all our products; there
had been plenty Of men of capacity and
energy to launch and conduct great
enterprises.
There had been doubt, however, III.
stead OF confidence, indeclsion instead
o. firm resolve.
Looking back through history It
seems a plain, commonsense thing 10
have done-to declare with out hesita-
ton that this nation proposed to keep
It's word to It's creditors, and that the
way to do it was to do it, not to talk
about 1t.
Yet the whole country talked and
doubted and played fast and loose with
It until John Sherman bluntly said he
proposed to go ahead and do it.
We need John Sherman to do that
same thing for us today!
We need some one to make this big,
powerful, resourceful country realize
how much prosperity and strength
there is within its borders, and how
great an opportunity is pressing at our
threshold IL we will only open wide our
doors to it.
We cannot stand still-undecided
whether to go ahead or go back. We
cannot put the brakes on and expect
to make progress, II we are to get
under way we must have the throttle
at least partly open.
Every forward move the past three
months has found abundant response;
every trade channel that has been
cleared of doubt has found business
ready for it.
We have only to go ahead confident
ly in order to go ahead prosperously.
The next twelve months will be the
period of opportunity for the United
States-the time to realize our dream
o trade expansion. No other nation
ever had the world at is command as
this country has today.
is up to us to resume prosperity
and the way to resume is to resume
| N, Y. Mail,