davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12
Bank Deposit rejection.

Ihere Is no guaranty OF bank dc.
posits superior to that which is fur.
nished by a SOUND banking system es.
tablished on scientific principles and
conducted by competent bankers.
Anything which could even have 4
tendency TO weaken the natural safe
guards of prudence and good judg.
ment by which the banking business
is ordinarily protected must impair
this guaranty.
What Is called Government guaran.
~ Of bank deposits could have no
other effect than to diminish the COM
petence with which banking affairs
are managed 1t would tend TO les.
sen the necessity incumbent on de
positors 10 Use easonable intelligence
IN selecting their bankers, because
from the depositors' point of view il
would place all banks on the same
footing, The notion of Government
guaranteed deposits has found its
advocates in those political quarters
which are most ferociously inslstent
on the preservation OF competition in
the field of general business. Yet
guaranteed deposits would be de.
Structivc Of the competition by which
the highest banking skin and ability
are developed.
Free play Of Seleclive choice on tho
part of tho customers Of banks makes
for sound banking. In proportion rs
n bank comes to attract and deserve
patronage by the satisfactory service
which il renders 1t helps to raise the
standard of banking throughout the
country. In the same degree also
the obligations of particular banks
and of the banking system in general
acquire more control over banking
policy. Instead of doing anything to
check or impede the evoluto proc.
cS>cS which have given lis So good
u banking system as we have today
tho Government should see 10 IL that
no obstacles of amy kind are placed
in the path of banking progress.
despite the real financial education
which the country received while
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12

In the last Congress Senator PoIN.
ptNTtR was tho only Progressive In
he Senate.
This brief story of the Washington
stntcsman's later partisan adherence
Is of interest because he has AN
nounced that he will hc n candidate
for reelection. but that he will run,
not ~ n Progressive. nor even as n
Progressive Republican. hut rs n Re.
publican. He does not confess that
he has become II reactionary: far
from it, for he says:
an order to save the progressive
legislation of the last year progressives
must unite, and IL they do they will
control the Republican primaries"
Mr.. PorNpExrrR has succeeded in
keeping himself in public office prac.
tically all the time for twenty-three
years. lie is not an inexperienced
servant Of the people. Indeed. he has
shown excellent Judgment in measur.
ing the sentiment Of his neighbors
and his return to the Republican fold
is n convincing answer to the query
cmphatically cha racterized recently by
Colonel RoosLyELT rs fool ques-
ton" whether the Progressives were
renewing their allegiance to the party
of standpatism.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12
"We Have With Is To.night -

To rHE EpIToR az THE SvS--Sir: Folk
has started M again Last night at the
annual banquet OF "A class connected
with a church In Washington the Hon
Joseph Niugate Folk declared that
future historians viii place Woodrow
Wilson ON the same plane with Washing
ton md Lincoln. He certainly did Ac.
cord'nG 10 Folk the explanation Of this
curious phenomenon Is this:
Washington fought 20 civ. us mi. ma
ton, guaranteeing right. to tn. citizen
never obtained o. exercised BY any other
people; Lincoln preserved the nation a. A
government ~ tho people. for IN. reonla
and by the people Wilson has appllc1
he deals NJ Washington and Lincoln to
the problems Of to-day ana has steered
me ship OF STATE amid stormy waters into
peaceful harbor. As Washington fought
against oppression and Lincoln 70 make
men free, 80 wilson is striking the chains
~ bondage from the average man to the
end that each mey have that equal chance
In lfe's battle that belongs - each
Wilson did another piece % steer
ing" which neither Washington nor Lin
coin rad a chance TO accomplish He
Steered Joseph Wineate Folk OF Missouri
INTO berth. with salary attached, at
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
FUTURE HISTORIAN.
NAsHiNdroN, n. e, April 10
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12

To THE EplToR OF THE SuN-Sir: An
article headed S2O0.000 Bank for Pam
anna" in this mornings Sun states
that the National city Company Of New
York is Interested In organizing bank
with capital of 100000 holivarr, or
5000, GOO, Panama has no such coin as
II bolivar" Its unit OF value is the
balboa" equal in value TO the American
gold dollar, although thu money in ac-
iual circulation Is a silver coin usually
known AS the peso" Presumably the
plan is to establish bank with AN au-
thorized capital of Sl,000,000, with
$500 600 paid up.
The article a so stated that Il is un-
derstood that at this time there Ii only
one banking institution In Panama in
which Americans are largely Interested
There are live substantial chartered
banks doing business in Panama. and
IN all of these banks American capital
largely predomnatcs
| havc recently returned from Panama
where ! found conditions ON the whole
quite sound, with a very optimistic feel
Ing on all sides regarding tho business
future Of the country,
r.. C, BArAILrk
NEWARK, N, j., April 10,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12
MOUNT WHITMAN.
The Painting Of Warts and an opinion
Of Charles 4. Dana.

To THE Epfrop or THE SUN--Sir: II
= to he hoped that the recent letter on
Walt whitman which you generously
INDUCED its author with was repented
for it's irreveiences, too much ming
ling with the homage. When Cromwell
odd the painter: paint me, warts and
all" he did not mean that the artist
should paint him all warts and no
Cromwell. as is the way of fippant
critics with most men. Neither should
/ warts be the striking feature and the
hero an Incident.
The dimnutiUns OF wait Whitman are
like the reflections of the Hinalayas or
spots on the sun, all his foibles as one
waves foam to the total ocean. And
his basic extension as Mystic Mountain
or rather continent. outiianks even that
Of Goethe.
Charles A. Dana was one OF the few
authoritative men who had the character
TO come out openly with the daring truth
about Walt Whitman. IL requires no
small courage to admit the unusual, ana
all quail before acknowledg ing the unique
When IL comes to admitting that a world
great man is contemporary with us, al
most nv our very presence, and this. too.
"A man who has queer but no remark
ably costly clothes, nor much coin to
buy anything with. flesh and blood re-
beis at the unlkelihood. 1t liz. but II
can't be. Charles A. Dana, however,
declared recklessly OF the great Walt
Whitman this. with two adjectves of
drastic power: Some OF his cantices
are sublime. peerless" CoRREcToR.
New YoRK, April II.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12

banking and currency legislation was
being enacted two years ago, and
despite the ncrea sod banking safe.
guards furnished Ivy the Federal Re
serve system. the delusion that de
posits should have some kind of guar.
nnty persists. Because some banks
in ceftain sections desire to advertise
II guaranty of their depositors ~
surety companies. the Treasury DE.
pnrtment recently asked the Attorney.
General for an opiuion Us to the lc
gality Of this practice. Announcement
of his affirmative answer gave rise
TO the report that the Treasury had
some plan for providing an under
writing of bank deposits.
This the Comptroller of the Cur
rency has promptly denied. The Fed
era Reserve Board also makes 1t
clear that IL Is not considering any
thing Of the SORT but IL the worst
comes to the worst, the suggestion Of
insurance for bank deposits would
find Intelligent favor as an alterna-
tive TO the Government guaranty
scheme which our political dervishes
have fostered.
II would he better to fight and de-
feat the Government guaranty fallacy
on Its dement's. but 1t Is the fashion
Of the times to demand that pro.
posals for political action be accepted
unless sounder proposals are substl-
tuted. Insurance Of bank deposits
would be Infinitely better than any
undertaking to guarantee them. In.
surance against risk Is one Of the
great Inventions Of the economic
world
IL will still remain to be seen II
II Is possible to devise any plan
for insuring deposits which is sound
In theory and workable in practice.
Some of the objections which lie
against the Government guaranty
scheme can also be urged against the
insurance of deposits, and it does not
follow that because there has been
clamor for Government guaranty bank
depositors are in need Of any other
protection than that which sound
banking affords.
Deposit guaranty projects must op.
crate to put premium on bad bank.
ing. Before any deposit insurance
project is adopted 1t should he proved
free Of this danger.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12
PHILOLOGY IN TACOMA.
"Star" Derived From Ishtar. tho God
dess Of Love and War.

10 TIVE EDITOR OF TIE SuS-Sr: IN
sp''" OF 'he lapse OF thousands or years
some words nave preserved ther identity
IN remarkable manner. Take star,
Worh SO ancient that we can trace
us orlSln BACK 10 the days when Baoy-
ION ana Uneven we're tremendous cities,
pushing with lie and activity, their
people aI"":s conn cted with the knowl-
edse OF aStr 'ptN ana astronomy.
ls"lar was 'he ch.el eoddess OF hany-
ION" Aru Nssy F.a' Ine tnost noted mytn
concerning her was mat which describes
her az passing through seven gates and
~ e'cn gaze Some Oh her cIothes were
''"oN'u VIZ al the last gate sn" Is
e"IFeN ueNn'n OF cio'hing, ana th"n she
feNrlses the operation she Is invoked
as 'he mistress "t lands ana clothed IN
srlennor ana power. Iogether with
IN me moon god ana Snamh>h' the sun
goo she II the prlncipa hgure OF the
) ''mu'
ne 'h''l e'Hr max the haoy'oh'ans
were concerned WIN was me star on
when theF wed old mother earth. ~
Ley us see t"e connection between Ism
tar the hah\! o"ian goddess, and our
Wo,d s'ar, II We pronounce the WORD
lsh'ar Win IHht accent on the syl-
lap'c lsh' ana ms must be- Tor the
c''e' accent - on the long sound OF the
'cVer A. we perceive We sound IL AS
l Sp"'ed St''r. IN course 81 time the
s SOW :. 't,'ii''" re simple SOUND o .'
h'C"ns" II - easier to say "s'ar'
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12
THE BATTLE OF TONGUES.
Notes on the Prussian and Russian
Languages

To THE EDITOR or THE SuN--Sr: Sup
posing that every bit of information
likely to throw some light on the great
struggle going on in Poland and on
tho borders OF East Prussia between
the armies OF Germany aud Russia will
be welcome to your readers just now.
hermit me to point to the following
facts little known in this country even
to the learned men of our colleges.
Irussinn, one of tho three Slavic
languages forming the Baltic group
the two others are Lithuanian and Let.
tish--was spoken by the people who
In the ninth century Inhabited the coun-
try between the Nistula and Niemen
rivers, corresponding approximately to
present Eastern Prussia. II became ex-
tiHct In the seventeenth century and only
ne1gre fragments OF II have been pre-
served in writing Lithuanian Is still
spoken to-day by at least 100. 600 peo-
pie In the neighborhood of Labiau on
the kurischcs Han and of Eydtkuhnen.
the we'll known frontier station on the
line from Berlin to st. Petersburg, that
Is. In the extreme northeastern corner
Of East Prussia.
Further: I hardly believe that there
are only one hundred American born
people speaking or reading the Rus
sian language. which Is already the
dominant tongue OF one hundred and
seventy millions Of people and, II the
present growth of the Russian race en-
dures. will be- spoken by three hundred
millions in about the year 1850 Whcn
] told. some time ago, to the learned
editor of one OF our largest and best
edited mOnthlies, who is a great ad-
mircr OF Russian literature, that the
latter, in the proper sense OF the word.
~ hardly one hundred years old and
that the very instrument OF this litera
ture had been built up deliberately by
phflologists and academicians in the
course of the eighteenth century, Mix
hail LomonosSov t7l4-s5J being i;s
main artiiicer. he considered this simple
statement, known To- every Slav.stic tyro,
dumfound.ug revelation.
\ similar feeling viii probably be
caused in many reader by taking
cognilance OF the suggestion recently
thrown out by Russian scholar that
while heretofore the Russian educated
classes learned the west European Ian
guages In order TO assimilatc the Ger
man. French and Anglo-Saxon "kul-
turen.' In the very near future, aboy .
all IL the Allies remain victors In the
present struggle. the west European
and American intelligenzias might have.
IN their turn to ass!milate the 'nother
tongue 81 Tolstoy. Gorky and Ardreleff,
with It's perpiexing morpholorv and SUI
perahundlut vocabulary. And Charles
II Crane was a wise man IN our day
by contributing TO the solution OF this
battle Of tongues" through his recent
endoving q c'air OF Russian NJ the
University Of Chicago. ana Andrew Car
ncgie could not crack n better Joke on
his great imperial friend in Berlin
than by multiplying NJ. Cranes ex-
ample 10y twelve. fsipoR SINGER.
NE.r Ntufs
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12
Spring..

The most cautious and conservative
citizens must prepare themselves to
admit that spring is here. Local rep.
resentatives of the race which no
longer boasts the pugillstic supremacy
| OF the earth are beginning to drop
bricks off tenement house roofs for
the amusement Of their friends passing
below; the venturesome youth OF the
car barn neighborhoods have renewed
, their warm weather recreation of
warning policemen TO keep away from
certain streets and avenues: Sunday
travellers on subway. surface and Gle
waited cars offer opportunities to row
dies that are entirely Irresistible. The
ol'ening of the baseball season may
induce winter Ia return for a brief
visit. hut though his manifestation
may be violent. it vii. he short.
Within u few weeks the grass in
| he city's parks will be in such flour
ishing condition that nothing can con
troll the popular demand that il be
stamped out Of existence To permit
tender hearted ward leaders to prove
| that several thousand children can be
gathered in one spot by the promise
of free ice cream and lemonade. The
Shrubbery that an open handed civic
corporation and generous individuals
/ provide for the heYcfit OF all will
within n comparatively brief space be
| in bloom, and a thoughtful public will
! tear 1t up by the roots 10 take home
! Nor will II lie long before far sighted
! citizens will close their houses. leav-
ing their slverware in their rcspec-
! live sideboardS. neglect 10 lock their
doors. thus. after their unchanginc
manner, making adequate provision
| for the maintenance Of sneak thieves
and burglars in the hot months.
Does the indifferent population real
ize that months have passed since
We had a wave Of crime? Such is
the lamentable fact One is overdue.
But the season Of the organized band
of kidnappers" Is almost upon us. and
amable ladies and gentlemen who
indulge the practice OF patting strange
children and offering candy to them
had better restrain their impulses.
The spring il the most dangerous
sea son in New York.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12
RECONSTRUCTION.
Good Feeling 10 the South should NOT
Gloss Over the Facts Of History.

To THE EDITOR or THE SuS-St: Tine
letter published in THE Sun OF April D
from Mr.. Rossiter Johnson in reference
to the play The Birth of Nation ana
the novel The Clansman," on which IL
~ based. Is not only admirable in tenn
per, but greatly needed az corrective
Of imperfect historical information. The
Republican leaders of the '70s and
the reconstruction acts have been so
long held w to scorn. and mlsstatements
concerning that legislation have been so
cont inuously made that. as Mr.. Johnson
says, IL Is exceedingly desirable that the
reason for the reconstruction laws
should no longer be ignored or con-
cealed
We OF tho North have been 80 anxious
that the Southern sensitveness should
be respected and an EZRA OF good feel
ing" inaugurated tNst those who are
familiar with the oppressive acts which
led Congress to pass the legislation COM
planned of have been silent. hoping that
all this might be forgotten in the reign
OF Justice and good will. Even the linz
preston that the Republican Congress
PASSED acts designed to hinder Southern
progress and liberty might be allowed TO
remain. false and unjust az II II, but
when by misstatemcnts OF fact and the
distortion of history men create
greater prejudice against the coiored ele-
mcnt and cast upon IL a burden of op-
nrohrium II docs not deserve. II IL well
for the truth to be told and the respon-
sbiltv for the wrongs OF the recon-
struction period to be Justly appor-
toned.
so many readers Of 1.-THE Clansman"
ana spectators OF The Birth OF a Ma
ton" are uniformed concerning the
truth of the case that assuming, as the
author intends. that tho period OF negro
legislation was without justification. they
are reused to condemnation and to
greater prejudice. They do not under
stand that Congress discovered that
after the most remarkable liberalitv and
kindness praCtis.d toward conquered
enemy. the race for whose emancipation
many "A soldier enlisted and suffered was
being sorely oppressed and practically
returned to slavery. II is by such per-
version of history that a great wrong Is
done not only the negro but also the
growing generation OF students OF our
history.
Some day. and ! trust soon. we shall
have a history in which clearly and
without partially or bias tho story OF
the reconstruction days and tho wonder
ful fOrhearance on the par. OF the North
shall be given. Meantime II behooves
every just man and woman to resist
these attempts for financial gain to
hinder tho progress and limit the devel-
opment OF the negro. s. J. FISHER.
pfTTsBt'RG Pa Ap-'l 10
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN--Sir: Your
editorial comment "Semmes went OUT
scarcely seems 10 accord with the almost
universal fairness | have found for
thirty years on the editorial page OF
rHE Sun. II Stems IA reflect on upon
captain ThierIchscn of the Prinz Ei;el
Friedrich. The odds against Semmes
when he went out Of Cherbourg In the
Alabama 10 night the kearsarge, n
slightly superior foe, cannot he com
pared with those aga inst Thierichsen.
1t would seem falrer, however to re-
fer to the time when Semmcs did not go
out; namely when In command Of the
sumter, blockaded by three United
states ships in the harhor OF Gibraltar
he did something more like what THE
rIchscn did. left the Sumter nj Gibraltar
IN charge Of a midshipman and ten
men, paid of and discha rged the rest
Of his crew and went 10 ENGLAND, where
he subsequently took command OF the
Alabama, UNHypHENArEp AMERICAN.
NEW YORK, April II,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-12
rs 1T COMING,
An After Dinner Conversation on Gov
eminent Ownership.

To THE EDITOR or Tue SrN--Sir: My
lawyer friend and sat over our DEM
tdsses debating the ownership OF rail-
roads. telephones. &c. by our Govern
ment. The scheme always lacked prac-
teal merit In my eyes. study and re-
Election have developed positive aver
sion to H.
1t Is not right" my friend said with
evident conviction. that n few capital
lists should. for instance, control ,his
great railroad which pierces to the heart
~ our great city. Regulation IS not
. enough. We should not. cannot stop
here. The people should own these
vast necessities"
Pretty idca," I promptly admitted,
but Government ownership ana opera
ton play hob with efficiency" | was
better prepared to support the point!
with argument than to hear him say
efficiency is something. but not BY
any means my chief concern"
Well, what about the effect OF this
business on the Government Itself? Have
YOU never heard the river and harbor
bill called the pork barrel? Have you
never heard that a good politician could
get n 100000 post office built In a s2j.-
600 town? Have You never heard tina:
the tariff has kept our rottenest Scua-
tors on the Job in Washington? sup
pose you now lay an extra billion dol
% AIRS n year IN lUe zap OF congress ~
spill ont over the railroads, don't you
think the r,formers will have more
work on their hands than they have
even now
Il guess il would make things worse
Cor while" he granted. we would
7 * 1t UP in time. though. The big men
TINT now go into private business would
! then run these things under the Govern
mont"
THEA n d-,iaeIo,s -,aJ. ~. ,h. van, 4,
law 50 took me by surprise that barely
had wit 10 murmur that quite a number
OF good sized men had already tried to
run governmental departments on hus,-
ness lines and had soon found them
selves dashed to the mast OF political
patronage and their business prime. pies
beaten TO a pulp. Add" ! continued
VITA growing emphasis. say 1900 ooc
TO 100000 voters to tho list OF Gov
ernmen; employees AMI you'il soon md
them running this country
We would discover a way to prevent
;hat when the necessity arose was the
calm reply OF my learned friend.
Heavens, man" ! gasped. before
YOU idsten on the country this octopus
that is 10 dcbauch Congress and spoil
the service now being rendered by our
great utilities. you mast tell Us what
'Ju would do when the Government
passed into the hands Of an all power
. IN minority
The answer needed reflection L was
uttered with gravity.
We would limit IN some way the vo;-
4 ing power of the employees of the Gov
crumeut'
Limp and dazed leaned upon the
table. seemed hardly able - recag-
Hac the friend with whom | mad started
office Then. democracy was 20 ma a
fuller and more beautiful expression iu