Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-10
Monday, February 10, 1919.
Need of Courage and Confidence

Need of Courage and Confidence
The following editorial from the
Washington Post is Of the kind that
ought to appear in every newspaper
BY such wide circulation it might
% some good, but even the highest
optimism has no appreciate power
10 upIift the victims Of deliberate wa
1imc policies that were wrong and
for which the country must settle.
BY unfailing courage on the part OF
the overburdened, and never-give-
up confidence in the destiny of the
nation on the part Of capital and
commercial organizations. the criti-
cal period may be shortened
There is passing uneasness III
tic public mind in the United States
which is manifestirg itself in varl-
Gus ways. The war has shaken in
dividuals out of their former easy
habits of thinking-or not thinking
and tie acquisition of knowledge
is proving acutely painful to many
kinds of brains Some OF them are
unequal to the strain of absorbing
truth. They are turning sour, pessl-
mistic or bolshcvist, according to the
temperament of the Individual. One
typ" of mind that seems to be in
creasins in numbers is that which
would throw away all the good that
has been acquired through a century
Of effort, to embrace notions that
cannot stand ten minutes of quiet
analysis This kind of hair-trigger
American is reveling now in the
chaotic state OF affairs. hoping TO
see a complete overturn in which he
will stand a chance of grabbing
some advantage which he cannot
hope to acquire in honest competition
with his fellows.
THE fault, however, does not lie
with the shallow-pated or the mere
~ unripe intellects. Some Of the
strongest business men in the coun-
try are behaving as though their
brains had deserted them. Instead
Of concentrating upon the new pro-
blems that are presented and quiet
ly comforting upon ways and means
to cooperatc on a sensible course OF
action, they are throwing fuel upon
the bolshevik bonfircs by ill-consid-
cred speech and unwise acts. Others
have drawn into their shells, refusing
TO loosen their pocketbOokS for the
sake of keeping the wheels turning.
They excuse this turtle-like maneu-
Yer by asserting that mo one knows
what is coming" and I'VE must wait
to see what the peace conference
will do" or similar nonsense.
.'Of course no one knows what Is
coming. But j.: it not presumable that
the richest. strongest. most solvent.
nost active and most independently
placed nation in the world will con-
tinue on the map? Surely that is not
a violent assumption. although. strict
ly speaking. it is no more capable Of
demonstration than any other future
proposition. 1t is sufficient. however.
for the ordinary American if he will but
stop to think that he and his fate are
bound up in the fate of the country.
Ii the United States is to go down. the
average Am rican would just as soon
go down with it; and if the United
States is to so forward. the average
SIlILcu IS SdtlSuCu W 6O dIOh6 AASASA
than seek his fortune in other countries.
The banks are bullying with money.
The people Of this country are ricn.
Their government borrowed billions.
but 1t borrowed from the people who
have recovered most of the money N
business and at the same time hold the
bonds. which are drawing interest. The
bankers OF the country are cautious-a
good trait in bankers. II it does not d.
generate into mere sheepish timidity.
Would it not be well for the bankers
to examine themselves and the country
and ask whether they are not a bit too
cautious for the best interest Of all
concerned: Does the United States de-
pend upon the peace conference after
all? Is 1t not rather a fact that the
United States has been held back too