Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-10-01
SATURDAY. OCTOBER /. 1921.
kplsoN PREDICTS PROSPERITY.

We Americans are peculiar. hero
worshippins race. Let a man pile
million beefstcaks toward the ever.
lasting stars and we Immediately seek
his advice on every situation which
confronts us. BY some peculiar and
faulty reasoning the mass OF people |
think that the man who had the per-
rpicacity 10 successfully kiss the lady |
on the dollas can also tell how to write
free verse. what kind OF paint to mix
with brains when trying TO copy a Sit
Joshua Reynolds. why babies cry at
night. and the prospects for Demo-
cratic victory in 1924.
This form OF hero-worship is fire.
auontiy fatal to the worshippee
More than one weakly man has rued
the day when he tried TO explain in
print all the problems Of the universe.
But occasionally a man who is con-
rtantiy in the public eye. and whose
namc Is a household word, speaks on a
matter OF which he knows much. lie
may not necessarily be millionaire.
lie may be worid-famous engineer.
giving his views on an engineering
matter; or merchant prince telling
us how styles In household goods
change: or noted sportsman analys-
ing the baseball situation.
Comes Thomas A. Edison, one OF
the worlds foremost inventors who also
is a manufacturer on a large scale,
and business man OF unique ability.
We laughed when Mr.. Edison at
tackled the Country's educational sys-
tens: and we had cause, because il
wss believed that Mr.. Edison had
wtrayed from his particular province.
But when he talks about matters with
which he Ia very converssnt everyone
stops work and harkens to him.
Says MIR. Edison, speaking of our
present business situation:
1T is not panic. 1t is nothing
but period OF depression. and moth
Ing % worry over. provided we set
ourselves resoiutely TO the task OF
overcoming f. These periods OF de-
precision come in recurring cycles.
They are nothing new. The point TO
b. driven home Is that the country
always RECEIVERS from them and goes
forward with greater strides than
ever before. We will get over this
one. too. The tide already has begun
to turn. Times are getting better
now. slowly. Of course, but surely
These periods Of depression are caused
by a faulty adjustment Of our eco
nomic machine. or by 1t being thrown
out of gear by some unusual force
such as war. The machine is al
right; IL win work properly as soor
as the obstruction is removed"
That obstruction. Of course. is fear
the same fear which alike causes tn,
old maid 20 look under the bed a
night and makes the business man to,
almighty conservative when he shoul,
he progressive enough TO live in tn,
twentieth century. A corollary Of fea
IN mental paralysis. The man VIII,
becomes afraid quits work. He is $,
scared that he no longer goes ou
for business with a loaded club. In
stead, he sits in the back Of his shol
wringing hts hands. and moaning O
hard times. while the man who is un
afraid is out in trade circles collar
iag all the business that is to be had
Certain Wilmington firms hav
demonstrated recently that hard time
or no hard times. they get the bust
ness. Their formula for success is
very simple one: they make article
which the public can use; they Great
demand for their particular trade
marked article by scientifically ap
piled advertising; then they "delive
the goods" by supplying the publ
with reliable articles. Other firms /
the United States handle the sam
goods, but they are suffering fror
fear. and consequently their work !
psralyzed. /. He who runs may rea.