The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-03-03
BE A ROBIN, NOT A RAVEN
BY GUY FLENNER


| In some countries the merchants
have stacks Of unpaid for goods they
can only sell for greatly deprecated
currency bale OF 1t wouldn't buy Z
bungalow apron in this country.
The people Of those countries In
many instances have not had q real
square meal In many, many months
Yet travellers returning from those
countries report that the people and
the business men there are cheerful
and optimistic and say that condi-
lions will shortly improve and that
everything will come out all right in
the wash.
In this country today we do not
know what hard times are, still many
people are talking hard times and
imagining hard times and curling up
with their chins near their knees, and
denying themselves unnecessarily
and keeping money out of circula-
ton and making 1t binding all
right, altho not producing such hard
times as they imagine exists and as
those other countries know.
The other day man who had
visited some Of those countries made
speech in Boise in which he said
he felt ashamed for Americans, who
were pessimistic and who exhibited
such lack of faith In themselves and
in the resourcefulness and stability
of their own country.
II can't help thinking that such
MANILA nd ho cot ~
who are afraid of their shadows and
who begin to shiver and pale at the
slightest reverse"
We wonder If he is not right? May
it not be legitimately charged to
c0wardly instincts when one runs to
cover at the first sign of q little
slackening up after an orgy or war
spending? Is it the proper spirit for
people to go around talking adversely
and hurting themselves and everyone
else?
1t may appear to some a wise
course to fall, into the "do-nothing-
but-peddle-gloom" habit, but that
cr0aking bird always comes home
to roost. See how it works. Let us
typify the pessimistic part of the
public as x. He gets the crepe and |
hangs it all over himself, with |
remnants for all with whom he comes
into contract. He buys nothing. The
merchant can't buy from the manu-
facturer. The manufacturer cannot
his payrolls. Then the bird
starts on its return trip home to
your home and my home, and when
It arrives it finds US with money hard
TO get, because X had withdrawn his
money from circulation. Work is
scarce because money is scare, and
what wages are paid are low and
'ather comes home Saturday night
With few weinies instead of beef
teak. /.
II it is not cowardly, it Is at least
oolish to engage in such practices in |
he light of the fact that we are
fundamentally the most prosperous
country in the world--the world
reditor-the great bread basket of ,
he world-enjoying privileges and
blessings unknown to most people in | /
oreign lands?
Our land is here, our industries | /
re here, the money is here. Why
lie them up with the strands of AN
bcession?
There Is no trouble. anywhere ex-
epting in the minds of the gloom
allopers. The whole thing is de-
,ribable as mental depression-an
lmost insane fear-the trembling of
lie lotus eater. -
Let's get the hook for the crepe
anger.
Let's go on about our business and
lr work in normal sensible way.
Let's buy what we need and live
Ike white folks and not, even tenn
orarily, crawl into the cave with
stone hammer.