Article Text

# SHALL THE BANK SUSPENSION CONTINUE It is very much to be feared that the banks will over-do the "financial business" in main-taining themselves in a state of slege against the demands of the business necessities of the country, and by a protracted suspension of business excite a feeling of uneasiness and alarm in the public mind. It may have been necessary immediately following the financial crash of September 26 and 27, and the con-sequent panic produced in the popular mind, to adopt such measures as were calculated to prevent a positive breaking up and ruin of legitimate commercial business; but the feel-ing is now rapidly gaining ground that no real necessity exists for the banks maintain-ing closed doors against the payment of the demands of those who have entrusted money deposits to their keeping. So long as the necessity for this embargo was patent the public acquiesced in it; but it is becoming a matter of doubt whether the time has not ar-rived when the banks should manifest a dis-position to return to the normal condition of affairs. In a case of this kind a mere doubt in the public mind becomes a positive and threaten-ing danger, a danger as pregnant with dire-ful results to the banks as to the industrial and commercial interests of the country. There is certainly nothing in the present situ-ation to warrant the banks in maintaining an almost absolute suspension of payment; and the fact that some of these monetary institu-tions, by a little business enterprise, have continued to pay all demands of their patrons furnishes some justification for this view. We believe there should be at least some re-laxation of the established embargo, if not a full resumption of payments; and it is to be hoped the banks will act in such a manner as not to permit the impression to get abroad that they are taking advantage of a mag-nanimous public indulgence to speculate upon the people. Every day this suspension is maintained adds to the danger of the situation. Mechan-ical and manufacturing establishments are being forced to stop operations and discharge their workmen because of the maintenance of the bank suspension, and the mechanics thus deprived of their sources of daily supply when applying to the banks and savings in-stitutions for their savings against an emer-gency of this character are turned away empty handed. Herein lies the great danger of the situation now. It will not do to per-mit this state of affairs to continue. If the banks fail to meet the emergency the emer-gency may overwhelm the banks in the com-mon disaster that is threatened. In connec-tion with this matter the following paragraph, from the St. Louis Democrat, is pertinent and timely: "Resumption is the sure refuge of the banks; it will save them from the disasters of the whole-sale depreciation of securities and products which a protracted suspension would almost cer-tainly precipitate; it will save the dry goods and grocery merchants from the reflex surge of the derangement, which, if not arrested, may over-whelm them; it will save the banks from the cold, settled distrust which will certainly creep into the public mind if the suspension continues; it will rescue trade from its present idleness, and it will save the country from the serious peril of a shinplasterinundation. We say nothing here about the bankruptcy act further than this: that any Congressional relief for violations of it will necessarily be impartial. If it extends to the banks, it will have to extend to the debtors of the banks also, and thus in the end it might do more harm to a solvent bank than good. The New York banks suspended on Thursday, the 24th inst., and their fourteen days' limit under the act will terminate on the 8th of October. In all seriousness, we do not believe it will be safe for them to delay their resumption beyond that day. It would be better if they begin it before, for there is no conjecturing what feeling the present suspense of the public mind may result in."