The Cleveland _Herald_ said, twenty years ago, during a stringency of
the times, that moneyed men are the veriest cravens on earth: so
timid, that on the least alarm they pull their heads, turtle-like,
within their shells, and, snugly housed, hug their glittering treasure
until all fear is removed. The consequence is that a few days'
disturbance of the monetary atmosphere brings on a perfect dearth of
not only the precious metals, but even of paper money, their
representative. Moneyed men never adopt the tactics of mutual support;
hence, as soon as a shot is fired into the flock, they scatter, each
looking out for himself, each distrustful of the other, and each
recognizing only the great law of selfishness, which is to take care
of number one. Courage has saved many an army, even when ammunition
was low; and many a foe has been scattered by one yell of defiance
when there was not a cartridge left.
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