Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-10-30
MESSAGE OF WILSON
TO AMERICAN PEOPLE
Gives Reasons for Seeking to Be
Elected President
A DESIRE TO SERVE COUNTRY
Special Favors to None But Equal
Opportunities to All

To the Voters OF America:
] am glad to have an opportunity
to state very simply and directly
why am seeking to be elected
President of the United States.
feel very deeply that this is not ar
ambition a man should entertain 70,
his own sake. He must seek t
serve a cause, and must know YER,
clearly what cause it is he is seek
ing TO serve.
The cause 1 am enlisted in lies
very plain to my own view: The
Government Of the United States. a.
now bound by the policies which
have become characteristic OF Re-
publican administration in recent
years, is not free TO serve the whole
people impartially, and it ought to
be set free. 1t has been tied up,
whether deliberately or merely by
unintentional development with
particular interests, which have
used their power, both to control
the government and to control the
industrial development OF the coun
try. 1t must be freed from such en-
tanglements and alliances. Until il
is freed, it cannot serve the people
as a whole. Until it is freed, it can
not undertake any programme of
social and economic betterment, but
must be checked and thwarted at
every turn by its patrons and mas
tiers.
In practically every speech that 1
make, put at the front W bat l have
to say the question OF the tariff and
the question of the trusts, but not
because of any thought OF party
strategy, because believe the solu-
tion of these questions to lie at the
very heart OF the bigger question,
whether the government shall be
free or not. The government is not
free because it has granted special
favors to particular classes by
means OF the tariff. The men to
whom these special favors have been
granted have formed great combina-
tions by which to control enterprise
and determine the prices of commo-
dies. They could not have done
this had it not been for the tariff.
No party, therefore, which does not
propose to take away these special
favors and prevent monopoly abso-
lutely in the markets of the country
sees even so much as the most ele-
mentary part of the method by which
the governments is to be set free.
The control to which tariff legis-
lation has led, both in the field OF
politics and in the field of business,
is what has produced the most
odious feature OF our present politi-
cal situation. namely, the absolute
domination of powerful bosses.
Bosses cannot exist without bust
ness alliances. With them politics
is hardly distinguishable from busl-
ness. Bosses maintain their control
because they are allied with men
who wish their assistance in order
TO get contracts, in order to obtain
special legislative advantages, in
order to prevent reforms which will
interfere with monopoly or with
their ENJOYMENT OF special exempt
ons. Merely as political leaders.
not backed by money, not supported
by securely intrenched special in
interests, bosses would be entirely |
manageable and comparatively pow
'rless. BY freeing the government,
therefore, we at the same time
break the power of the boss. He
rsdes, he does not govern. He ar
'anges, he does not lead. He sets
he stage for what the people are to
10; ne does mob act as their agent or
servant. but as their'director. For
him the real business of politics is
lore under cover.
The same means that will set the
free from the Influences
which now constantly control il
would set industry free. Tho en-
erprise and initiative of all Ameri.
ans would be substituted for the
and initiative of a small