New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-05
TOO PROVINCIAL, " SAYS
WILSON TO 81 DINERS
nepIoreS Ignorance OF American
Business Men in Mere
Banking Details.
FREE TRADE NOT POSSIBLE
prt Protection Means Narrow
ing the Market-"Tariff
Wouldn't Be Paid if
Tax Could Be Seen"

The trouble with this country is it has
Zen growing too provincial. according to
covernor Wilson, the Democratic nominee
Cor the Presidency. That was the point
n, emphasized at the workingmcn's dol
=, dinner given for him at the Yorkville
c,sino. Third avenue and s6th street, last
night.
governor Wilson took long shot al the
h,siness men of the country. and Incl
dsp,ally landed on the Third Term part'
tor setting itself up as the guardian of
che business mans conscience and the d.
.so,or Of his destinies. The end Of his
a-gument led 10 reduction of the tariff
and the enlargement Of the merchant
marine II America continued its in
Growing policy, nc held, it would burst IN
the not too distant future.
we have been thinking in the terms OF
o,,r own enterprise and Of our own life so
,ons" said the Governor, that il is caus-
ing some gentlemen apparently physi-
ral effort TO think about the rest of the
world. IN order 10 make America pros
aorous size must supply the world with
tho example and the substance OF her
American enterprise and American in
aenuity and industry. Then he said:
do not like to say it. but upon. my
v-ord 7 have been impressed sometimes
Win the very marked difference pe
tween American business men Whom /
have talked 10 and foreign business
an, not speaking merely Of the rank
and file of business men at all; am
speaking of some OF the men VINO stanu
highest in the management OF American
bnsiness rs compared with many a
brsiness man. they seem TO be able
proyincials. ignorant OF the markets OF
,bs world. ignorant of the courses ana
routes OF commerce, ignorant OF tne
banking processes even by which goods
Wbv do YOU know. have not looked
this up recently. but when / last LOOKED
n NJ. practically the whole business OF
buying foreign bills OF exchange vas III
tho hands of Canadian bankers, who had
had TO come down to New York ana san
francisco and our other great ports IN
order TO do that part of banking Whlcn
is absolutely indispensable 10 the inter-
national exchange of the World.
Governor Wilson pointed out in the
beginning that this campaign was dis
cussion. not of the merits of parties, but
~ the interests Of the country. Those
interests. he said. were founded on ma
terial prosperity and social Justice. FOR
no man could attend TO his spiritual In
terests until his physical interests were
sustained. Therefore ii was important
TO understand wherein material pros
perity consisted.
only those nations were rlch az ma
lions in which there vas absolute in
dustrial free lom. he declared. Prosperity
therefore. consisted in the growth OF en-
terprise and The growth Of commerce
The Governor continued:
One OF the reasons why | am opposed
10 an exaggerated PROTECTIVE policy is
that II is a choosing beforehand 10 he
provincial, and 10 have as little 10 40
with the rest Of the world as possible.
hear great deal said nowadays ABOUT
the danger Of free trade.
There are circumstances in this coUn-
uy which render IL absolutely Impossible
IN our time. ! daresay, that We should
have free trade. We have so divided
the steer OF taxation both by principle
and by practice between the federal and
the state governments that direct taxa
ton is almost exclusively reserved Tor
TIC state governments and indirect taxa
ton is the chief resource OF the federal
government: and the Indirect taxes,
which We would not pay II We knew Nc
were paving them. are chiefly paid az
he