The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-01-18
GOV. WOODROW WILSON'S
SPEECH,
The New Jersey Candidate for Pres
ident Makes a Strong Address
at Washington Banquet.

ldenC Makes u strong AuOfeSS
at Washington Banquet.
Governor Wilson of New Jersey,
| who is now recognized as the leading
progressive candidate for president
received more attention and was
given greater ovations at the big
| banquet at Washington than any
other man there with the exception
of Mr.. Bryan. The following is the
governors address on that occasion.
Gov. Wilson's Speech.
In part Gov. Wilson, speaking to
the toast Democracy, Past and Flu
ture,' said:
1t is an interesting reflection
that principles have no anniversar-
les, but only men and events-only
great persons and what great move
ments, personally led, bring to pass.
Principles wait upon action for their
vitality and can live only through
the red blood of men who embody
them in what they purpose and ac-
complish. 1t is for this reason that
we feel so much Zest in celebrating
the memory of a great leader
perhaps we can best express our
present political object by saying:
that it is to be free government and
business from private control. The
facts are not doubted. Our govern
ment has for a great many years
been privately controlled. 1t is not
necessary to impeach the motives or
to doubt the integrity and patriotism
of those who have controlled it. 1t
is only necessary to acknowledge the
fact that government has been con-
trolled in the interests of business.
1t has been controlled by those
whose power in business was great
est, the men who in a great measure
controlled business itself.
Tariff and Special Favors.
1T is our tariff system which chief
ly expresses the ascendancy that
business has had in politics in this
country No one who soberly eX-
amines the tariffs of recent years
can seriously claim that those tariffs
were based upon any just calcula
ton as to the interests of business as
a whole-if the interests of business
be considered as identical with the
economic interests of the country
Everybody knows how and by
what means special groups of manu-
facturers have struggled to obtain
special favors from the government.
Everybody knows upon what ex parte
statements, made by business men
themselves or by members of con-
gress who acted as their spokesman
tariff schedules have been framed.
The whole country is familiar with
the keen seeking after particular ad-
vantages which has characterized
the hearings that have preceded
tariff legislation.
"The freet action of government
cannot be maintained upon such
terms. The free development of
business is impossible in such cir
cumstances. Opportunity is restrict
ed, achievement is superintendent.
All these fall under arrangements
and spontanety and freedom is lost.
"What We are to Do.
Having stated the facts, we
should ask ourselves what we are to
do. In the first place, in order to
free the government we must with
draw special favors. That is what
lies at the basis of tariff reform;
that is the reason that tariff reform
must be central to all others
beginning of the means by which we
shall restore our democracy to it's
proper foundations And by with
drawing special favors we shall break
up special alliances between power
full business interests and the gov
eminent of the states and of the
country. We shall not cease to take
thought for the business prosperity,
but we shall cease to look to those
who ask for special favors as spokes-
men for that prosperity, and we shall
/ insist upon absolutely divorcing po-
litical action from the control of the
great moneyed interests when it
comes to nominations and elections
and the choice Of public policy.
And in order to set business also
free along with the government, we
must set ourselves to check monop-
oily, not upon any too broad and COM
prehensive theoretical plan-for l
suppose that no one of us compre-
hends the present economic situation
in sufficient detail to concel:e plan
which will cover all the circum-
stances-but very practical means
indeed. The processes of monopoly
are being disclosed, point after point,
method after method, detail after
detail We can take hold of these
in definite statutes. And in order to
make our statistics We can transform
our corporations for mere legal per-
sons into real persons, analyze them
into the men who actually originate
and take part in the transactions
which we forbid by law. Stripping
them Of disguise and hiding place
and subterfuge. we can deal with
them as law has always dealt with
individuals, and shall again live in
a tonic air in which every man must
stand naked in the forum of the pub
lie Judgment.
ut will be easy enough no doubt
if We act definitely and sensibly, to
deal with individual corporations
and combinations effected in single
field of industry or enterprise. What
it will be more difficult to deal with
is the community of interest which
invisibly binds these corporations
together, which, through the indi-
vidual holdings and powers of indi-
yiduals. unites banks with railroads.