The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-23
Was Plea of Congressman Un-
derWood at Philadelphia
IN ADDRESS LAST EVENING
Country's First President Didn't Foresee
All the Perplexing Problems Ahead
of the Country, But He Did Map
Out Course of Wisdom.

| ahiiauSlphld, FeDs Zo.--JOnBTehbnaf
| Oscar w. Underwood of Alabama, chair
man of the ways and means committe,
OF the House, delivered an address il
this city last night at the annual ban
quet OF the State Society of the Gin
cinnati, His subject was George Wash
ington, and he said in part:
Washington did not foresee all tn.
| perplexing problems with which we have
| to deal to-day, in our tariff or in otn
great corporations, in our currency, II
our foreign possessions, or in a recon,
citation of the rights of labor aud cap.
ital; he did not foresee the vast task we
all have, whether native or foreign born
of taking the new material constantly
coming TO our shores and assimilatine
it into our growth and moulding it into
loyal and intelligent support OF our
institutions; he did not see the menace
of destructive Socialism nor the extent
to which, unfortunately, we were to 90
in substituting party interest for polti-
cal principle, though as to this he gave
us paternal warning.
Nevertheless he did foresee sufficient
of our problems to be able TO commend
to us a course, the principles of which,
ii steadily adhered to, should bring us
safely through all the perils to which we
may be exposed. While Tie did not out
line the bylaws that must, from time
to time, be framed and adopted for the
detailed life of this country, he did I'M
derstand. as no one else understood, the
organic principles upon which were to
rest the security and the welfare of our
national life. And subject always to
his urgent advice against permanent
alliances with foreign powers, Ike a
high priest among men, he preached the
gospel of tolerance, of benevolence, of
peace, of reasonableness and of right
eousness towards all peoples.
"Washington's distinguishing common
sense and practical turn of mind served
him we'll in the administration of his
high office. Few. if any, mere generali-
ties or quixotie schemes for action were
suggested by him; but, on the contrary.
he seemed to be master of the under
lying principles of the business needs Of
the country, as he had been OF the plans
of his campaigns. At time when so
many of us are disposed to put upon
the statute books nostrums for relief
from our Industrial and financial and
economic evils, it will be well for us to
call to mind the striking contrast be-
tween the moderate volume and temper
ate character of laws enacted during his
and SO much of our present
day legislation of the experimental sort,
rejecting often merely view of TO day
that is likely to be the heresy of to-
morrow, and attempting to deal with the
nlss kaf -
that it will not be arrested of itself,
or before we have sufficient understand
ing of it to be in a position to know or
apply the appropriate remedy.
Accordingly the recommendations and
the legislation of Washington's admin
istration were not along guesswork lines;
but the elements of soberness, patience
and wisdom which he so invariably man
ifested were typical OF the plans he
favored and adopted to bring order out
Of financial and industrial chaos, pro-
mote industry among the people and re-
store their energies by opening up new
sources of revenue and prosperity, and |
by assuring men that they should gath |
sr and be secure in the possession oil /
the harvest of their labor.
"There is great need, too, for lis |
N this day when constitutional restraint /
las become irksome to many, never to
urn deaf ear to the stirring appeal
If Washington to his people-that the
departments into which our government I
8 constitutionally divided shall be kept I
With determined hand within their re.
pective boundaries. Speaking here not
Is a party man, but as a citizen of the
epublic, my observation and reflection
lave shown me how treacherously easy
S the transition from Capitalization of
rovernment--which those of the Repub-
lean party set so much store by and
which a good many of us Democrats are
Inclined to acquiesce into a personali-
alton of government and then to usurpa-
ion of government. Washington in all
lis career uttered no greater truth than
When he declared that a constitutional
government, under such circumstances,
becomes almost. as a matter of conrse,
despotism. For long time. fortu-
lately. this was the view of the Amer
can people; and when they have depart
d from it long and ominous step hay
'een taken, not only in the commission
f error, but towards establishing evil
recedent.
"We have, however problems Of seri-
us nature confronting us for solution,
nd doubtless they win increase rs time
oes on. We, as people, have tolerated
he doing of things which must DC UNI
one or made right and not condoned
We have at times set too much store BY
acre material success and Judged as Of
amor consequence things which broaden
nd elevate and ennoble nation: we
ave made compromise with things OF
vii import. We have. at times. been
mindful OF the rights of Others rs we
ave hurried on to the realization of
mbitious plans; and in our Indifference ,
. the demands of good citizenship. we
ave been guilty Of or acquiesced in a
purse of conduct that has given rise
D sullen expressions of an unrest TO :
hitch we cannot afford to be uncon-
Arned listeners; for unchecked unrest is
Kelly to breed discomfort and discomfort
! its turn disorder And, unless we
-ankly recognize this, we shall have
0 reasonable hope of correcting the
which arouse, if they do not
together Justify, those expressions. and
hieh are a menace not only to orr con
nuing prosperity but to our self--e-
,ect and our repute in the world Again
nd again. as time goes on, in obedi-
ace to popular elamor. we shall be
.mpted to enact statutes unjust TO labor
capital and not representing reflection
nd conviction. or statutes which are
Iirlv certain to be incapable If enforce
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