The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-08
New President Reads Message
to Congress Today.
Brief Document Deals WIN
Revision of Tariff.
AB0LISH SPECIAL PRIVILEGES
Let Business Men and Produc-
ers Be Competitive Masters.
American Wits Can contest
Wits of Rest of World.
URGES CURRENCY REFORM
But Doesn't Want 1t to DlVert
Tariff Attention.
President Wilson Read HIS
Message in Person.
But Doesn't Want 1t to DlVer'
Tariff Attention.
President Wilson Read HIS
Message in Person.

washington, April S.-President VII
son stood on the speaker ros'loii
the hall of the house TO-DAY anu pei
sonalIv read his first message 10 cor
rress. the first president since 'oiiii
Adams to exercise that privilege
The renewal of custom cen III
,hondoned and now surrounueu O'
.,,ob wide differences of opinion anloiis
,,1ov,,bers of congress itself, attracted 10
l.,,i+oI an assemblage necessarily
-. =, numbers. but certainly no less
dis+inguished than the company tha1
attended the presidents inauguration.
Galleries ere packed with natlonal
foures. Mrs Wilson and her three
dauehters. two women of the caolhel
CIRCLE prominent among them Inc
diD1onatic gallery, probably contained
q representative of every nation Win
an envoy in the foreign corps mere;
distinguished men Who nave recelNeu
+ba thanks of congress and were
tberefore entitled to be on the floor
of the house, availed themselves OF
the right conspicuous among them
Admiral Dewey.
Moving Pictures of Event
A moving picture 1ach1ne was IN
stalled to preserve record OF the MS
toric event for the government
archives.
in the speakers gallery Mrs. Victor Muir
dock. Mrs. A. NJ. Palmef and Mrs P1tser,
sister of Mrs. Clark and her daughter
President Wilson slipped away from
the White House quietly after the cap-
met meeting, accompanied only by his
secretary and one secret service man
and upon arriving at the capitol, was
escorted to the rostrum in the house
where Speaker Clark sat at one side
and Vice President Marshall at the
other The president speaking with
his usual clarity of tone. and notable
diction, read his message while the
company, actually packed into the
chamber gave the closest attention.
After the house had been called to
order, Speaker Clark announced that
the president would be received by
committee of three and would enter
the house chamber by the rear door
at the left of the speakers table. He
appointed Representatives Underwood,
Palmer and Mann.
The chair would admonish the mem
bers," said Speaker Clark, that un-
less otherwise indicated by the presi-
dent, to keep their seats during the
delivery of his message and until he
has departed.
The hour for the joint session was
set for 1890 o'clock, but before the
senate could join the house, however,
it had to turn back the clock 20 min
utes to permit a large number of bills
to be presented, and it was 1850 when
the vice president and the senators
got seated in the house chamber
President Wilson reached the speak
ers Office at 1855 o'clock. The presi-
dent was cheered as he mounted the
rostrum in the house chamber and
shook hands with Speaker Clark. AS
H. n fn L inf
tied in the great room and he used
only an ordinary tone as he explained
his coming in person to deliver his
message.
As the president read on every eve
was riveted toward the speakers stand
with its new occupant Never in the
life of any man present had a presi-
dent occupied that historic place in
such a capacity.
President Wilson began his message
as follows:
Il am very glad indeed to have this
opportunity to address the two houses
directly and to verify for myself the
impression that the president of the
United States and a person. not a
mere department of the government
hailing congress from some isolated
island of jealous power, sending mes
sages, not speaking naturally and with
his own voice, that he is a human be-
ing trying to cooperate with other
human beings, in a common service
After this pleasant experience, I shall
feel quite normal in all our dealings
with one another
Document Was Brief.
1t was an unusually brief docu-
ment' dealing exclusively with the
need for thorough, moderate and
well-considered revision of the tariff
The president drew attention To tba
necessity for an early reform in the
banking and currency laws bur "a
Trained, he said, from urging. for tba
present any other legislation thai
might divert the energies of eoneraSS
from its clearly defined tiutv.s 70
ward the tariff question
The message referred to no parti-
cular schedule, mentioned no rates
and included no statistics IT was az
enunciation of the presidents nrirciI a.
pies on tariff revision. His spanifi,
views and ideas as to rates and dutias
it has been generally accepted viii Ls
contained in the tariff bill itself vhioIe
he is now considering in detail Tha
presidents decision to put the veieb+
of the Administrations infIue,ce e.
hind the bill with its various scbed-
ules as drawn by the house wavs ard