Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-23
Pleads With Congress to
Give Business Needed
Assistance.
BENEFITS TO COUNTRY
President Personally Presents
Message Seeking Support
for Money Reform.

Washington, D. c., June 23.-A per
sonal plea for immediate action by
congress to revise the banking and cur
rency laws, that business may be aid
ed in meeting tariff revision, President
Wilson, for the second time, went to
the house of representatives today .
and personally read his address on .
the subject to both houses of con /
gress assembled in joint session.
Although shorn of some Of the nov
city that attended his first appearance /
when he upset presidential traditions
of more than d century, today's visit
Of the president to congress took on /
Il deeper significance. On the first |
visit he delivered q message, long an /
ticipated, urging the carrying out of
party pledges for immediate revision
OF the tariff. His address today was
an appeal to every member of the
house and senate 70 lay aside personal
consideration and sacrifice comfort
and even health, if necessary, to Sc
cure at once a revision and reform of
the nations banking system. Only in
that way, he declared, could the coun-
try secure the benefits of tariff revi-
sion, soon TO be completed. The presi-
dents address vas as follows:
at is under the compulsiQn of what
seems to me clear and imperative
duty that l have a second time this
session sought the privilege of ad-
dressing you in person. l know, of
course, that the heated season of the
year is upon us, that work in these
chambers and in the committee rooms
is likely to become a burden as the
season leEgthens, and that every con-
sideration OF personal convenience
and personal comfort, perhaps, in the
cases of some OF US, considerations
of personal health even, dictate an
early conclusion of the deliberations
of the session; but there are occa-
sions of public duty when these things
which touch us privately seem very
SMALL when the work 10 be done is
so pressing and so fraught with big
consequence that we know that we
are not at liberty to weigh against it
any point of personal sacrifice. We
are now in the presence Of such an
occasion. 1t is absolutely imperative
that we should give the business men
of this country q banking and cur
rency system by means of which they
can make use of the freedom of enter
prise and of individual initiative
which we are about to bestow upon
them.
I'VE are about to set them free; we
must not leave them without the tools
of action when they are free. We are
oh fn bxv ,pH-ir, ,er
the trammels of the protective tariff.
Ever since the Civil war they have
waited for this emancipation and for
the free opportunities it will bring
with it. 1t has been reserved for us
to give it to them. Some fell in love,
indeed. with the slothful security of
their dependence upon the govern
ment; some took advantage of the
shelter of the nursery to set up a
mimic mastery of their own within
its walls Now both the tonic and
the discipline of liberty and maturity
are TO ensue. There will be some re.
adjustments of purpose and point OF
view. There will follow a period OF
expansion and new enterprise, fresh
ly conceived. 1t is for US to deter
and facile and OF easy accomplish
ment. This it cannot be unless the
resourceful business men who are &c
deal with the new circumstances are
. 10 have at hand and ready for use the
instrumentalities and conveniences OF
free enterprise which independent
men need when acting on their OWE
initiative.
DUTY IS CONSTRUCTIVE.
at is not enough TO strike the
o shackles from business. The duty o
statesmanship is not negative merely
II is constructive also. We must show
that we understand what bushes!
needs and that we know how to sup
ply II. No man, however casual ant
superficial his observation OF the con
ditions now prevailing IN the country
can fail TO see that one OF the chic
things business needs now, and vii
need increasingly as It gains in scopt
and vigor In the years immedistel.
ahead OF US. is the proper means b,
which readily 10 vitaiize It's credit
corporate and individual, and its orig!
native brains. What Will II profit u
TO be free II We are not 20 have tn
best and most accessible instrumer
talities OF commerce and enterprise
What will 1t profit Us TO be quit o
one kind Of monopoly II we are TO re
main In the grip OF another and NOR
effective kind? How are we to gail
y and keep the confidence Of the bus
ness community unless we show tha
we know how both 10 aid and to pre-