The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-06-28
RECEPTION OF THE MESSAGE,
THE CURRENCY MESSAGE MAKES
GOOD IMPRESSION ON DEMO
GRATIS.
Stand Pat Republicans Who Favor
the Money Trust Finding No Flaw
I'm Proposed Legislation Try to Save
their faces by Snccring at President
Mann Calls Wilson "Pcdagogue."

business of the country, free of the
shackling handicap Of the protective
tariff, must not be left helpless be-
cause of lack of commercial weapons
but must be supplied with currency
system that would meet the needs of
the times and permit progress was
the main theme of President Wilson's S
address on the currency problem, de-
livercd today by him in person.
President Wilson told congress that
the only question at issue was whcth-
er the time for action on the currency
had come. That the moment had ar
rived he doubted not, he said. Duty,
even though it involves some personal
discomfort, must be fulfilled. The
business Of the country he pointed
out, should not be left even for
time without an effective system of
currency which might permit it to
take advantage Of the freedom from
the restrictions of the tariff.
He said:
"Mr. Speaker, Mr.. President, Cen
tlemen of the Congress: 1t is under
the compulsion Of what seems to me
clear and imperative duty that /
have a second time this session sought
the privilege of addressing you in per-
son. / know, Of course, that the heat
ed season of the year Is upon us,
that work in these chambers and in
the committee rooms is likely to be-
come burden as the season length
ems, and that every consideration of
personal convenience and personal
comfort, perhaps in the cases of
some of us, considerations Of personal
health even, dictate an early conclu-
sion OF the deliberations of the ses-
sion; but there are occasions of pub
lie duty when these things which
touch us privately seem very small;
when the work to be done Is so press
ing and 50 fraught with big conse-
quence that we know that we are not
at liberty to weigh against it any point
OF personal sacrifice. We are now i'm
the presence of such an occasion. 1t
is absolutely imperative that we
should give the business men of this
country 81 banking and currency sys-
tenn by means Of which they can
make us of the freedom Of enterprise
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 about to set them free by remov-
ing the trammels of the protective
tariff Ever since the civil war
they have waited for this emanci-
patton and for the free oppor-
tunities 1t 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 government;
some took advtanage of the shelter of
the nursery to set up mimic mas
terry of their own within it's walls.
Now both the tonic and the discipline
Of liberty and maturity are to ensue.
There will be some readjustments of
purpose and point of view. There
will follow period of expansion and
new enterprise, freshly conceived. 1t
Is for us to determine now whether
1t shall be rapid and facile and of
easy accomplishment. This it can
not be unless the resourceful business
men who arc to deal with the new
circumstances are to have at hand
and ready for use the Instrumental
ties and convenicnccs of free enter
prise which Independent men need
when acting on their own initiative.
1T is not enough to strike the
shacklcs from business. The duty
Of craftsmanship is not negative
merely. 1t is constructive also. We
must show that we understand what
business needs and that we know how
to supply It, No man, however casual
and superficial his observation Of the
conditions now prevailing III the coun-
try. can fail to see that one of the
chief things business needs now, and
Will need increasingly as it gains in
scope and vigOr in the years immcdi-
atcly ahead of US, is the proper
means by which readily to vitalizc
its credit, corporate ann individual,
and its OriginatiVc brains. What will
1t profit us to be free if we are not
to lrtvc the best and most accessible
/ instrumcntalitics Of commerce and
enterprise? What will it profit us to
be quit of one kind OF monopoly if
we are To remain in the grip of an
other and more effective kind? How