Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-04-10
WILSON WOULD NOT
DISTURB BUSINESS.
Presidents Message Asks for
Gradual Reduction of
Tariff Duties.

Gradual Reduction of
Tariff Duties.
Washington, April s.-President
Woodrow Wilson today communicated
his first message to the Sixty third
congress, convened in extraordinary
session. 1t was an unusually brief doc
ument, dealing exclusively with the
need for thorough, moderate and well
considered revision Of the tariff. The
president drew attention to the neces-
stty for an early reform in the bank
ing and currency laws, but refrained,
he said. from urging, for the present,
any other legislation that might divert
| the energies of congress from It's
clearly defined duty" toward the tariff
/ question
Outlines His Views.
The message referred to no particu-
lar schedule, mentioned no rates, and
included no statistics. 1t was an enun-,
citation Of the presidents principles ON
tariff revision. His specific views and
ideas az to rates and duties, 1t has been
generally accepted, will bet contained
In the tariff bill itself, which he Ia now
considering In detail The presidents
decision to put the weight Of the ad-
AiAAASlAdClOH q lnNueuC0 DCnlnQ the Dill
| with Its various schedules as drawn by
the house ways and means committee,
| caused him to omit specific reference to
tariff rates until the measure was final
~ agreed upon in the opening days of
the present session.
Cut Out Privilege.
The message urged that special priv
ileee and exemptions from competition
be cut out OF the nations tariff sys-
tenn and that the revision be made ito
square with the facts as they are" At
the outset. the president called atten-
ton to the partys pledge for tartff re-
duction
The message in full follows
To the Senate and House of Representa-
IN extraordinary session because a duty
was laid upon the party now in power at
recent elections which 1t ought to per-
form promptly, in order that the burden
carried by the people under existing law
may be lightened as soon as possible and
IN order. also, that the business interests
In suspense as to what the nscal changes
are to be to which they will be required
to adjust themselves. It is clear to the
whole country that the tariff duties must
be altered. They must be changed to
meet the radical alteration in the condi-
uons OF our economic life which the coun-
try mas witnessed within the last genera
ton. While the whole face and method Of
our industrial and commercial life were
| being changed beyond recognition the
We're before the change began, or have
moved In the direction they were given
when no large circumstance OF our in
dustrtal development was what 1t Is to-
day. Our task is to square them with
the actual facts. The sooner that Ia done
the sooner we shall escape from suffering
from the facts and the sooner our men Of
business win be free to thrive by the law
of nature the nature Of free business) in
stead of by the law of legislation and arti-
fcaal arrangement.
1. Wandered Far AfisId.
We have seen tariff legislation wander
very far af1eld in our day-very far in
deed from the field in which our pros
perity might have had normal growth
facts squarely in the face or knows any
thing that lies beneath the surface of ac-
ton can fail to perceiye the principles
been based. We long ago passed beyond
the modest notion Of protecting the in
dustries of the country and moved boldly
titled to the direct patronage of the gov
eminent. For long time-a time so long
that the men now active IN public policy
coded tive have sought In our tariff
schedules to give each group of manufac-
tprarS or producers what they themselves
maintain practically exclusive market
as against the rest Of the world. Con-
sciously or unconsciously. we have built
from competition behind which 1t was
easy, by any. even the crudest, forms Of
combination to organize monopoly: until
at last nothing IL normal, nothing is
obliged to stand the tests OF efficiency and,
economy, in our world Of big business,
but everything thrives by concerted ar
rangen1ent Only new principles of action
Will save us from a ANAL hard crystalline.
ton OF monopoly and complies loss Of the
3 hnau that quicken enterprise and
Demands Competition.
It is plain what those principles must be.
4 We must abolish everything that bears
even the semblance of privilege or of any
81 ana ana ut
stimulation OF constant neceBSity to be
Il efficient economical and enterprtsing,
1 masters of competitive supremacy. better
workers and merchants than any in the
i world Aside from the duties laid upon
4 articles which we do not, and probably
/ cannot produce, therefore, and the duties
j laid upon Injuries and merely for the
sake Of the revenues they Yield, the object
of the taft duties henceforth laid must
/ be effective competition, the whetting of
American wits by contest with the wits of
i the rest of the world.
1t would be unwise to move toward this
i end headlong with reckless haste or with
strokes that cut at the very roots of what
| has grown up amongst us by long process
and at our own invitation. It does not
deprive. it Of chance to change. 1t de-
stroys It, We must make changes In our
fiscal laws. In our fiscal system, whose
object is development, a more 1aee and
wholesome development, not revolution or
upset or confusion. We must build up
trade especially foreign trade. We need
the outlet and the enlarged field OF energy
more than we ever did before. We must
build UP industry as we'll and must adopt
lation only so far as It will build not
| pull down. In dealing with the tariff
method by which this may be done will
be matter of Judgment, exercised item
by item. To some not accustomed to the
Il excttements and responsibilities of great
i spects and ct some points seem heroic, but
i remedies may be heroic and yet be rene
dies. It is our business to make sure that
clear. II our motive is above just chai-
lenge and only an occasional error Of
i Judgment is chargeable against us, We
Eshan be fortunate ~ 4 d