The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-20
WILSON'S DELICATE JOB.

! Democratic party toward wealth, enterprise and
investment abroad and at home.
! Probably much rascalty has been involved on
/ both sides in the dealings Of our investors with
the Latin-Arnericans. Concessions and rrivi
|leges have been bought Corrupt officials have
/ been brlbed and weak ones have been cajoled, tc
the disadvantage Of their own peoples and coun
/ tries. The American has been able to bully a
good deal and has used the threat of interven
ton. interference and warships to help him de
spoil or Cypress. The United States marine is
the nightmare Of the average Latin.American
government and populace. Our power has been
applied by our citizens and capitalists for un,
worthy sometimes disgraceful. purposes.
within our own boundaries wealth has been
used. sometimes ruthlessly, reckiessly and viely.
Its power has been exerted to crush honest COM
petition. to despoil labor. to corrupt governments
and legislatures. to heap up riches on foundations
Of wreck, ruin and misery
Yet there is such thing as wealth honestly
won and there are such people as American men
with money seeking investment who are fair
and clean, who are builders and creators and
whoare intent on helping others while advancing
their own fortunes. Capital Of that kind en-
ployed by men Of that kind is necessary to de,
yeIop our. resources, to make new wealth, to
provide employment for labor and opportunity
+ for energy and ambition.
We are confronted by the duty Of careful
discrimination between The different kinds Of
men and methods of using capital and by tho
danger Of disastrous mistakes. To treat wealth
as a crime TO regard the possession of money
as proof Of y)lainy on the face of It. to discour.
age the cnterpristng spirit of our people and
hinder investment expansion, development.
would be disaster to all classes. Such policy
would be peculiarly oppressive and ruinous to the
South. Wa have more need for capital and offer
it more opportunity than any other section Of
the country.
If the government in its hostility to dollar
diplomacy" pithdraws protection from Ameri-
can enterprise in the LAtin.Amerioan countries
IT will cause injury or ruin to honest investors,
cripple our growing commerce and nullify the
Monroe doctrine Whero German or British
merchants and manufacturers supply all the
imports and take all the exports of country
German or British influence is established there
far more firmly than 1T could be by fleet of
war vessels or an army Of. occupation. 1t is
sonseless and useless for us to warn Europe
against landing troops In Venezuela or Brazil
while allowing it to monopolize the trade. If
in our own country we encourage politicians.
demagogues and honest but unbalanced yea
lots to make improvohod and unnecessary war
against capital through congress and the courts
at one end and through the exacti6ns Of the la
hor unions at the other, we take serious risk Of
driving capital into retirement and discouraged
Idleness. A dollar as we'll as a can be
hunted prosecuted, assailed from one side to
THE other until it takes refuge in obscurity and
despair The dollar expresses the feelings and
fears Of q human being because it is owned and
directed by a human being. When we Cypress
or frigbten the dollar out of activity the man
who does not own it, but who depends for his
living On earning a part of it suffers. There is
such thing as killing the goose that lays the
golden egg There is such a possibility as a
strike Of capital as we'll as strike of labor,
When We drive the dollar into hiding we destroy
it's usefulness and value. So far the gen
CNaI pubic ana DQslueES WI ~ alc N'AiNSt AiS1
we might as we'll destroy it utterly. CONNER
cial disaster would mean poverty and suffering
for labor and the extinction of the Democratic
party for a long term of years
The task for this administration is to use
common sense. vigilance and the most careful
and judicial diligence 1t is to see that while
avoiding dollar diplomacy in the sense of
helping rascally Americans exploit end corrupt
Latin.American neighbors We must require for
legitimate American commerce and enterprise
among them fair opportunity as against Europe;
must encourage it TO maintain and extend our
influence. We must not endure to be banished
from half the continent we occupy or to sur
render or retreat where our business people have
established proper foothold. 1t is to take ex
IRENE care that while we bring and keep capital
TO. obedience to the Law and protect the public
against wrongs and expressions from it, we shall
protect capital from being made football and
prey, from the fury Of blind folly ana the as
saults Of the damagogue and stimulate 1t to
confidence and activity. These are obvious les
sons Of this critical moment; but it Is neces
sary, apparently, TO try to keep them fresh in
the public mind by frequent reminders.
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