The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-04-08
rs HUMAN BEING.


dent Wilson began his message as
follows: II am very glad. indeed,
to have this opportunity to adj
dress the two houses directly and
verify for myself the impression
that the president of the United
States is person. not merely a
mailing congress. from some iso.
lated island of jealous power, and
that he is . human being trying
to cooperate with 0ther human
beings in common service. Aft
er this pleasant experience,
shall feel quite normal in all our
dealings with one anOther.''
Washington, April S.-President
Woodrow Wilson today communicat-
ed his first message to the Sixty-third
congress. convened in extraordinary
session. 1t was an unusually brief
document. dealing exclusively with
the need for thorough. moderate
and well-considered revision of the
tariff. The president drew attention
to the necessity for an early reform
In the banking and currency laws but
refrained, he said. from urging, for
might divert the energies Of congress
from its clearly defined duty" toward
the tariff question.
The message referred to no particu-
lar schedule, mentioned no rates, and
included no satisfies. 1t was an en-
unciation OF the presidents principles
on tariff revision. His specific views
been generally accepted, will be con-
tanned in the tariff bill itself which he
Is now considering in detail. The
presidents decision to put the weight
OF the administrators influence be-
hind the bill with its various schedules
as drawn by the house ways ana
means committee caused him to omit
specific reference to tariff rates until
the measure was finally agreed upon
In the opening days of the present ses-
sion.
The message urged that special pri-
Niiege and exemptions from compe-
tition be cut out Of the nations tar
iH system and that the revision be
made to square with the facts as
they are" At the outset, the presi-
dent called attention to the party's
pledge for tariff reduction.
The Message.
The message in full follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
I have called the congress together
in extraordinary session because a duty
was laid upon the party now in pow
er at the recent elections which it
ought to perform 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 of the coun-
try may not be kept too long in sus-
pense as to what the fiscal changes
are to be to which they will be re-
quired to adjust themselves. It is
clear that the whole country expects
the tariff duties to be altered. They
must be changed to meet the radical
alteration In the conditions of our eco
nomic life which the country has wit
messed within the last generation.
While the whole face and method Of
our industrial and commercial life
were being changed beyond rccogni-
tion the tariff schedules have remain
ed what they were before the change
began. or have moved in the direction
they were given when no large cir
ment was what it is today. Our task
Is to square them with the actual
facts. The sooner that Is done the
sooner we shall escape from suffering
from the facts and the sooner our
men of business will be free to thrive
by the laws of nature (the nature of
free business) instead Of by the law
of legislation and artificial arrange.
mcnt.
Principles Self.Evidcnt.
We have seen tariff legislation wan.
der very far afield in our day-very
far indeed from the field in which
our prosperity might have had a nor
NAL growth and stimulation. No one
who looks the facts squarely in the
face or knows anything that lies be-
meath the surface OF action can fail
to perceive the principles upon which
recent tariff legislation has been based.
We long ago passed beyond the mod
est notion of protecting" the indus
tries of the country and moved boldly
forward to the iiea that they were
entitled to the direct patronage of the
government. For IL long time-a time
40 long that the men now active in
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