The Alaska citizen., 1913-10-27
THE MONEY POWER.


president, fought the money power in
his day and history tells us # the
hard fought political battles he had
before he overcame it, Unfortunate
ly, since then the friends OF the
money power have been in control
of the government for almost half
century. and the money p wer
which Jackson fought has grown
and multiplied hundredfold. Not
only that. but it has become more
powerful, more united and m-re
erasping than it was in Jackson's
time.
BY strange coincidence il has
fallen to the lot of Woodrow Wilson.
another Democratic president. +
fight money monopoly. Will he sue
coed? He has greater task before
him than had Jackson, but we believe
President Wilson is in the right, and
right shall prevail.
Read carefully the message he de
ivered in person at a joint session
If the tw- houses of congress:
Mr.. Speaker, Mr.. President Gen
tlemen of the Congress: 1t is under
the compulsion of what seems to me
clear and imperative duty that |
have second time this session
sought the privilege of addressing
YOU in person. | knew. 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 burden
as the season lengthens. and that
every consideration of personal con
venience and personal comfort, per
haps, in the cases of some of us,
considerations of personal health ey-
en-, dictate an early conclusion If
the deliberations of the session, but
there are occas ons of public duty
when these things which touch us
privately seem very small; when the
work to be done is so pressing and
50 fraught with big consequence
that We know that we are not al
liberty to weigh against it any Eoint
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 a banking and currency
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 ..lon
them.
We are about t0 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
removing the trammels of the pro-
tective tariff. Ever since the Civil
war they have waited for tbs eman-
cpation and for the free oppo rtuni
ties it will bring Viii it. Il has
been reserved for us to give it to
them. Some fell in love, indeed,
With the slothful security OF THEN
dependence upon the government;
some took advantage of he shelter
Of the nursery to Sc, ur a m mic
ms stery OF their own within it's
walls. Now both the tonic and the
iA1i e
are to ensue. There will be some
establishments of pnrDose and of
point of view There Will follow a
ferlod of expansion ard new enter
Prise, freshly conceived 1t is for us
to determine now whether it shall be
rapid and facile and of easy ;ic-
Colnrlishment. This can not be un.
less the resourcefui business men
who are to deal with the new cir
eumstances are to have at hand and
ready fer use the instrumentalities
and conveniences of free enterprise
which independent men need when
acting on their own initiative.
ut is not enough to strike the
shackles 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 observa-
ton of the conditions now prevail
ing in the country, can fail to see
that one of the chief things bust.
ness needs now, and will need in
creasingly as it gains in scope and
vigor in the years Immediately ahead
of us, is the proper means by which
readily to v.talize its credit, corpor-
ate and individual, and it's originative
brains. What will it profit us to be
free II we are not to have the best
and most accessible instrumental
ties OF commerce and enterprise
What will it profit us to be quit of
one kind OF monopoly if we are 10
remain in the grip Of another and
more effective kind? How are we
to gain and keep the confidence of
the business community unless We
show that We know how both
to aid and to protect it,
What shall we say if we make