Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-06-19


ness. His grasp Of the complicate'
machinery called business Is as com
plete as his knowledge Of public me-
and the forces IN government thorough
BE did not suppose that the strangl
hold Of the Wool Trust the Sugar Trust
the Beef Trust. the Tobacco Trust, tn
Oil Trust, the Steel Trust and tn
many other combinations which hav,
thrived in safety behind the fortified
tions which Aldrich, Payne and Cannon
have been erecting for years would b
released without a struggle. The PEG
| pie did not think so either and that wal
why they selected Wilson to make th,
stand for conscience, justice and /
square deal The average citizen vel
understood last November tnat these
combines bad their tentacles In the big
banking groups, so that cash and credit
could be ever at hand to run up or down
the business barometer in order to de.
ceive or bull-doze the small business
man. Another reason for electing Viii
son who neither balks nor breaks down.
Now comes the supreme test. Wilson
Is. to use popular term, standing
up. He is meeting the combination
threatened and what he and the people
expected. The influences, = the sec.
ret ropes" in short, the power Of
wealth, exerted here, there and every.
where for sordid, selfish purposes have
begun to be advertised in the hope OF
preventing reforms in the tariff and
currency system, which had been adj
mittedly needed for years and which
were solemDly promised by both leading
political parties in 1908 and 1912. The
situation thus becomes one of morals
rather than of policy.
Wilsop coufronts the living question,
''can the people of these United States
do anything if this secret power of the
few shall be exerted against it,? Ii
the tariff is admittedly wrong, it must
be reformed. If the currency system ia
shown by long experience to be made
quate to our needs, then it is sensible to
change it. 1t is unthinkable that we
shall sit idly by in the presence OF
wrong, injustice, error and inefficiency
and admit that there is secret power
in the government, which has "Gxed
things" by law SO dexterously that this
power can continue to exact uncoD.
scionable returns and yet there is nc
help for the people unless they submit
to business depression.
In other words, it is conceivable that
we have drifted to point at which the
Trusts can say. yes the laws are
wrong; we have more than our share
but seeing that we, by reason of these
advantages, have control of business
and credit, we warn you that nobody
shall make the changes but us. If you
people lay the weight of your hand up.
on this tariff or currency situation, you
suffer. =
Three lessons: one, shame on gov.
eminent that allowed such power to be
in private hands; another, shame or
business men who would confess to the
welding of such an influence in re.
public; the third. shame on the people
who will submit knowing the situation.
But. the people are all right. They will
not, do not. submit. If the powers
which have SO long dominated this gov.
eminent want a. struggle upon these
lines, then they will get it. Congress
is ready; and it has the support and
leadership Of National Executive thai
will not be terrorized. Wilson>has ap
preached the subject intelligently anc
conscientiously but fearlessly. Wash,
lDgton, for one time, is not terror
stricken. Remembering his party
promises, fully aware of the extent oil
the secret power which is at worl
against reform, backed by Congress
that will not play traitor, Wilson ane
his cabinet are doing their work
Steadily and surely Washington is con
yinclng the people that the government
is theirs once more, thank God, ane
that any citizen has as much sinf1u
ence" in shaping policies as has tn,
Wool Trust, for instance.
The Wilson administration has simp
ly helped the people to find their con
science. OF course, Wall street car
pull a string and make its gambling de
vice called '.The Market" go up o.
down. The Trusts can, to be sure
work" the big banks as easily as the!
work their big machines for making
cloth or steel. They can send on
alarm circulars to the merchants and
any morning discover" that reserves
are low and that credit are inordinate
ly expanded. They did all these thing
in 1907 and then took over the Ten
nessee Coal and Iron Company ant
broke many an Investor in the mar
ket and caused thousands of homes
men to lose their property. But ther,
is government at Washington nov
that understands these schemes to dis
credit reform, and do not imagine fo
a moment that Wall street is ignoran
of the power of the government. Viii
son will not yield; Congress will not b,
bullied. The tariff will be revised
The currency will be reformed tn,
Trusts will be taught that this govern
ment is the biggist thing between tn.
oceans.
| And there win be no panic. So care
fully has the administration proceeded
so thorough has been its grasp of tn.
whole situation, that the Trusts SCI