The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-04-10
WILSON WOULD NOT
DISTURB BUSINESS
Presidents Message Asks for
Gradual Reduction Of
Tariff Duties.

session. 1t was an unusually brief doc.
ument, dealing exclusively with the
need for a thorough, moderate and we'll
considered revision Of the tariff. The
president drew attention to The neces-
s1ty for an early reform in the bank
ing and currency laws, but ~refrained,
ne SAID. from urging, for h present,
tne energies of congress from its
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-
cation Of the presidents principles on
IDEAS as to rates and duties, it has been
generally accepted, will be contained
IN the tariff bill itself, which he is now
considering In detail. The presidents
decision to put the weight Of the adj
ministration' influence behind the bill
with Its various schedules as drawn by
the U 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
ileRe and exemptions from competition
" u lHe laIlOnS tar1T SyS-1
tenn n that the revision be made ITO
square with the facts as they are" At
the outset, the president called atten-
uon to the party's pledge for tariff re-
duction.
The message in full follows:
To the Senate and House of Representa-
ives: l nave called the congress together
~ extraordinary session because a duty
was laid upon the party now in power at
recent elections which it ought to per-
form promptly, in order that the burden
may be lightened as soon as possible and
In order, also. hat the business interests
81 Oh 1ne country may not be kept too long
are to be to which they will be required
to adjust themselves. 1t is clear to the
Mhoie country that the tariff duties must
ga aitereo. Ihey must be changed to
ions OF our economic life which the coun-
try has witnessed within the last genera
a,on. While the whole face and method of
our industrial and commercial life were
oe1ng changed beyond recognition the
tariff schedules have remained what they
We're before the change began. or have
When no large circumstance of our in
dustrtal development was what it Is to-
gay. Our task is to square them with
the sooner we shall escape from suffering
from the facts and the sooner our men Of
o. business VIII be free to thrive by the law
" AidluIS NlliG nature OIL Tree DuSlneSS) IN
stead of by the law of legislation and arti-
fetal arrangement.
Wandered Far AfieId.
We have seen tariff legislation wander
very far afield in our day-very far In
perity might ave had a normal growth
and stimulation. No one who looks the
facts squarely in the face or knows any
ton can fail to perceive the principles
upon which recent tariff legislation has
been based. We long 6 passed beyond
the modest notion of protecting" the in
dustrtes of the country and moved boldly
forward to the idea that they were en-
titled to the direct patronage of the gov
eminent. For a long time-a time so long
that the. men now active in public policy
hardly remember the conditions that pre-
ceded tive have sought in our tariff
schedules to give each group of manufac-
thought that they needed in order to
maintain a practically exclusive market
as against the rest. of the world. Con-
up a set Of privileges and exemptions
from competition behind which it was
easy BY any. ever the crudest, forms ct
at last nothing is normal, nothing is
obliged to stand the tests of efficiency and
economy, IN our world of big business,
r ran eness .i' Only yn neW pr gS GIeee Of action a5n
will save us from a final hard crystal!iza-
ton OF monoply and a complete loss of the
lnI1uenCeS LndL quicken enterprise ana
keep Independent energy alive.
Demands Competition.
1t IS plain what those principles must be.
We must abolish everything that bears
even the semblance of privilege or of any
kim Of artificial advantage. and put our
business men and producers under the
stimulation of a constant necessity to be
efficient, economical and enterprising,
masters of competitive supremacy, better
workers and merchants than any in the
world Aside from the duties laid upon
articles which we do not, and probably
cannot produce, therefore. and the duties
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
the rest Of the world.
1t would be unwise to move toward this
end headlong, with reckless haste. or with
has grown up amongst us by long process
and at our own invitation. 1t does not
alter a thing to upset it and break 1t and
stroys it.. We must make changes in our
fiscal laws, in our fiscal system, whose
object is development, a more fHee and
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
freedom IN the place of artificial stimu-
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 a matter of Judgment. exercised item
by item. To some not accustomed to the
excitements and responsibilities of great
er freedom our methods may in some re-
spects and at some points seem heroic, but
remedies may be heroic and yet be reme-
dies. 1t is our business to make sure that
they are genuine remedies. Our object is
clear. If our motive is above just chal
lenge and only al occasional error Of
judgment is chargeable against us, we
h be fortunate.
Currency Comes Next.
We are called upon to render the coun-
try a great service In more matters than
one. Our responsibility should be met and
our methods should be thorough, as thor
ough as moderate and well considered.
based upon the facts as they are. and not
worked out as If we were beginners. We
are to deal with the facts of ou. own
day, with the facts of no other. end to
make laws which square. with those facts.
1t Is best, indeed It is necessary. to begin
with the tariff. / will urge nothing upon
you now ct the opening of your session
which can obscure that first object or d.
vert our energies from that clearly defined
duty. AT a later time I may take the lib
erty of calling your attention to reforms
J. which should rsraSS clpSa ,,po, +Da baart