The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-03

in Mexico which has made it doubtful
whether even the most elementary and
fundamental rights either of her own peo-
pie OF the citizens of other countries
resident within her territory can long be
successfully safeguarded, and which
threatens, if long continued, to imperil the
interests of peace, order and tolerable
life in the lands Immediately to the south
of us Even if the usurper had succeeded
in his purposes, In despite of the constitu-
ton of the republic and the rights of
Its people, he would have set up nothing
but precarious and hateful power, which
could have lasted but a little while, and
whose eventual downfall would have left
the country in a more deplorabe condi-
tion than ever. But he has not succeeded.
He has forfeited the respect and the
moral support even of those who were at
one time willing to see him succeed. Lit
tie by little he has been completely iso-
lated BY little every day his power
and prestige are crumblng and the col
lapse is not far away. We shall not, l
believe. be obliged to alter our policy of
watchful waiting. And then, when the
end comes, we shall hope to see constitu-
tional order restored in distressed Mexico
by the concert and energy of such OF
her leaders as prefer the liberty of their
people to their own ambitions.
Domestic Concerns
| turn to matters of domestic concern.
You already have under consideration a
bill for the reform of our system of bank
ing and currency. for which the country
waits with impatience, as for something
fundamental to its whole business life and
necessary to set credit free from arbitrary
and artificial restraints l need not say
how earnestly T hope for it's early en-
n Int a
that the whole energy and attention of
the Senate be concentrated upon 1t till the
matter is successfully disposed Of And
yet / feel that the request Is not needed
that the members of that great house
need no urging in this service to the
country.
/ present to you, in addition, the urgent
necessity that special provision be made
also for facilitating the credits needed
by the farmers of the country. The pend
ing currency bill does the farmers great
service. 1t puts them upon an equal foot
ing with other business men and masters
of enterprise, as it should; and upon its
passage they will find themselves quit
of many of the difficulties which now
hamper them in the field of credit. The
farmers, of course ask and should be
given mo special privilege, such as ex-
tending to them the credit of the gov
ernment itself What they need and
should obtain is legislation which Will
make their own abundant and substantial
credit resources available as a founda-
ton for Joint, concerted local action in
their own behalf in getting the capital
they must use. 1t Is to this we should
now address ourselves.
1t has, .singularly enough come to pass
that we have allowed the industry of our
farms to lag behind the other activities
of the country in its development. l
to the life of the nation is the produc-
tion of it's food Our thoughts may ordi-
narily be concentrated upon the cities and
the hives of industry, upon the cries OF
the crowded market place and the clan
gor of the factory. but it is from the
quiet interspaces of the open valleys and
the free hillsides that we draw the sources
of life and of prosperity, from the farm
and the ranch, from the forest and the
mine. Without these every street would
be silent, every office deserted, every
factory fallen into disrepair. And yet the
farmer does not stand upon the same
footing with the forester and the miner
In the market of credit He Is the servant
of the seasons. Nature determines how
long he must wait for his crops. and will
not be hurried in her processes. He
may give his note, but the season of its
maturity depends upon the season when
his crop natures. lies at the gates oil
the market where his products are sold
And the security he gives is of a char
acter not known in the brokers' office oi
as familiarly as it might be on the coun.
ter of the banker.