Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-04-11

they themselves thought that they needed
in order to maintain a practically exclu-
sive market as against the rest of the
world. Consciously or unconsciously. we
have built up set of privileges and ex-
emptions from competition behind which
it was easy by any, even the crudest. forms
of combination to organize monopoly;
until at last nothing is normal, nothing is
Obliged to stand the tests of efficiency and
economy, in our world of big business. but
everything thrives by concerted arrange
ment. Only new principles of action will
Save us from final hard capitalization
of monopoly and a complete loss of the
influences that quicken enterprise and
keep independent energy alive.
1t is plain what those principles must be.
We must abolish everything that bears even
the semblance Of privilege or of any kind
Of artificial advantage. and put our business
men and producers under the stimulation
of 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 can not, produce, there
fore, and the duties laid upon luxuries and
merely for the sake of the revenues they
yield, the object of the tariff duties hence
forth 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
strokes that cut at the very roots of what
has grown up amongst us by long process
and at our own invitation. 1t does not
alter thing to upset it and break it and
deprive it of a chance to change. 1t de-
stroys it. We must make changes in our
fiscal laws, in our fiscal system, whose
object is development, more free and
wholesome development, not revolution or
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 well, and must adopt free
dom in the place of artificial stimulation
only so far as it will build, not pull down.
In dealing with the tariff the method by
which this may be done will be matter
of judgment, exercised item by item. To
some not accustomed to the excitements
and responsibilities of greater freedom our
methods may in some respects and at some
points seem heroic, but remedies may be
heroic and yet be remedies. 1t is our
business to make sure that they are
genuine remedies. Our object is clear.
If our motive is above just challenge and
only an occasional error of judgment is
chargeable against us, we shall be for
tunate.
We are called upon to render the coun-
try 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 our own day,
with the facts of no other. and 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 at the opening of your session which
can obscure that first object or divert our
energies from that clearly defined duty. At
a later time may take the liberty of calling
your attention to reforms which should press
close upon the heels of the tariff changes,
if not accompany them, of which the chief
is the reform of our banking and currency
laws but just now refrain. For the pre-
sent, put these matters on one side and
think only of this one thing of the changes
in our fiscal system which may best serve
to open once more the free channels of
prosperity to a great people whom we
would serve to the utmost and throughout
both rank and file.
WOODROW WILSON.
The White House. April 8, 1918.