Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-12-30
THE NEW CURRENCY LAW
What the President Said When He
Affixed His Signature.

HHi<eo Ills signature.
President Wilson signed the Glass
Owen currency bill last Tuesday even
ing at 6.01 o'clock. He was surround
ed by number Of prominent Demo
cratic leaders who had fought so hard
to pilot the measure through the
house and senate. Here is what he
said to those gentlemen as he affixed
his signature to the famous docu-
ment:
Il need not tell you," said the pres
ident to the assembled group as he
took up his pen, that I feel a very
deep qualification at being able to
sign this bill and feel that ought to
express very heartily the admiration
have for the men who have made It
possible for me to sign this bill. There
have been currents and counter cur.
rents, but the stream has moved for
ward. | think we owe special admir-
alton to the patience and the leader
ship and the skill and the force of the
chairmen Of the two committees; and
behind them have stood the commit
tees themselves exercising a degree of
scrutiny and Of careful thought in
this matter which undoubtedly has re-
bounded to benefit the bill itself.
Then there has grown, as we have
advanced with this business and the
piece of business which preceded 1t,
evidences of team work that to my
mind have been very notable indeed.
Only constructive action, only the ac-
tion which accomplishes something,
fills men with the enthusiasm of CO.
operation, and l think that at this ses-
sion of congress We have witnessed
an accommodating pleasure and enthu-
siasm on the part Of the membership
90 hnt L., ,t~nto Ng.,l
and lasting things accomplished.
Has Won Some Opponents.
1T is a matter Of real qualification
to me that in the case Of this bill
there should be some considerable
number of Republican votes cast for
it. All great measures under our sys-
tenn of government are Of necessity
party measures, for the party of the
ination and their passage, but this
can not be called a partisan measure.
It has been relieved of all intimation
Of that sort by the cordial co-opera-
tion of men on the other side of the
two houses who have acted with US
and given very substantial reason for
acting with us, so that I think we can
go home with the feeling that we are
in better spirits for public service than
we were even when we convened in
April.
"As for the bill itself, I feel that
we can say that 1t Is the first Of Sc
ries Of constructive measures by
which the Democratic party will show
that 1t knows how to serve the coun-
try.
First of a Series.
I'm calling 1t the first Of q series of
constructive measures, / need not say
that lam not casting any reflection on
the great tariff bill which preceded 1t.
THE tariff bill was meant to re-
move those impediments to American
industry and prosperity which had so
long stood in their way. 1t was d
great piece Of preparation for the
achievements Of American commerce
and American industry which are GER
tain to follow. Then there came upon
the heels of this bill, which furnishes
the machinery for free and elastic and
uncontrolled credits, put at the dispos-
al of the merchants and manufactur-
ers Of this country for the first time
in fifty years.
II was refreshing my memory on
the y" sage Of the national bank act,
whicD came in two pieces, as you
KNOWN February In 1863 and in
June of 1864. 1t is just fifty years ago
since that measure suitable for that
time was passed, and it has taken us
more than a generation and half to
come to an understanding as to the
establishments which were necessary
for our own time. But we have reach
ed those re-adjustments. /, myself,
have always felt, when the Demo-
cratic party was characterized as not
knowing how to serve the business
interests of the country, that there
was no use of replying to that in
words. The only satisfactory reply
was in action. We have written the
first chapter of that reply.
Favored by Circumstances.
I'VE are greatly favored by the cir
Of our time. We come at
the end Of a day of contests at the
end Of day when we have been
the processes Of our busi-
ness, scrutinizing them with critical
and sometimes with hostile eye. We
have slowly been coming to this time
which has now happily arrived, when
there is a common recognition of the
things that it is desirable should be
done. What we are proceeding to do
now Is to organize so as to make our
not stable but free to have
an unimpeded momentum. We have
come to the beginning Of the day
when nothing can be done for the
that is not done for the good
Of ALL Business men of all sorts are
showing their willingness to come into |
this arrangement which l venture tol
characterize as the constitution OF
peace. So that by common consent
and by the accumulating force OF CO.