The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-04-10
WILSON SUBMITS
FIRST MESSAGE
CONGRESS In Extra Session Is
Told What President Ex-
poets Done
DOCUMENT UNUSUALLY BRIEF
Tariff Schedules, Says Chief Esecu-
tive, Must Be Altered to Conform
With Modern Conditions Ac-
cordinq to Party's Pledge.

CORNING 10 TdTty TiSeSS'
Washington, april Sin his hrst
message to congress, a document OF
unusual brevity, President Wilson To-
day told the senate aud house what
he and the country expect In the way
of revision Of the tariff, the task for
which mainly the extraordinary SEES
sion was called. Following Is the
text OF the message:
To the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatiyes:
l have called the congress together
in extraordinary session because
duty was laid upon the party now in
power at the recent elections which 1t
ought TO perform promptly, in order
that the burden carried by the people
under existing law may be lightened
as soon as possible and in order, also.
that the business interests OF the
country may not be kept too long in
suspense as to what the fiscal changes
are to be to which they will be re-
CURED to adjust themselves. 1t is clear
to the whole country that the tariff
duties must be altered. They must
be changed TO meet the radical altera-
ton in the conditions OF our economic
life which the country has witnessed
within the last generation.
While the whole face and method OF
our industrial and commercial life
were being changed beyond recogn-
ton the tariff schedules have re-
NAMED what they were before the
change began, or have moved in the
direction they we're given when no
large circumstance Of our industrial
development was what 1t Is today
Our task is to square them with the
actual facts. The sooner that is done
the sooner We shall escape from suf
fering from the facts and the sooner
our men Of business will be free to
thrive by the law Of nature (the ma
ture OF free business) instead Of by
the law OF legislation and artificial ar
rangement.
Business Not Normal.
We have seen tariff legislation
wander very far afeld in our day
very far indeed from the field In which
our prosperity might have had a nor
NAL growth and stimulation. No one
who looks the facts squarely In the
face or knows anything that lies be
meath the surface Of action can fail TO
perceive the principles upon which
recent tariff legislation has been
based. We long ago passed beyond
the modest notion OF protecting" the
industries Of the country and moved
boldly forward 10 the idea that they
were entitled to the direct patronage |
OF the government For long time
a time SO long that the men now active
in public policy hardly remember the
conditions that preceded five have
sought in our tariff schedules to give
each group Of manufacturers or pro-
ducers what they themselves thought
that they needed in order to
maintain practically exclusive
market as against the rest of the
world. Consciously or unconsciously, |
we have built up 6 set OF privileges
and exemptions from competition te-
hind which II was easy by any, even
the crudest, forms of combination to |
organize monopoly; until at last meth
ing is normal, nothing is obliged TO
stand the tests Of efficiency and econ
omy, in our world OF big business. but |
everything thrives by concerted ar
rangement. Only new principles OF |
action viii save US from final hard |
capitalization OF monopoly and a |
complete loss Of the influences that
quicken enterprise and keep indie
pendent energy alive.
1t Is plain what those principles |
must be. We must abolish everything
that bears even the semblance OF priv
ilege or Of any kind Of artificial ad
vantage, 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 laid upon luxuries and
merely for the sake OF the revenues
they yield, the object OF the tarifr du.
ties henceforth laid must be effective
competition, the whetting OF Ameri.
can wits by contest with the wits OF
the rest OF the world
Development, Not Revolution.
II 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 hong process and al
our own invitation Ii does not alter
~~~~~~~-~N~~~-~~~~~~ ~-
Roses From Italy.
Tho rcga On lpuu .opafdrrad ~.