Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-06-27
The Presidents Message To Cor.
gress.

2TeSS'
Mr.. Speaker, Mr. President. Gentleman
of the Congress:
II is under the compulsion of what seems
to me clear and imperative duty that
have a second time this session sought the
privilege of addressing you in person.
know. of course. that the heated season Of
the year is upon US, that the work Of these
chambers and in the committee rooms is
likely to become burden as the season
lengthens, and that every consideration Of
personal convenience and personal COM
fort, perhaps, in the cases of some Of US.
considerations Of personal health even.
dictate an early conclusion Of the DELHI
eratiOns Of the session but there are
occasions Of public duty when these
things which touch US privately seem very
small when the work to be done is so
pressing and so fraught with big conse-
quence that we know that we are not at
liberty to weigh against it any point of
personal sacrifice.
We are now in the presence Of such an
occasion. 1t is absolutely imperative that
we should give the business men Of this
country banking and currency system by
means Of which they can make use Of the
freedom Of enterprise and of individual
initiative which we are about to bestow
upon them.
We are about to set them free we must
not leave them without the tools Of action
when they are free. We are about to set
them free by removing the trammels Of
the protective tariff. Ever since the civil
war they have waited for this emancipa-
ton and for the free opportunities it will
bring with it. II has been reserved for US
TO give it to them. Some fell in love, in
deed, with the slothful security Of their
dependence upon the Government; some
took advantage Of the shelter OF the nur-
sery to set up mimic mastery OF their own
within its walls.
Now both the tonic and the discipline Of
liberty and maturity are to ensue. There
will be some readjustments of purpose and
point Of view. There will follow period
Of expansion and new enterprise, freshly
IA conceived. II is for us to determine now
whether it shall be rapid and facile and Of
easy accomplishment. This it cannot be
unless the resourceful business men who
are to deal with the new circumstances
are to have at hand and ready for use the
instrumentalities and conveniences Of free
enterprise which independent men need
when aelina ca tlleiT oan initiative
d e NOT enough 70 sidke tas 80 lies
from business. TIE duty 81 states ran
ship t not negative merely ID T. on
s.uctise also. Vie must sh5~ ilat we
understand what tusiness reeds anc hat
We Know nov 10 sgppiy 81 No man ow-
ever casual and superficial bis obsery ton
% me conditions nov prevailing Ia the
country. can fai 60 sec that one % the
chief things business needs nov 1a will
need increasingly as it gains in scope and
vigor in the years Immediately ahead Of
us, is the proper means by which readily
to vitalize its credit corporate and indi-
vidual and its originative brains.
What viii it profit us to be free il we
are not to have the best and most acces-
sible instrumentalities of commerce and
enterpriseS What will it profit us to be
quit Of one kind Of monopoly il we are to
remain in the grip Of another and more
effective kindG How are we to gain and
keep the confidence of the business COM
munity unless we show that we know how
both to aid and protect it What shall we
say il we make fresh enterprise necessary
and also make il very difficult by leaving
all else except the tariff just as we found
it,
The tyrannies Of business. big and little,
lie within the field of credit. We know
that. Shall we not act upon the knowl-
edge 3? Do we not know how to act upon il
II man can not make his assets available
at pleasure. his assets of capacity and
character and resource. what satisfaction
is il to him to see opportunity reckoning
to him on every hand. when others have
the keys Of credit in their pockets and treat
them as all but their own private possess
siOni
1t is perfectly clear that il is our duty to
supply the new banking and currency sys-
TEN the country needs. and that 1t will
Immediately need it more than ever.
The only question is. When shall we
supply it-now. or later. after the demands
shall have become reproaches that we were
so dull and so slowi Shall we hasten to
change the tariff laws and then be laggards
about making II possible and easy for the
country to take advantage Of the change 7
There can be only one answer TO that Ques-
tion. We must act now. at whatever sac
rifice to ourselves II is a duty which the
circumstances forbid us to postpone.
should be recreant to my deepest convic-
tons Of public obligation did not press il
upon you with solemn and urgent insis-
tence.
The principles upon which we should
act are also clear The country has sought
and seen its path in this matter within the
last few years-sees II more clearly now
than II ever saw II befOre-much more clear
ly than when the last legislative proposals
the subject were made. We must have a
currency. not rigid as now. but readily,
elastically responsive to sound credit, the
expanding and contracting credits Of every
day transactions the normal ebb and flow
Of personal and corporate dealings.
Our banking laws must mobilize reserves ::