The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-04-08
TELLS CONGRESS
IT MUST REDUCE
THE TARIFF FIRST

give each group of manufacturers ot
producers what they themselves thought
that they needed in order to maintain
Il practically exclusive market as against
the rest of the world Consciously or
unconsciously, we have built up set
of privileges and exemptions from com
petition behind which it was easy by
any. even the crudest, forms of comb-
nation to organize monopoly; until at
last nothing 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 arrange
ment Only new principles of action VIII
save us from final hard crystallization
of monopoly and complete loss of the
influences that quicken enterprise and
keep independent energy alive.
Effective Competition Is Wanted.
1t is plain what those principles must
be. We must abolish everything that
bears even the sembance of privilege or
of any kind of artificial advantage, and
put our business men and producers ilu-
der the stimulation of constant neces
sity to be efficient economical, and en-
terprising, masters of competitive su-
DtIItI NVih htlS anu
than any in the world. Aside from
the duties laid upon articles which we
do not, and probably can not, produce,
therefore, and the duties laid upon lux
uries and merely for the sake of The
revenues they yield. the object of the
tariff duties henceforth laid must be
effective competition, the whetting OF
American wits by contest with the wits
of the rest of the world.
Item By Item Revision.
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 invita-
tion II does not alter a thing TO up |
set it and break it and deprive it of a
chance to change. 1t destroys 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. es
peeially foreign trade. We need the out
let and the enlarged field of energy more
than we ever did before. We must build
up industry as we'll, and must adopt
freedom in the place of artificial stim-
llation only so far as it win build. not
pull down. In dealing with the tariff
The method by which this may be done
will be matter of Judgment, exercised
tenn by item, To some not accu- toned
10 the excitements and responsibilities
IF greater freedom. our methods may
n some respects and at some points
,eem heroic, but remedies may be heroic
md yet be remedies 1t i our business
o make sure that they are genuine rem.
dies. Our object is clear. If our mo
i've is above just challenge and only
IN occasional error of judgment is
hargeable against us, we shall be for.
unate.
Tariff Most Important Feature.
We are called upon to render the coun
ry great service in more matters than
me. Our possibility should be met
nd our methods should be thorough. rs
borough as moderate and we'll consil-
red, based upon the facts as they arc, ]
nd not worked out as if we were be-
inners. We are to deal with the facts
t our own day, with the facts of no
ther, and to make laws which square
nth those facts. 1t is best. indeed il
necessary, to begin with the tariff.
will urge nothing upon you now at the p
pening of your session which can OBJ L
cure that first object or divert our p
nergies from that clearly defined duty. I
t later time | may take the liberty Iii
I calling your attention to reforms r,
hieh should press close upon the heels y
the tariff changes, if not accompany j
lem, of which the chief is the reform
our banking and currency laws; but
Ist now | refrain. For the present. Il
ut these matters on one side and think la
lly of this one thing-of the changes al
our fiscal system which may best p,
rye to open once more the free chan la
Els of prosperity to great people d,
HON we would serve to the utmost 81
I'd throughout both rank and file. a
Woodrow Wilson. 10
The White House April & 1914 Al,