Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-27
CURRENCY REFORM
President Urges Pro..pt Action on
New System.

FTosiooht urges FToS"pt ActioH on
New System.
Following Is the message that Presl-
dent Wilson personally read to con-
gress last Tuesday on the urgent need
Of currency reform:
ut Is under the compulsion Of what
seems to me a clear and imperative
duty that have a second time this
session sought the privilege Of address,
ing you In person. I know, Of course,
that the heated season Of the year is
upon us, that work In these chambers
and in the committee rooms is likely to
become burden as the season length
ems, and that every consideration OF
personal convenience and personal
comfort, perhaps, in the cases Of some
Of us, considerations Of personal health
even, dictate an early conclusion Of
the deliberations Of the session; but
there are occasions Of public duty
when these things which touch us pri-
vately seem very small; when the
work to be done is so pressing and so
fraught with big consequence that we
know that we are not at. liberty to
weigh against 1t any point Of personal
sacrifice. We are now in the presence
Of such an occasion. It Is absolutely
imperative that we should give the bus
mess men of this country banking
and currency system by means OF
which they can make use Of the free
dom of enterprise and of individual
initiative which we are about to be-
stow upon them.
I'VE 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 emancipation and for the free
opportunities 1t will bring with it. 1t
has been reserved for US to give 1t to
them. Some fell in love, indeed, with
the slothful security Of their depen-
dence upon the government; some
took advantage Of the shelter Of the
nursery to set up mimic mastery of
their own within its walls. Now both
the tonic and the discipline Of liberty
and maturity are to ensure, there Will
be some readjustments Of purpose and
point Of view There will follow a Pc
riod Of expansion and new enterprise,
freshly conceived. It is for US to de-
termine now whether 1t shall be rapid
and facile and Of easy accomplish
ment. This 1t can not 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 acting on their own initi-
tive.
Not Enough to Strike shaekles
It is not enough to strike the
shackles from business. The duty of
craftsmanship is not negative merely.
It is constructive also. We must show
that we understand what business
needs and that we know how to sup
ply it. No man, however casual and
superficial his observation Of the con-
ditions now prevailing in the country,
can fail to see that one Of the chief
things business needs now, and will
need increasingly as 1t 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 individual, and its orig
NATIVE brains. What will 1t profit us
to be free II we are not to have the best
and most accessible instrumentalities
Of commerce and enterprise? What
will 1t profit us to be quit Of one kind
of monopoly II we are to remain In
the grip of another and more effective
kind? How are we to gain and keep
the confidence Of the business commu-
nifty unless we show that we know how
both to aid and protect 1t? what
shall we say If We make fresh enter
prise necessary and also make 1t very
difficult by leaving all else except the
tariff just as we found it? The tyran-
MES Of business, big and little, lie
within the field of credit. We know
that. Shall we not act upon the knowl-
edge? Do we not know how to act
upon 1t? If a man cannot make his as
sets available at pleasure, his assets
Of capacity and character and resource,
what satisfaction Is 1t to him to see
opportunity beckoning holm on every
hand, when others ahve the keys Of
credit In their pockets and treat them
as all but their own private possess
sion? 1t is perfectly clear that 1t is
our duty to supply the new banking
and currency system the country needs
and that 1t will Immediately need 1t
more than ever.
The only question is, when shall we
supply it-now or later, after the de-
mands shall have become reproaches
that we were 80 dull and so slow?