The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-25
CURRENT COMMENT
Another Chapter of "The New Free.
DOM"

President Wilson in presenting his
ideas to the public summons readily to
his assistance his skill as an accom-
Iplished man of letters. Regarded as a
piece of literary composition his address
toCongress on currency reform is admira-
bic. The style is clear, and the ad
dress is penetrated by that earnestness
OF conviction which gives President
Wilson his prestige with serious people
of progressive tendencies. Yet when
this much is said in commentator of
the address, all is said. Another chap
| ter Of the New Freedom is read by
its author to Congress. 1t is a short
| chapter and deals not with details.
General principles, some which are in
Idisputable, are enunciated. Others are
exceedingly questionable, but the meth
DDS are left to the ingenuity ofla Congress
already wearied by its tariff labors and
irritated by the prospect of passing all
the summer and no small part of the
autumn in Washington.
The president sees a golden vision OF
the era that is to follow the enactment
of what is already properly called the
Wilson Bryan currency and banking
bin. Doctrinaire from first to last,
he predicts that the bill is a charter
OF freedom for the business men of
the land. He tells the listening Con-
gress, 1T is absolutely imperative that
we should give the business men of
this country a banking and currency
system by means of which they can
make use OF the freedom of enterprise
and individual initiative which We are
about to bestow upon them" This
freedom we are told comes from the re-
moyal of the ''trammels of the protec
tive tariff" We are all going to be |
happy, for it would be seditious to |
scof at the presidents assurance to |
that effect, unless we find qualifying |
margin for doubt in his declaration /
that he speaks as "the responsible lead
er of the party in power"
1t is pity that the president did not
pause for argument, that he did not
the new freedom" of business will be
with the domination of the
currency and the banks of the United
States by a board composed of presi
Dental appointees Fully as interest
ing would have been his exposition Of
how business can be free when this
government board has the power to
fix, without appeal, the discount rate
for the United States, or any banking
region thereof. Perhaps President
Wilson thought that if he stepped aside
from the straight and narrow path of
issertion he might find himself in a
norass of constitutional doubts that sur
-ound discount fixing as a government
Junction, and the compulsory subscrip-
ion OF the capital of central banks by ,
hose of region. The fourteenth
amendment, with its references to TAX
ng property without due process of
aw, is intrusive to any prepayment of
}ryancsque finance.
The president, having, against the ad
rice of many leaders of his party, q
hrust currency reform upon the spe-
ial session, Congress owes il to the /,
ountry to act most deliberately. To !,
ush work will be to work ruin. Con-
Tess must give up all thoughts of get
ing through its labors in a hurry. Bet
er the first snow hurries OF November :
hould find the extra session busy than
hat the first OF September should find {
he business men of the land trying in :,
ain to find in hurried legislation the Z
ew freedom Of enterprises and Gin n
ividual initiative" the president had e
romised it would contain. The new =
reedom" seems the offspring of the old =
atrnalism.-Boston Transcript. Z