The midland journal., 1913-06-27
WILSON READS
HIS MESSAGE
President Delivers His Cur
rency Address Before Sena-
tors and Representatives
NEED OF FINANCIAL REFORM


gress Give the Business Men Of
This Country System Which
Will Mean Freedom Of Enterprise.
Washington, June 23-President
Wilson journeyed to the Capitol again
and read the following address before
the members Of the Senate and
House,:
Mr.. Speaker Mr.. President Gentle
SIS men of the Congress: -
It 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 ad-
dressing you in person. ! 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 lengthens, and that every con-
sideration 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 privately seem very small;
when the work to be done is SO press
ing and SO fraught with big conse-
quence that we know that we are not
Rt liberty to weigh against it any
point OF personal sacrifice. We are
now in the presence Of such an oc-
casion. 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 emancipation and for the free
opportunities it will bring with it. 1t
has been reserved for us to give it to
them. Some fell in love, in deed, with
the slothful security of the 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
10th the tonic and the discipline of
liberty and maturity are to ensue.
There will be some adjustments OF
purpose and point of view. There will
follow q period of expansion and new
enterprise, freshly conceived. 1t is for
us to determine now whether it shall
be rapid and facile and of easy ac-
complishment. This 1t can not be un-
less the resourceful business men who
are to deal with the new circum-
stances are to have at hand and ready
for use the instrumentalities and con-
veniences Of free enterprise which in
dependent men need when acting on
their own initiative.
1t is not enough to strike the
shackles from business. The duty OF
statesmanship 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 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 individual, and its origi
native brains What will it profit us
to be free If we are not to have the
hest and most accessible instrumen
talities of commerce and enterprise
What will it profit us to be quit OF one
kind Of monopoly If we are to remain
In the grip of another and more ef
fective kind? How are we to gain ant
keen the confidence of the business
community unless we show that VIC
know how both to aia and to protec'
It? What shall we say il we make
fresh enterprise necessary and alst
make 1t very difficult by leaving al
else except the tariff just as we fount
it? The tyrannies of business. BIZ
and little, lie within the field of credit
We know that Shall we not act upor
the knowledge? Do we not know how
to act upon it? If man can not make
his assets available at pleasure, hi
assets Of capacity and character ant
resource, what satisfaction is 1t Z
him to see opportunity beckoning t
him on every hand. when others hav'
the keys Of credit in their pockets ant
treat them as all but their own pri
vate possession? 1t is perfectly cleal
that it is our duty to supply the new
banking and currency system tn'
Tutl TutI