Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1913-06-26
WILSON'S CURRENCY MEASURE

WILSON'S CURRENCY MEASURE
g Mr.. Speaker, Mr.. President, Cen
tlemen Of the Congress- /: It is under
the compulsion Of what seems to.
me a clear and imperative duty.
that ! have q second time this ses-
sion sought the privilege Of ad-
dressing 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 be-
come burden as the season
lengthens, and that every consider
alton Of personal conv enienee and
personal comfort, perhaps in the
cases Of some of us, nsiderations
Of personal health even, dictate an
early conclusion of the delibera-
lions 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 consequence 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 a banking and curren-
cy system by means Of which they
can make use of the freedom Of en-
terprise and Of individual initiative
which we are about to bestoW upon
them. - =
Waiting for Opportunity
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 Gil
vii war they have waited for this
emancipation and for the free OPP
portunities it will bring with it. It
has been reserved for us to give it
to them. Some fell in love indeed
with the slothful security of their
dependence 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 ensue. There will be some
establishments of purpose and point
of view. There will follow a per-
iod of expansion and new enterprise
freshly conceived.
1t 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 IN
strumentalities and conveniences Of
free enterprise which independent
men need when acting on their own
initiative.
Duty of Craftsmanship
It is not enough to strike the
shackles from business. The duty OF
craftsmanship is not negative mere
ly. It is constructive also. We
must show that we understand
what business needs and that WE
know how to supply it.
No man, however casual and SUI
perficial his observation of the
. conditions now prevailing in the
country is can fail to see that one Q:
the chief things business needs now
and will need increasingly as j
gains in scope and vigor in the
years Immediately ahead of US, il
the proper means by which readily
to VitaliZe its credit, corporate an(
individual, and its originativt
brains.
What will it profit us to be fret
if we are not to have the best AM
most accessible instrumentalities o
commerce and enterprise? Wha
will it profit us to be quit Of on
kind of monopoly if we are to re
!, main in the grip of another AM
more effective kind? How are w
to gain and keep the confidence Q
a the business community unless w
show that we know how both to ali
and protect it? What shall we sa,
if we make enterprise necessary
and also make it very difficult b,
leaving all else except the tariff jus
as we found it?
The tyrannies Of business, big an
Iitflp lie within the field of credit