The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-04-11
Must Abolish Privilege.

en- enterprise and keep Independent en-
ergy alive.
Must Abolish Privilege.
1t is plain what those principles must
be. We must abolish everything that
bears even the semhlanCe Of privilege
or of any kind of artificial advantage
and put our business men and pro
| ducerS under the stimulation of con
slant necessity to be efficient. econOm-
| ical and enterpriSing. masters of com.
petitive supremacy, better workers and
merchants than any in the world.
Aside from the duties laid upon arti-
cles which we do not and probably
cannot produce, therefore, and the
duties laid upon luXurieS and merely
for the sake of the revenues they yield,
the object of the tariff duties hence
forth laid must be effective competi.
ton, the whettng of American wits by
rontest with the wits of the rest of the
world.
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 among
us by long process and at our own in
vitation. 1t does not alter thing to
upset it and break it and deprive it Of
Il chance to change 1t destroys it,
We must make changes in our fiscal
laws, in our fiscal system, whose OBJ
ject is development. a more free and
wholesome development. not REVOLUTION
or upset or confusion We my. build
up trade, especially foreign trade We
need the outlet and the enlarged field
of energy more than we ever did be.
fore. We must build up industry as
well and must adopt freedom in the
place Of artificial stimulation only 50
far as it will build. not pull down In
dealing with the tariff the method by
which this may be done will be a mat
ter Of Judgment, exercised item by
item. To some not accustomed to the
excitements and responsibilities of
greater freedom our methods may in
some respects and at some points seem
heroic, but remedies may he heroic
and yet be remedies. It is our bust.
ness to make sure that they are gpnu.
inc remedies. Our object is clear. If
our motive is above Just challenge
and only an occasional error of iudg
ment is chargeabIe against us we shall
be fortunate.
Thorough, but Moderate.
We are called upon to render the
country a great service in more mat.
tiers than one. Our responsibility
should be met. and our methods should
be thorough. as thorough as moderate
and well considered. based upon the |
facts as they are and not worked out |
as if we were beginners. We are 70
deal with the facts Of our own day, |
with the facts of no other and to make |
laws which square with those facts
1t is heSt-indeed. it is nereSSary-tO |
begin with the tariff | will urge moth
ing upon you now at the opening Of |
your session which can obscure that
first object or divert our energies from
that clearly defined duty. At Il later
time may take the liberty Of calling
your attention to reforms which should
press close upon the heels Of the tariff
changes. If not accompany them. of
which the chief is the reform of our
banking and currency laws, but Just
now ] refrain. For the present | put
these matters on one side and think
only Of this one thing-of the changes
IN our fiscal system which may best
serve to open once more the free chan.
nels Of prosperity to great people
whom we would serve to the utmost
and throughout both rank aud file
WOODROW WILSON,
The White House, April s, 1913