The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-19
WILSON PLEADS
FOR DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESS AGAIN
No Other Party Big Enough
to Rule. He Tells Under
wood in Letter.
PRIVATE CONTROL NOW
BROKEN: BUSINESS FREE

WASHINGTON. Oct. 1S--President Will
son in letter 10 Representative
Underwood. Democratic leader Of the
House makes his appeal TO the voters
OF the nation for the return Of a Demo-
cratic Congress. President Wilson's
letter, which was made public tonight.
will serve as the platform upon which
Democratic candidates for the House
and for the Senate will seek election in
the present contest.
The President expresses the utmost
confidence in the outcome. He con-
tends the nation never has failed tn
sustain a Congress and Administration
that have sought to render them a per-
manent and disinterested benefit.
"a practical nation is not likely" he
says. referring to the Congress. ito re-
ject such a team. full Of the spirit OF
public service. and substitute in tho
lllihoA VI Sl'bA NhShS tltl4tI a parry UPON
which deep decentralization has fallen
or party which has not grown to the
stature that would warrant It's assuming
the responsible burden Of the State"
In reviewing the history Of the politi-
cal changes President Wilson declares
the single purpose has been TO destroy
private control and set business free
The first step in that direction was the
passage OF the tariff law.
War Prevents Fair Test of Tariff
The President laments the fact tina,
the European war has prevented a fair
test Of this measure. He explains the
failure of the tariff TO lower the cost Of
living by saying the war has prevented
active competition from bringing prices
ito their normal level again"
In the Presidents opinion business is
adjusting itself with singular ease and
elasticity TO the new conditions imposed
by the tariff law. lie describes the Ad-
mlnistration's antitrust legislation as
IAN effort to kill monopoly In the seed"
and the legislation which many contend
cXempts the labor unions from proSecu-
tion under the Sherman antitrust law
he describes as Justice done the
lahorer."
The currency legislation the Presiden,
characterlzes as creating a democracy
of credit" Again he describes the broad
purposes OF his Administration as a
scheme OF peace and honor and dis.n-
terested service 10 the world.
a change Of parties made now. said
ne. would set the clock back, not for
ward"
Here is the Presidents letter:
THE WHITE HOUSE,,
WAsHiNGToN October II. 1914
My DEAR Mr.. UNDERWOOD
cannot let this session OF Congress
close without expressing my warm ad-
miration for the fidelity and intelligence
with which the programme outlined In
April and December of last year has been
carried out, and my feeling that the peo-
pie of the country have been served by
the members Of this Congress as they
have seldom. II ever, been served before
The programme was a great one, and II
is matter OF deep satisfaction to think
OF the way in which II has been handled
It had several distinct parts and many
Items but. after all, single purpose
namely. TO destroy private control and
set business free. That purpose was mani
fest enough in the case Of the tariff and
In the legislation affecting trusts hut,
though perhaps less evident upon the
surface there. IT lay at the very heart OF
the currency bill, too, May l not add,
even though II lies outside the field II
legislation. that that, and that chiefly.
has been the object OF the foreign policy
of the Government during the last eigh-
teen months2
Private control has shown its sinister
face on every hand in America, had
shown II for a long time and sometimes
very hrazenly In the trusts and in a vr-
tual domination OF credit by small groups
of men. The safest hiding place and
covert OF such control was In the tariff.
There it for long time hid very
shrewdly.
The tariff was a very complicated mat
ter; none but experts thoroughly under
stood its schedules Many OF the sched-
| ules were framed to afford particular
advantages TO special groups Of manufac-
turers and investors That was the soil
In which trade combinations and com
binations Of manufacturers most readily
grew. and most rankly.
High Prices Not From TariH.
High prices did not spring directly on,
of the tariff They sprang out of the
suppression of domestic, no less than OF
! foreign. competition by means of comhi-
nations and trade agreements which could
he much more easily contrved and main
talned under the protection of a high
tariff than without II. The European war
came before the withdrawal OF this much
coveted opportunity for monopoly could
show it's fun effects and active competl-
ton bring prices to their normal level
again; hut II Is clear enough already
that the reduction of the tariff, me sim.
! plhcaton Of It's schedules so as TO GU,