The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-01-20
HOLDING CONCERNS
ARE CONDEMNED
Important Message Deliv-
cred in Congress To-day
and Followed with Great
Interest by a Large Crowd

washington, ~. u, Jan. zU.--r@Acepi
for cabinet meeting for consideration
of departmental affairs, President Will
son had before him to-day single en-
gagement. which is perhaps the most i'm
portant of his administration, an address
to Congress on antitrust legislation.
For the fifth time since last April Con-
gress prepared to assemble in joint ses-
sion to hear read in person message
from the nations chief executive. Tick
cts for every available seat in the gall
leries of the House of Representatives
were exhausted long before the hour for
the delivery of the message.
The president spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress-:
In my report on the state of the
Union which | had the privilege Of read
ing to you on the second OF December, last,
ventured to reserve for discussion at
later date the subject of additional
legislation regarding the very difficult
and intricate matter of trusts and mo-
HUpOtltSs IHG NlIiit INV aNthAS oPPoi3
tune to turn to that great question; not
only because the currency legislation,
which absorbed your attention and the
attention Of the country in December, is
now disposed of but also because opin-
ion seems to be clearing about us with
singular rapidity in this other great field
Of action. In the matter of the cur
reney, it cleared suddenly and very hap
PLY after the much-debated act was
passed; in respect of the monopolies,
which have multiplied about us and in
regard to the various means by which
they have been organized and main
tanned it seems to be coming to clear
and all but universal agreement in an
ticipation of our action. as if by way
Of preparation, making the way easier
to see and easier to set out upon with
confidence and without confusion of
counsel.
Legislation has its atmosphere like
everything else, and the atmosphere OF
accommodation and mutual understands
ing which we now breathe with so much
refreshment is matter of sincere con
graduation. 1t ought to make our task
very much less difficult and elnbarrass-
ing than it would have been had we
been obliged to continue to act amidst
the atmosphere of suspicion and an
tagonism which has so long made it i'm
possible to approach such questions with
dispassionate fairness. Constructive leg
islation, when successful, is almost the
embodiment of convincing experience and
of the mature public opinion which final
ly springs out of that experience. Leg
islation is a business of Interpretation,
not of origination, and it is now plain
what the opinion is to which we must
give effect in this matter. 1t is not re-
cent or hasty opinion. 1t springs out
of the experience of whole generation.
1t has clarified itself by long contest and
those who for long time battled with
it and sought to change it are now
frankly and honorably yielding to it and
seeking to conform their actions to it.
"The great business men who organ
lied and financed monopoly and those |
whosadministered it in actual every day !
transactions have year after year, until |
now Glbntf utHitu Ito tAisOtHSt VI juNbl- /
fed it as necessary for the effective |
maintenance and development of the |
vast business processes of the country in
the modern circumstances of trade and |
manufacture and finance; but all the |
while opinion has made head against |
them. The average business man is con-
vinced that the ways of liberty are also |
the ways of peace and the ways of sue /
cess as well, and at last the masters of |
business on the great scale have begun
to yield their preference and purpose,
perhaps their judgment also, in honor
able surrender.
No Antagonism Now.
"What we are purposing to do, there
fore, is, happily, not to hamper or inter
fere with business as enlightened busi-
ness men prefer to do it, or in any sense
to put it under the ban. The antagon-
ism between business and government
is over We are now about to give ex-
preston to the best business Judgment
OF America, to what we know to be the
business conscience and honor of the
land. The government and business men
are ready to meet each other half way /
in a common effort to square business
methods with both public opinion and
the law. The best informed men of the
business world condemn the methods and
processes and consequences of monopoly
as we condemn them; and the instructive
Judgment of the vast majority of busi-
ness men everywhere goes with them.
We shall now be their spokesmen.' That
is the strength of our position and the
sure prophecy of what will ensue when
our reasonable work is done.
"When serious contest ends, when men
nnite i'm nnininn and nnrnnsn those ,rhn