The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-18


admirable public spirit. None Of them
I ana sure, will be Jealous OF the dis
tribution of the praise for the great
piece Of legislation upon which the
new system rests: they will only re-
joice unselfishly to see the thing &C
complished upon hich they had bel
their hearts.
II has been accomplished and its ac-
complainant 10 of the deepest signifi-
canoe. both because Of the things 1t has
done away with and because OF the
things it has supplied that the country
lacked and had long needed. 1t has
done away with agitation and suspicion.
because 1t has done away with certain
| fundamental wrongs. 1t has suppi1eo
means Of accommodation in the busi-
ness world and an instrumentality by
which the interests of all, without re-
gard to class. may readily be served.
An Era OF Suspicion.
Ten or twelve years ago the country
was torn and excited by an agitation
which shook the very foundations OF
her political life. brought her business
ideals into question, condemned her So
cial standards. denied the honesty OF
her men of affairs, the integrity OF her
economic processes, the morality ana
good faith Of many of the things which
her law sustained. Those who had
power, whether in business or In poll
tics. were almost universally looked
upon with suspician and little attempt
was made to distinguish the just from
the unjust They, in their turn. seemed
to distrust the people an to wish to
limit their control. There was an omi-
nous antagonism between classes. Cap
ital and labor were in sharp conflict
without prospect Of accommodation be-
tween them. Interests harshly clash
ed which should have co-operated.
This was not merely the work of ir-
responsible agitators. There was real
wrongs which cried out to be righted,
and fearless men had called attention
to them. demanding that they be dealt
with by law. We were living under
tariff which had been purposely con-
trived to confer private favors upon
those who were cooperating to keep
the party that originated it in power;
and in that all too fertile soil. all the
bad, interlaced growth and the jungle
OF the monopoly had sprung up. Credit,
the very life Of trade, the very air men
must breathe If they would meet their
opportunities. was too largely in the
control of the same small groups who
had planted and cultivated monopoly.
The control of all big business and by
consequence Of all little business. too,
was for the most part potentially. II
not actually. In their hands.
Recast of the Tariff.
The tariff has been recast with a view
to supporting the government rather
than supporting the favored bene-
ficiaries of the government. A system
of banking and currency issues has
been created which puts credit within
the reach of every man who can show
a growing business; and the supervision
and control of the system is in the
hands of a responsible agency of the
government itself. A trade tribunal
has been created in which those who
attempt unjust and oppressive prac-
book. Labor has been made something
else in the view of the law than a mere
mercantile commodity. something hui
man and linked with the privileges of
life Itself
This is the more significant because
of its opportunities. 1t Is brought to
its final Accomplishment just as 1t Is
most needed.
The railroads Of the country
are almost as much affected, not so
much because their business is cur
tailed as because their credit is called
in question by doubt as to their earn.
ing capacity. There is no other in,
terest SO central to the business well
fare of the country as this. No doubt
in the light of the new day, with it's
new understandings. the problems of.
dealt with in spirit of candor and
Future Will Be Different.
The future will be very different
from the past, which We shall pres
emily look back upon. venture to.
say, as If upon bad dream. The flu
ture will be different in action and
different in spirit, a time of healing.
because it will be time of just deal
ing and cooperation between men
made equal before the law in fact as
well as in name. 1 am speaking of
this because the new banking system
The opening of the federal reserve
banks seems to me to be the princi-
pal agency we have created for the
we seek. The 18th of
1914, will be notable as
marking the time when we were best
able to realize just what had hap
pened.
In the anxious times through which
we have been passing, you have. my
dear Mr.. Secretary, been able to do
many noteworthy things to strength
en- and facilitate the business opera
tons of the country. Henceforth you
have a new instrument at hand which
will render many parts of your task
easy. I heartily congratulate you upon
the successful completion of the diff
cult work of organization. A new
day has dawncd for the beloved coun-
try whose lasting prosperity and hap
piness we so earnestly desire. Sin
cerely yours.
WOODROW WILSON.
GERMANS TURN.