Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-01-22
RIPE FOR
WAR ON TRUSTS
President Wilson's Message
Delivered to Congress.

-
M6GAOP0LIES ARE lATOLERABlE
Business Waits for Laws Which viii
Remedy Existing Evils Of Trusts
and MISUNDERSTANDING to BE Ac,
compiished without Tearing Things
Up by the Roots, Says President.
The following message on trusts
and monopolies was delivered to con
gress by President Wilson:
Gentlemen of the Congress: In my
report "On the State of the Union,.'
which | had the privilege of reading
to you on the first of December last, /
ventured to reserve for discussion at
a later date the subject of additional
legislation regarding the very difficult
and intricate matter Of trusts and mo-
nopolies. The time now seems oppor-
tune to turn to that great question;
not only because the currency legisla-
ton. which absorbed your attention
and the attention Of the country in
December, is now disposed Of, but also
because public opinion seems to be
clearing about us with singular rapid
ity in this other great field of action.
In the matter of currency it cleared
suddenly and very happily after the
much debated act was passed; in re-
spect of the monopolies which have
multiplied about us and in regard to
the various means by which they have
been organized and maintained 1t
seems to De coming to a clear and all
but universal agreement in anticipa-
ton of u action as if by way of prep
aration, making the way easier to see
and easier to set out upon with CON
fdence and without confusion of coun-
sci.
Constructive Legislation.
Legislation has its atmosphere like
everything else, and the atmosphere
of accommodation and mutual under-
standing which we now breathe with.
SO much refreshment is a matter OF
sincere congratulation. 1t ought to
make u task cry much less difficult
and embarrassing than it would have
been had we been obliged to continue
to sit amidst the atmosphere Of sus.
! picion and antagonism which has SO
long made 1t Impossible to approach
such questions with dispassionate
fairness. Constructive legislation,
when successful. is always the
bodiment of convincing experience and
of the mature opinion which finally
springs out of that experience. Leg
islation is a business of %interpreta.
ton, not Of o%rigination and it is now
plain what the opinion is which we
must give effect in this matter. It is
not recent or hasty opinion, 1t
springs out of tbs experience OF a
Whole generation. 1T has clarified
itself by long contest and those who
for a long time battled with it and
sought to change 1t are nov frankly
and honorably yielding to it and seek
ing to conform their actions to it.
The great business men who organ
lied and financed monopoly and those
who administered it in actual every
day transactions have year after year
until now, either denied it's existence
or justified it as necessary for the eff
%fectiye maintenance and development
of the vast business process of the
country in modern circumstances of
trade and manufacture and finance:
but all the while opinion has made
head against them. The average bus
mess a is convinced that the ways
of liberty are also the ways of peace
and the ways of success as we'll; and
at last the masters of business on the
great scale have begun to yield their
preference and purpose, perhaps their
Judgment also. in honorable surren-
der.
Not to Hamper or interfere.
What we are purposing to do, there
fore. is, happily, not to hamper or In.
~terfere with business as enlightened
business men prefer to do it or in any
sense to put it under the ban. The
antagonism between business and gov
eminent is over. We are now about
to give expression to the best bust.
ness Judgment of America, to what we
know to be the business conscience
and houor of the land. The govern
ment and business men are ready to
meet each other half way in a O
mon effort to square business methods
with both public opinion and the law.
The best informed men OF tie bust
ness world condemn the methods and
processes and consequences of monop-
oily as we condemn them; and the in
sstinctiye Judgment of the vast major
ity Of business men everywhere goes
with them. We shall o be their
spokesman. 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
AEIs A-nL -. MY NHZE L NLl