Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-07-14
HIT CALAMITY H0WLS
If ANYTHING IS GOING WRONG,
PRESIDENT TELLS BUSINESS,
CRITICS SHOULD AID.
He CALLS FOR PATRIOTISM
Chief Executives Fourth of July
Speech in Independence Hall, PhiIa-
delpFis. Urges Modernizlne of Dec
Iaratlon of Independence.


Philadelphia, July president Will
son thrilled a huge crowd assembled
In Independence square within few
feet of where the original declaration
was signed by advocating the modern
izing Of the Declaration of Independ-
ence by applying its principles to the
business, the politics and the foreign
policies of the United States.
Following is the address of Presi-
dent Wilson in part:
mr. Chairman and Fellow Citizens:
THE Declaration of Independence
was written in Philadelphia 1t was
adopted In this historic building.
But have you ever read the Declar-
alton of Independence? When you
have heard it read, have you attended
to its sentences?
'The Declaration of Independence
is not Fourth Of July Grafton.
THE Declaration OF Independence
was a document preliminary to war
1t involved a vital piece of business,
not piece Of rhetoric.
IF you will get further down In
the reading than its preliminary pas
sages, where it quotes about the rights
Of men, you will see that 1t is a very
specific body of declarations concern
ing the busin ess of the day, not the
business of our day, for the matter
with which It deals is past-the bust
ness of revolution, the business of
1875.
81 have heard a great many facts
stated about the present business con-
ditions in this country, for example, a
great many allegations of facts, at
any rate, and it is strange that these
facts as stated do not tally with each
other.
Now, the truth always matches the
truth, and when l find gentlemen in
sisting everything is going wrong
when it is demonstrable that most
things are going right, wonder what
they are trying to dc. Are they try
ing to serve the country, or are they
trying to serve something smaller
than the country?
Are they trying to put hope into
the hearts of men who work and toll
every day, or rather, are they putting
encouragement and despair into these
hearts?
IF they love America and anything
is wrong, 1t is their duty to put their
hands to the task of setting 1t right.
when the facts are known and
acknowledged, the duty of all patriotic
men is to accept them in candor and
address themselves to common coun-
sci and to work in harmony and uni
versal concert.
FL have had some experiences IN
the last fourteen months which have
not been entirely refreshing. 1t was
universally admitted that the banking
system of this country needed reor-
ganization.
I'VE met with hardly anything but
resistance from the bankers of this
country, or at least from the majority
of those who said anything.
yet, just so soon as that act was
passed, on the very next day there
was a universal chorus of applause
from the bankers of the United
States.
Now If 1t were wrong the day be-
fore it was passed, why was 1t right
the day after it was passed?
Where had been the capdor Of
criticism by the concert of counsel
which makes a great nation success
full? 1t is not patriotic to concert
measures against one another; 1t Is
patriotic to concert measure for one
another.
so, I say, it is patriotic sometimes
to regard the honor of this country In
preference to its material interests.
Would you rather be despised by all
the nations of the world as incapable
of keeping your treaty obligations. or
would you rather have free tolls for
American ships? The treaty may
have been q mistake, but its meaning
was unmistable.
When I have made a promise as a
man l try to keep it,
The most honorable and distin-
guished nation in the world is the ma
ton that can keep its promises to its
own hurt. l want to say, parenthet-
ically, that don't think anybody was
hurt
Il am not enthusiastic for subsidies
to q monopoly, and nobody can get me
enthusiastic on that subject"