The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-01-23
Time RIPE FOR
WAR ON TRUSTS
President Wilson's MESSAGE
Delivered to Congress.
M0NOPOu|ES ARE INTOLERABLE

MuNOPOuES ARE lKTOlERABlE
Business Waits for Laws Which Will
Remedy Existing Evils Of Trusts
and MonopoIies-change to Be Ae.
eompIished without Tearing Things
Up by the Roots, Says President.
The following message on trusts
and monopolies was delivered to con.
Eress 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, l
ventured to reserve for discussion at
. 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.
fly in this other great field of action.
In the matter of currency it cleared
suddenly and very happily after the
much debated act vas 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 it
seems to be coming to a clear and all
but universal agreement in anticipa-
ton Of our action as II by way Of prep.
a~ration, making the way easier to see
and easier to set out upon with con-
4dence and without confusion of coun-
eel.
Constructive Legislation.
Legislation has its atmosphere like
everything else, and the atmosphere
q accommodation and mutual under
standing which we now breathe with
20 much r%efreshment is a matter of
sincere congratulation. It ought to
make u task very much less difficult
and embarrassing than 1t would have
been had we been obliged to continue
to sit amidst the atmosphere of sus-
picion and antagonism which has 80
long made 1t impossible to approach
such questions with dispassionate
fairness. Constructive legislation,
when successful, is always the en-
bodiment of convincing experience and
Ct the mature opinion which finally
springs out Of that experience. Leg
islation is a business Of i%nterpreta
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. It
springs out Of the experience of a
whole generation. It has clarified
itself by long contest and those who
for a long time battled with it and
sought to change it are now frankly
and honorably yielding to it and seek
Ing to conform their actions to it.
The great business men who organ
Used 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 ef-
tective 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 man is convinced that the ways
ct liberty are also the ways of peace
and the ways Of success as we'll; and
ut hast the masters of business on the
great scale have begun to yield their
preference and purpose, perhaps their
judgment also, in honorable surren-
dey.
Not to Hamper or Interfere.
What we are p%urposine 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 COM
mon effort to square business methods
with both public opinion and the law.
The best informed men of the bust
ness world condemn the methods and
processes and consequences Of monop-
ely as we condemn them; and the in
stinctive judgment of the vast major.
ky of business men everywhere goes
with them. We shall now. be their
spokesmen. That is the strength of
MI position and the sure prophecy of
what will ensue when our reasonable
work is done.
When serious contest ends. when
men unite In opinion and purpose,