West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-12-16
GREAT WAR WILL END
in CONCLUSIVE. PEACE


! tions.
The truth is that after the war OF
1872 We seemed deliberately TO hay,
chosen TO be provincial, to shut our.
selves In upon ourselves. exploit our
own resources for our own benefit
rather than for the benefit OF the res,
OF the world. and we did not return
to address ourselves to foreign COM
merce until our domestic development
had so nearly burst it's jacket tha,
there was no strait jacket in which
| IL could be confined.
Now, American industry in recent
years has been crying for an outlet
into the currents OF the world. There
were some American minds. some
American business men-not a few
who were not built upon the proyin-
cial type. who did find their way into
foreign markets. and made the usual
American peaceful conquest in those
foreign markets but others seemed de-
liberately TO refrain or not TO know
that there were opportunities to he
availed Of
Until the recent banking act you
could not find. so far as am inform
ed, branch OF an American bank
anywhere outside OF the United States,
whereas other nations of the world
were doing their banking business on
foreign shores through the instrument
tality OF their own bankers. was
told at a meeting OF the American
Bankers Association that much OF the
foreign banking business, the business
In foreign exchange. had to be done in
our ports by branches OF Canadian
banks established among ourselves.
When things were perhaps more
debatable than they are now about
our immediate neighbor to the south
OF us. do not know how many men
came to me and suggested that the
government OF Mexico should be al
tered as We thought IL ought TO be
altered. but being a subscriber to the
doctrine of the Virginia Bill of Rights
THE Mexicans may not know what
to do with their government. but
that is none of our business. and so
long as I have the power to prevent
II nobody shall butt in" to alter Il for
them.
That Is what / mean by being a
Democrat built on the original plan OF
the Bill of Rights. Now those Bills
or Rights say some things that are
very pertinent to business. They as
sert the absolute equality OF right on
the part OF individuals to have access
to opportunity. That is the reason I
am opposed to monopoly, not that
monopoly does not produce some ex-
cellent results of kind, but because
1t Is intended to skut out lot of peo-
pie who ought not TO be put out: and
believe that democracy is the only
thing that vitalizes a whole people
instead OF vitalizing only some of the
people OF the country.
II am not fit to be the trustee of
prosperity for this country; neither
are you; neither is any group OF men
fit TO be the trustees for the economi-
cal guidance of this country. | be-
lieve in the common man.
II believe the genius OF America to
be that the common man should be
consulted as to how he is governed
and should be given the same oppor-
tunity with every other man under his
government. / believe that that spirit
is the spiri of the average business
man in America.
Il am sure that IL is the spirit OF
the average business man in America.
because, although 1t is current the
ory that the President Of the United
States is very much secluded per-
son, a good many people talk to him.
assure you, and he takes particular
pains to know what the people are
talking about who do not talk directly
to him.
Nobody who has been bred in the
atmosphere OF American societies
from one end OF this continent to the
other, can mistake the spirit of the
average man, and I am for the aver
age man. The country consists OF
him.
He is the backbone OF the country.
The man who is above the average
uses him, and ought to respect his
tool, ought to respect his instrument.
ought TO respect the veins through
which the very life blood OF the coun-
try flows.
Now with regard TO the future of
business in this country, no man can
speak with confidence, because It hap
pens that the distressing events OF
the months since the great European
war began have put America in a pc
culiar relation 70 the rest Of the
world
ut looks as u va would have TO be
the reserve force Of the world I'm re-
spect TO financial and economic now
er. II looks as II tn the days OF re-
construction and recuperatlon which
are ahead OF Europe we would have
to do many things, many OF the most
important things. which hitherto have
been done through European instru-
mentslities
mo man can say just how these
matters are going to shape themselves
but every man can see that the op-
pertunily Of America is going to be
unparalleled and that the resources
OF America must be put at the service