The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1916-06-16
maintain its neutral rights ar.ins

maintain its neutral rights agains
every belligerent.
This convention must make II plain
that all divisions among the Amert-
can people stop at the oceans edge.
Over and above every other reason
hat the nation may have for uphold.
ing its president, IL the necessity OF
proving to the world that we are q
united people.
So long as the other nations OF the
earth realize that the millions unde.
Americas flag think as one. believe as
one and act as n in the face of for.
eign war, we shall be free from for
eign intrigue. and all that 1t entails.
High above every other issue mat
this convention offers to the Amert.
can people we must therefore write
a v~tndicatIon Of American loyalty.
Our Domestic Policies.
Four years ago the people of this
country entrusted their government
to a man and to q party who prom,
ised that they would liberate the ma.
ton from the chains Of industrial
tyranny. who pledged themselves to
break down the barriers behind which
special privilege sat e~ntrenched: who
engaged themselves to emancipate
business. to throw wide the gate OF
lawful enterprise, to restore to the
men and women OF America the paths
Of progress which had been choked
and blocked by long years of invisible
government.
That promise has been kept: that
pledge has been redeemed. We must
content ourselves here with q briet
consideration Of the great landmarks
which chart the change from govern.
ment for the fortunate few to an even.
handed government In the interest
Of all.
The first of these Is the federal
reserve act which freed the business
man and the farmer from the financial
domination of the money changers and
lifted the menace OF panic from our
industrial life.
In the same spirit and with the
same motive that inspired the fed
eral reserve act this administration
has devoted itself to the stimulation
Of American industry, agriculture and
trade through all the agencies of gov.
eminent.
New Meaning to Laws.
It has given a new meaning and
a new force to the laws restraining
big business from stirling compett.
tion.
1t has created a trade commission
to afford to business generally a more
direct and prompt administration Of
the laws relating to business.
1t has established government rep
resentatives throughout the world.
whose sole duty is to foster the ex.
pansion OF American trade.
1t has created a closer union OF
economic, commercial and financial
interests between the United States
and the nations Of South America.
1t has declared In language that
no court and no employer can compel
his men to work for him against their
will.
1t has freed the farmer from the
chains of a financial system which
was devised for business and not for
farming. ....
I cannot close this review Of what
the present administration has accom-
plished without adverting to its cour
ageous and statesmanlike solution Of
the nations tariff problem.
OF all the tariffs we aver enacted
this is the fairest and the best. D
BY the Underwood law this admin
istration has taken the tarif out Of
politics: by the new tarif commits.
sion it proposes to take politics out
OF the tariff.
Under the present administration
the United States has enjoyed . won
derful era Of good business and good
times.
Fioodtlde Of Prosperity.
The food-tide Of our prosperity has
risen to such an unprecedented height
that the only limit to trade is our
ability to make and transport the com.
modities demanded at home and
abroad.
The purchasing power Of our peo-
pie is greater than that Of any other
people on the globe. Never was there
as much money In u vaults as today.
Nowhere else on earth is there q
more equitable distribution Of what
the energy Of labor hammers into ex-
fstence out Of the material which capt.
tai places In its hand.
Measured by every possible stand.
ard-by the volume OF exports and
imports. by the expansion OF domes-
tic trade, by the condition Of labor,
by the rate Of wages, by the size Of
bank deposits and clearinghouse re-
turns. by the balance Of trade or by
the amount Of gold In the country. by
any and all Of these standards. this
country today is enjoying prosperity
such as no other country has eveY IN.
joyed before.
Wilson the Man.
Americanism and peace, prepared.
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