Newspapers / The Wilmington Dispatch (Wilmington, … / Sept. 2, 1916, edition 1 / Page 2
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b - 'A'.ivr PAGE TWO . .. 'i "v 1 - - ' ' , 1 "r ' it 4 ! ! 4 A ' ; PAR TY HAS I THE FAITH- President Wilson Accepts Democratic Nomination in a Great Speech PARTY HAS ONLY DONE ITS DUTY Challenges Comparison of The Records of Two Parties Stands By His Foreign Policy In his address at Shadow Lawn. Long Branch, N. J., accepting the Democratic nomination for president. Woodrow Wilson said: Senator James, Gentlemen of the Toti-l fication Committee, reiiow luzeus. I cannot accept the leadership and responsibility which the National Democratc convention . has again in such generous fashion asked me to accept without first expressing my profound gratitude to the party for the trust it reposes in me after four years of fiery trial in the midst of affairs of unprecedented difficulty, and the keen sense of added responsibility with which this honor fills fl had almost said burdens)- me as I think of the great issues of nationallife and policy involved in the present and immediate future conduct of our government. 1 shall seek, as I have always sought, to justify the extraordinary confidence thus reposed in me by striving to purge my heart and purpose of every personal and of every misleading party motive and devoting every energy I have to the service of the nation as a whole, praying that I may continue to have the counsel and support of all forward lookine men at every turn of the difficult business. tor l do not uuiibt tbat tbe ieople of the United States will wish the Democratic party to continue in con trol of the government. They are not in the habit of rejecting thoe who have actually served them for those who are making doubtful and con jectural promises of service. Least of all are they likely to substitute those ;wbo promised to render .them particu lar services and proved false to that promise for those who have actually Tendered those very services. Boasting is always an empty bail ness, which pleases nobody , but. the boaster, and I have no disposition to boast of what the Democratic party has accomplished. It has merely done its duty. It has merely fulfilled its ex plicit promises. But there can. be no .violation of good taste in calling at tention to the manner in which those promises have been carried out or in adverting to the interesting fact that many of the things, accomplished were what the opposition party had. again and again promised to do, but had left undone. Indeed, that Is manifestly part of the business of this" year of reckoning and assessment. There Is no means of judging the future except by assessing the past. . Constructive action must be weighed against de structive comment and. reaction. The 'Democrats either have or have not' un derstood the varied interests of the country. The test Is contained In the record. . What is that record? What were the Democrats called into power to do? iWhat things had long waited" to "be "done, and how did the Democrats do them? It is a record of extraordinary length and variety, rich in elements of many kinds, but consistent in prin ciple throughout and susceptible iof brief recital. A Record of Failur. t The Republican ; party was. put out ;of power because of failure,:. practical .failure and moral failure; because it had served special interests and not the country 'at large; because, under the leadership of its preferred and es ltablished guides, of those who. still I make its choices, it bad lost touch twlth thethoughts and needs of the . .ar' inAnRtriftii .It teas professing to father andrpte.carrltl1? tute joitdifem This extraordinary - recital must sound 'like a' platform, a list of Mn guine promises, but. It is not:' jreeord .fpripises:. pde fiaur iiiro nnd nowVittitaflilvlxedieeltned Ttiese things usfcpKudly. disturb the thoughts .aqd confound the plans of uerstooci Norway Teaqy n:w mhmu bujanfiSBurr rue country r urtne kbi ;lnf vwrtenyof &tfj6fe88ii' xaxry tnrougn. . a ue ureasuix " lobWmisMlSci m wtuigihe lobby ibatheyj'; sought audw-ffu tneyrna jounaj .thees,rtof.thingtiThi amepPllI :ilege abe played ;succeasfuliyub :P4J other ineauSr it:M-M ' This record "r must equally astdnlslij those; who" feared . that the Democtle party had' not opened its heart to com'-;; j prebend the demiixds of sbcfal. justice.: We have in tour years come very to carryinjg outfthe 'platform of Prpgressite "pitrty as well as onFTO: for e also are progressives. ' ' 1 There is one "circumstance connected with this program wfclch ought to' be vert nlainlv stated. It was resisted if every step by the; Interests', whicti the Republican party had catered to . and fostered at the expense of the counbry,'! and . these same . Interests are now earnestly praytog for a teactlori whic will save their ' privileges for the" re; storation of their sworn friends to power before it Is too late to' recover what they have lost. They fought with particular desperation and Infinite re sourcefulness the Teform of the bank ing and1 currency lysteia, knowing that to be the citadel of their control, and most anxiously are tney nopwg inu planning for the amendment of the federal reserve act by the concentra-1 tion of control in a single bank Whieh the old familiar group of bankers can keeD under their eve and direction;' but.' while the "big men" who used to write the tariffs and command the assistance labor-as a mere commodity to ajarketjj were subject boixe&trami nxjw drasti? process In the courts, were without assurance Of compensation for Industrial accidents, -without federal assistaneeltt aemmiatiifeJabdi putes and without national aid or : ad vice in finding the places and the In dustries In which-their labor .s inost -needed. The country had nonationjU. fivstem otSMJmi was paia wmi&HJy.-?Sa'. to the navy.le:er5rHl America dxutedaecaam; found thal eotoXs proflts of ncifevegjowna as an aftehongftWOt Jmparwus and helpful friendship. Its poKcy ;wt provincial In all ; things; its purposes were out of harmony wfth'the tetoper and purposes of . tiie-: people:ad ; the. timely development thenationVa b terests. ' v-.'r-s?: ' 'pmHy M'.j!. So things Wfood when "the pmraW party came tato power. How do they stand now? Alike In "thevdomtlc!Jfleid and in the . wide field of the commerce of the world, American business asnd life and industry have been set free1; to move as they never moved befote. The tariff has been revised 'not on, the'principle of repelling foreign trade; hut upon the principle of encouraging it,' upon something like a footing of equality with our own in respect of the terms of competition, and a tariff board has been created whose function it win be to keep the relations of American with foreign business and industry under constant observation, for the guidance alike of our business men and of our congress. Anierican energies are now directed toward the markets of the world. The laws against trtlsts have been clarified by definition, with a view' to making it plain that they were not directed against big business, but only against unfair business and the pre tense of competition where there was none, and a trade commission has been created with powers of guidance and accommodation which have relieved business men of unfounded fears and set them upon the road of hopeful and confident enterprise. " : By the federal reserve. act the sup ply of currency .at. the disposal of ac tive business has been rendered elas tic, tatinsr its volume not from affix ed body of investment securities, but : enterprise from the committee room of Ff1)W. 'THE- JH WRM ATlOf yejrJ '- L - ' - " -V." ' - ' of the treasury have been" hostfle-fcli j hut fiw with vision the ' average 1 business man knows that he has been, delivered and that the fear that was once every day in nis nean tnai me men who controlled credit and directed from .the .liquid assets of dally trade. and these assets are assessed and ac cepted not by distant groups of bank ers in .eontrpl ofr unavailable reserves, but by bankers at the many centers of local exchange who are. In .toud with local conditions everywhere. Effective measures have been taken for the re-creation of an American mer chant marine and tbe revival of the congress would crush him, is there no more and will not return, unless the" party that consulted only the "big; men" should return to power the par ty of masterly inactivity and cunning'! resourcefulness In standing pat to r&-1 tst'ohitnff0. J. The PeplubLican party js Just thejiar ty that cannot meet the new conditions of a new age. It does not know the American carrying trade indispensable ; way, and It does not wish new. coni to our emancipation from tbe control J ditions. It tried to break away from whlch foreigners have so long exer-; the old leaders and could not.! They dsQd oyer the opportunities, the routes j still select its .candidates and dictate and the methods of our commerce with 1 its. policy, fefill resist . change.;5" still other countries. i baiiker after, the oldconditjons sfiill . The interstate commerce commission j know no niethods of ehrouragliig'traa! has hwn rnirrsniiwi f onnM. if I nees but the old methods. . When tit perform its great and important func tions more promptly and more efficient ly. We have created, extended and Im proved the service of the parcels psf. So much". we have dope for business.. What other "party has' understood the task'sp well or executed it so intelli gently and energetically f What other party has attempted it at all? The Re publican leaders, apparently, kndwvbf no means of assisting -business bat "protection.- eow to stimulate" ft and put it" upon a new footing of energy and, enterprise they have not suggested. Farmers. Have Bejn benefited. - For the fanners' of the country we have virtually created l commercial credit by means of the federal reserve act . and the rural credits act. They now .have, the standing of other busi ness men in the money "market. We have, successfully regulated speculation in futures", and. established standards in jthe.paarketiog of grains. ' ;By an In telligent warehouse acLwe.hi.ve asiist edta, make the standard crops availa? ble as never before both for systematic marketing and as a security for loans irom tne bauks. . We have greatly: added to the ( work of heighbbrhood demonstration Ion. the farm, ItseJX: pt improved,, methods of cultivatibn aid, through the intelligent extension of the functions of the department of agricul ture, Jhave triable : it possible for the farmer to leara sy sterna tidaliy where his best jmarketa are and jww to get at them. , - " V ; lhe workingmen of America have nation and was living in a.nast age A-ilT":! ;and under a fixed illusion, the illusion 1- ' "l ,?WP??F?n lof greatness. It had framed tartf. & rP. laws based upon a fear of, foreign j 'i - - an-.-' mf-e trade, a fundamental doubt as to 1 f Ketli.bIe 9mmodIty, by exemptinjg American skill, enterprise and eapae-l r,.orga?za10? Passes of iuc.t-yuiis vuu-u. ireatea tnetr mem bers like, fractional parts of mobs 'and not like accessible and responsible In dividuals, ' by releasing our; seamen from" uivdluritar'y servitude, by naakiiig adequate '-provision for compensation for Industrial accidents, by providing suitable machinery for mediation and conciliation In industrial disputes and by putting the federal ..department of labor at, the dispos&Ijof the worklrig ihan when in search of iOifk. We. have jeffedted Jte :!ejipiicipiuon: Of the children of . lhe corintrv bvrre- tbe larger business operations -of the Jeasing thm,from hnrtful lboK ;We ity, and a very tender regard for fhe profitable privileges of those who-had gained control of domestic markets and domestic credits, and yet. had en acted anti-trust laws which hampered the very, things, they meant -to foster. Which .were stiff ,and.. inelastic aud in part unintelligible. It had permitted the country Jtapughout the lon period '. W lte cpntroljtp ptagger, f rom one finan knil crisis, to'.another under the: opera tion of. a national, banking lawk of its own frammg . wnicn made . stringency An1 nanln Aftflin flnil tho rnntMl r9 OllU - - - " .WUVAVK V 4. t l country by the bankers of a few re serve center inevitable; had . made as if it meant to reform the law, but, had famt heartedly -;f ailed um the attempt, because it could not bring; itself :o do the one thing necessary to make the reform genuine and effectual namely, have instituted; a system of national : aid . in.; the building t of Wgjoadsi siiph aa the pnntiy iias 'w for a - century, , . v"e ..-Ja&v'Vogb.to, .MmU taxfttlpB by miaBVpf A-.eaiii-talexJbjcpme tax,;. W.e have taken the iuat ougnt io nave peen taaen at changes Its leaders and .its" purpose! and brings its ideas; up to date It .will have the" right to ask tbe American people to give it power again, but not until then. A new age. an age of revolutionary "change, needs "newtfr poses and new. id,eas. . , v ' Jn fwelgn 4fffh3i we have beehrguld ed by principles clearly conceived and consistently lived up to. Perhaps they have not been fully comprehended be cause they have hitherto governed in ternational affairs only in theory; not In practice. - They aw simple, :obvtous, easily stated and fundamental to American ideals. We have been neutral not only be cause it tau.e... fixed and, traditional, policy o Cthp .rjhitejd Statjca f to stffd aloof from "the iotltjcs of fiurop ind because we had 'bad .jjio .part cjlther of action or of policy, le"' Influences jfhlch brought on the present war, bat also because it - was -manifestly our duty-;jto- preyent, 5 it it were j.siWe. the indefinite extension; of the tfreirbi hate. add. .desolatipn kindled bV tMt terrible conflict and" seek to serve min-l kind by reserving our strengin ana our res6rcesY6r,Fthfe;"ahx1dui 4nd oifk cult 'days jof 'restoratloii and Mealhtg which nrastfolfow,- whefr peace- wfll haVe to bnild its ftbuse anew- ;?m The! rjgj of 'pur p wnJcitIzenpf course,' became IhVolved; that was ife evitable. Where they did this was pur guidjing prlnciie t hat' proprtirlgnts ! can be ylndicaled by claims "for dam- i ages ; "when "the' war Is over,' and no i modern nation dan' decline to arpltri..t such clainas, ' but "the fundamental j rights of. humanity cannot : be.1 -The loss'iojr iifefij irreparable. " Ndfrejttd direct fiolatibns of a nation's apyer-j eignty await vmdlcation In .suita ffe m damages; : The nation "that pUtt(r these, essential rights ;.n)stn exBefc be- cheqked and called to accotmtjby direct ,challenc;e and ritetancef'Mi once i makes the guarrei in art pur pnt TJues$ ;are plain prlnclplesrr and '. we. have never ,loit sight ; 'tii4m or .departed-.. ftpni them, "w h a teyeV jthe ; stress : or the jri)Ity' .sm. staJace-prti senntT record, is; Piear' ljid icpftr aistent ' tiirojifcheut and tajid dfettoet .andejnite Mt- ny wonl 1 fie;.t6Xmpe;inifii abdttt;lt?r iThel si;: iptroadglo keep, the" infecflon of the ;c"6hfltcf Ifft j wurfuwu. poutics.. rne passions ana slnfelguofrUin0 if cfivf1 rouns Sflu breakup the coI of.smal groups of the outsefcpcn up the resources of bankers. It had;been oblivious or in-, MkAWTin. different to the fact that the farmers. :j.ttanal defense upon V scale never fee upon whom the;country depends for erioualyrooosediinon :.th ' W its food and m the last, analysis f oi ,HnonBibiUty of an nHr .fii ita prosperity, were without standing r:--. . : fj'sTT -in the matter, of commercial credit, J ,. Hrea Coieert Tomorrovr tflnt ' without protection raf , standards in ; atarboTr .Island Andltorium by . Don their market transactions ana witnout fticnarosqn orchestra. - Night concert systematic knowledge of the markets will be glye'n at the auditorium instead themselves; that .the laborers; of the pf .ail I4mma; Afternoon toncert at cblfilPti of meb ET""t"' loreign nags injectea ;ifiS oblsoh Pf aiiioydtty Into onr W most npon many of -put mdustrtes and suo Jected tis to the shame' Of divisions 6f . intlmenV ahoT i : wM-wmemnw ana tOrgnttUr, ' ' f ; (Continued on: -page threfe;! x i-: v My wife managed to . drive a , nail today without hitting her thunxbi'' Upw was that? ". - tmli1 i 9t f - ejn, called, by th Tmjp This strike was ordered; the President of ho United States waSlnm The Final Railroad Pjpsal t 'frn I .4.1 . It ' The final proposal rnade, by the railroads for aiyEienlem of the con troversy, but which was rejected by thebrcherhood3as follows : ::- (i) The railroads will, effective September i, .1916, keep the time of all m?n represented in this movement, upon an 8 hourbasis and by separate account, monthly, witH.eajeh.,man, maintain a record of the difference between the money actually earned by him on the present basis and the amount that would have been earned upon an 8 hour basis -overtime on each basis to be computed pro rata. : The amounts so shown will be subject to the deciskm of the Commission, provided forun Paragraph (c) of - this memorandum and payable m money, as may be directed by said Commission in itsfindings and decision. (b) The Interstate , Commerce Comitiission to -actual 'ejrperte ' ajthifir-fudgment approves or the President may fix, not, however, less than 4 three months;" ' " " ; v ":ir - f (c) In view of thjeTfarTreaching opnsqvienQes of the declaration, made , 6y ' , President, ..accepting -Jthe , 8,lr.day,oix UP9S tjieraiiroads and the classes of labor involved directly jtd the public and upon alllindustryiJttms plain, that before theexjsting conditions are changed, the.-whole subject in so far as it affects the railroads and their employees, should be in vestisrated and determined by a Commission to . be appointed by the President, ojE such standing as to compel attention and respect to its findings. The judgment of such a Commission would be a helpful basis for adjustments with labor supervise the keeping .pf these accounts and report the : and. such legislation as intelligent public opinion, so Statement of Executives to the President " : . ; . " - i J - . ' In submitting this proposal to the Presidtent, the fifty railroad executives called to Washington and representing all the great, arteries of traffic, made this statement to him of their convictions : . iThe demands n ..this controversy, have not been presented, in our judgment, forthe purpose of -fixing a definite daily period ,of labor, nor a reduction, in the existing hours xf labor or change in methods of opera tion, but for the real purpose of accomplishmg an increase in wages of approximately One Hundred Milli6h Dollars per annum; or 35 per centi forthe men in railrodd freight train and yard service represented by tie labor organizations in this matten .ii After careful examination of -the facts ,and patient, and continuous consultation with the , Conference Cknrimittee of Managers, and among ourselves, we have reached a clear understanding of the magnitude cl the queittbrisr, knd of "fhe rserTotis "consequences to the railroads and to the public, involved in the decision of theou. . 4 Trustees for the Public . Aiirusteea forithe public served by pur lines and fthe great mass of the less powerful employees (not leo-tiiai 80 perjceni.. of the whole numljcr) interested in tne? railroad j wage fund as trustees also for the millionsof people that have invested their sayings and capital in.. the bonds and stock of these .properties, ai':.whQKthroughrthe saving banks, trust companies andnsuranjce companies, are, vitally interested to the extent of , millions of dollars, in ; the integrity and solvency pf the railroads of the country, we cannot in conscience surrender without a hearing:, the principle inrbtve j&i" undertake to transfer the enormous cost that yrtft .result to the transportation of the commerce oitcooniryr "' tThe eight-hour day . without punitive overtiine invr4eps an annual increase, approximately, in the aggregate of Sixty Millions of Dollars, and an increase or more than 20 per cent." in the pay of the v men, already the most highly , paid in the tjransportatipn ; service. ... f! . VuTbe ultiniate cost to the railroads of an admission ku thfij manner of the, . principle under contention cannot. now be estimated; the effect upon the effi ciency of the- transportation of the country now 'already under severe :tiest under,, the tide pf lsiness :N ncfBfjnp instead of .less, effort is required for the public welfare, would be harmful beyond calculation; . . '. - . The widespread effect upon the industries of the country as a whole is 'beyond measure or appraise ment at this time, and we agree with th. insistent ancl wdespread. ptiblic cpneern over the gravity .'.'of the situation and the consequences of a surrender .by the railroads in this ; .emergency. " ' ' , In like manner; we are .deeply impressed. with the sense pf pur responsibility jtp maintain and keep open the ,arteries'pf the - life blood of the commerceo ;ihi&iMtmt consequences i that will -flow irpm; Ayen temporary terruption of service pyer,:thef railrbads, but the issues presented have been raised above and beyond the social , and monetary questions inyolTed, - and the responsibility for the ' consequences" that may arieA will fwit 'iinnn ' rtmBfcflHMiti'Jlr'.fe m fT a vvj w uUil vuvrov. bXAChb tvy vac iy. Public Investigation rged The questions involved are in our respectful judg ment', eminently suitable for the calm investigation and decision by the public through theragericy of fair arbitration, and cannot . be disposed of, to the public satisfaction, in any other manner. ' 1 . ' . 1The decision of a Commission C4i5par o.r.bi, tratibn, having the public confidence, will be accepted by tlpublic,. and,the,rsQcial and finjLpeial. xaarrange nn,he nepssa Munctenl by the" "public, but..'in.lno..Ji.ess'' i4elSberate"Jnojt orderly manner," ,'V":.-:" " '. ., " "'T '?1'u-'-r : - ii.The railrcapf2t.p cannpfc ujtider prejsent conditions ? assurnerhis- enormous iinciasein their expenses. If imposed upon them, it ' would involve matfy in early financial emban'assjneiit ihd Mnk ruptcy t and imperil ther power of all to maintain their qid le i h s$urjties;f " The immecte.j.ncxease in.cosiUe l.o&er increases, that w.ould.: be inevitable,- woi sutap tially. appropriate T e present purchasing : power of the railroads and disable them from expanding and improving their facilities and equipment, to keep abceast of -the demands ,of rthje country t for efficient transportation service, . I V ' :Cr' ii.'-. .- .ji C i - l i.i. , . : In jgod faith vve have vvdrked doritinuously and earnestly in a sincere effort to solve the problem in justic .to all the parties at interest. ? These efforts were; still in progresi whefti the issuance of the strike order jshqvvedithem tp :bfeunavailing. Problem Ihreatens Democr acy Itself . ' TKfc'krike, if It conies, will be forced upon the country by the best paid 3a$sCfOTry country has 'the greatest need imTM- problem ..... : 'j. queiiidn whether luiy jppup of citizens should be allowed; to possess the power to imperil the life df ;0i but involving democracy itself , and sharply presents th 1 f.fifff-tt "hj 1?' . B. P. RIPLEY, . PftANr tRTTum'uT - V -BItier nd Ohio RflroiJ. : : : : .,-' mm :'ft::S-
The Wilmington Dispatch (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Sept. 2, 1916, edition 1
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