Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. IV.djvu/262

220 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS but the forces of humanity. Men s hearts wait upon us; men s lives hang in the balance; men s hopes call upon us to say what we will do. Who shall live up to the great trust? Who dares fail to try? I summon all honest men, all patriotic, all forward-looking men, to my side. God helping me, I will not fail them, if they will but counsel and sustain me!" When the 63rd Congress was called in extra ordinary session the President s proclamation did not limit the purpose to tariff reduction, as many party leaders desired, but it was primarily con vened to revise and reduce the tariff. The previous Republican administration had revised but not re duced, and suffered a crushing defeat in the elec tions of 1910 and 1912. Wilson, moreover, had be fore his vision the mistakes of the late President Cleveland to aid him in determining to permit no new question or no reasonings to divert him from the paramount duty of responding to the double mandate of the voters to reduce the tariff and un fetter trade. His every utterance emphasized tariff as the first great reform to be carried out. He was in frequent conference with the leaders of the House, both before Congress assembled and when it convened. He led in the Nation in making and invoking public sentiment as he had success fully led when he was Governor of New Jersey. To emphasize his tariff program and impress the