Chapter 510 April Fools' Day State of the Union
Sheffield suddenly remembered that he had never brought Anne to the White House. He felt guilty about this. This woman was well-educated and well-mannered, a perfect example of a lady from a noble family. After marrying her, she also took care of everything. According to traditional concepts, she was a perfect candidate for a wife.
As they walked, the hand holding Annie couldn't help but exert a little force, causing the woman to exclaim in dissatisfaction, "What's wrong?"
"Just thinking about it, it seems like this is the first time I bring you to the White House. I feel a little uncomfortable!" Sheffield showed his honest side again, "This kind of stage is actually very suitable for you. You must be very happy when you are in France."
"I have forgotten that time. Now I am just your wife. I have wealth that people can't even imagine. I have the power to choose the fate of countless people. As long as I want, I can pause other people's lives. I have nothing to be dissatisfied with." Anne's heart seemed to be touched when she heard this. Her husband actually had a rare change of heart?
Even if it was just a brief moment, it was enough to make her heart leap for joy. Her husband still cared about her feelings.
The celebration outside was coming to an end, and it was night time. The White House ball had just begun. The VIPs, who were well-dressed and well-mannered, were no superior in this respect to the citizens parading outside.
The slave owner didn't know what high society was, but his women did. And it can be said that few women in the United States knew what high society was better than Anne. You should know that French was once the standard of the European upper class. No one is more professional than the French in showing their glamorous side.
Compared with his wife, Sheffield was like a wooden stake, and the slave owner was already accustomed to speaking directly. In such hypocritical occasions, he tried to speak less and let his wife do the talking.
Anne was very busy. It was a tradition in the Sheffield family that the hostess's words were no less powerful than those of men. With the influence of this reputation, Anne was naturally surrounded by people and received praise from some vulgar women.
"It's not impossible!" Sheffield blinked his eyes. Looking at this scene, he found it acceptable. Being surrounded by a group of women is better than being surrounded by a group of men, isn't it?
Wandering around Sheffield with nothing to do would have been meaningless if I hadn't run into the tobacco magnate James Duke.
"It's rare to see Lady Anne at such an occasion!" James Duke was the first to speak with surprise. "William, you seem to be hiding your partner very well. I don't think this is good."
"Beauty is beauty when it blooms for itself. Being a socialite is not a good word." Sheffield rolled his eyes at James Duke. He did not think he had done anything wrong. On the contrary, this tobacco tycoon, a big man, did nothing every day and did not even get married. Sheffield really wanted to ask him, when will your daughter be born? I am still waiting for my son to swallow up your property.
But then again, what was wrong with the wealthy people in the United States at the beginning of the century? They all seemed to be indifferent to marriage, such as Carnegie and James Duke.
The two of them had not exchanged a few words when Alton Parker appeared with his wife. As the protagonists of today, Alton Parker and his wife undoubtedly became the focus of everyone. Taking this opportunity, Sheffield returned to his wife in the center of the crowd.
The guests congratulated Mr. and Mrs. Alton Parker and Mr. and Mrs. William Bryan, and the latter in turn chatted with their familiar friends. The essence of the victory meeting was fully demonstrated at this time.
This feeling is hard to describe, but it should be like this when you reach the peak of your life. The group that is unhappy has left the White House, and now those who remain are the senior voters of the Democratic Party. Everyone is having a good time and the atmosphere is very relaxed.
Although the current economy is not good, it is not that bad. There are two types of economic crises. One is chronic economic depression, which occurs imperceptibly. Ordinary people feel it but can still live. This kind of example often appeared in China during the agricultural era. A dynasty reached its peak and began to decline. The Ming and Qing dynasties were typical examples. Japan's stagnation during the industrial era was an example of the emergence of an industrial society.
The current economic depression in the United States is considered chronic and still within controllable range. Another type of economic depression is a flash crash. The Great Depression in the 1930s is deeply remembered because it was a typical flash crash.
After a while, the couples Alton Parker and William Bryan came to Sheffield and James Duke and chatted about some policy changes. Everyone knew that with the Democrats coming to power, there would definitely be changes, it was just a matter of intensity.
"I absolutely believe that voters will not place their hopes on Mr. President in vain." Sheffield said meaningfully, holding his glass. "In fact, in terms of the economy, it is nothing more than a supply and demand issue. What we cannot solve as a country can be solved together with other countries. We can share the diplomatic benefits and use them in the economy. Even if it reaches a point where it cannot be solved, I believe that with a larger territory and population than our country, we will definitely recover faster than those European countries."
In fact, most of what Sheffield said was nonsense. There was only one voter who would not hold out hope in vain. He really wanted to tell Alton Parker that since he was in power, he had to come up with a solution that was completely different from the Republicans. Because of the different distribution of supporters, he must focus on policies and give priority to his base.
Obviously, Alton Parker understood this. As a former judge, he was familiar with all kinds of rhetoric and could clearly discern the true meaning behind official statements. At the same time, he also tacitly stated that he would respect the important opinions of the citizens and lead the country through the economic crisis.
"After all, this is a world of worse than worse. In fact, as long as we let the citizens of our country know that people in other countries have a worse life, it will appear that we are having it easy." Sheffield laughed. If he wanted to open his eyes to the world, his media outlets must shoulder this responsibility and escort Alton Parker on his road to the presidency.
In the eyes of the citizens of the United States, other countries must have a negative image. If they live well, the citizens of the country will know the real situation, which will increase the cost of governance. It doesn't matter even if it is a rumor. After all, the British said syphilis was a French disease, and the French said it was a British disease. The Ottomans didn't need to make such a fine distinction. They said it was a European disease! They have been spreading rumors about each other for so many years, but they have survived.
Sheffield also did not neglect Vice President William Bryan and talked with him for a long time. Twelve years ago, the two of them had joined forces to fight back, but William Bryan's enemies were too powerful and they ultimately failed. The two sides also had a friendship.
A few days later, Sheffield and his wife went south, of course, to prepare for the expansion of the port. Since exports were on the agenda again, the original primitive docks could not shoulder this responsibility, and the port needed to become more modern. Container docks were what met the slave owners' mental standards, not dock workers carrying heavy bags.
Jobs are certainly worth cherishing, but some jobs will inevitably be eliminated with the times. When old jobs are gone, new jobs will naturally be created. Sheffield has publicly announced that it will carry out a dock revolution, and it is already underway. As for the dissatisfaction and complaints of some dock workers, they will naturally be dealt with by the police, the guardians of order in the United States.
The slave owners would not give in to the dock workers' appeal and stated that social change would not stop because of such obstruction. Dock workers could learn how to drive, how to operate machinery, and how to perform maintenance. The promotion of machinery could free people from their original heavy labor and also create new jobs.
While Sheffield was adjusting smuggling to give way to exports, Alton Parker was also formulating his own policy agenda and asked William Bryan for his opinion. The two agreed on protecting the interests of farmers. The agricultural population accounted for a large proportion of the Democratic Party's supporters and should be given special attention to fulfill the voters' promises.
After nearly a month of preparation, on April Fools' Day, Alton Parker delivered his first State of the Union address as president with a well-organized outline. The address mainly consisted of three parts. The first point was to ensure the fairness of domestic competition and to promise to continue President Roosevelt's antitrust laws. At the same time, out of respect for the law, the opinions of judges would be more respected when the antitrust laws were implemented.
This can be regarded as a correction to Roosevelt's constant pressure through public opinion, allowing more professional judges to lead everything. This point was undoubtedly recognized, and then Alton Parker moved on to the second part, operating on racial issues under the guise of paying attention to vulnerable groups, "We cannot ignore the survival of a group, that is, the mixed-race descendants of whites and blacks. These groups are excluded by some white and black extremists and cannot make their own voices. Based on this objective fact, we introduce the concept of Latinos to refer to this mixed-race group. The new racial classification bill distinguishes this group."
This partition bill was drawn up after Sheffield and some southern farmers discussed it. It was to amend the one-drop blood rule in some southern states. In his opinion, the one-drop blood rule was too disadvantageous to white people. If someone had black blood, they were considered black, which would only lead to more blacks and fewer whites.
Mixed races can be considered not white, but they are not black either. So what are they considered? Aren't all Latin Americans mixed races? Even if they are Latinos, the mixed races divided in this way are different from the Spanish-speaking Latinos a hundred years later. Moreover, Sheffield is close to the border with Mexico, and many immigrants from Eastern sects have been crammed in to prevent Latinos from crossing the border.
The racial subdivision bill caused a lot of discussion in Congress, but in the end most members approved the amendment. Alton Parker used the sign of caring for the disadvantaged groups to make it impossible for people to oppose.
As for the last part of the State of the Union address, it revolved around an issue that has been around for who knows how long: tariffs.
(End of this chapter)
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