The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-01-18
NUMBE.Rs24
BIG BUSINESS DISCUSSED.
PresIdens-eIect Wilson Expresses His
Views on Competition and Monop-
oily at Chicago Banquet.

Views on Competition and Monop-
oily at Chicago Banquet.
Big business, Its right to growth
and Its duties to the country were
discussed by President.elect Wood.
row Wilson in a speech before the
Commercial Club OF Chicago lask sat
urday night.
I do not care how big a business
grows, provided it grows big in con-
tact with keen competition" " he said.
me governor made an appeal for q
dissolution Of what he said were
pre1udices IN this country between
capital and labor. Among his audi
tors were bank presidents, railroad
presidents and heads OF great busi-
ness enterprises. Seated near him
were Governor Deneen, Republican,
and Goyernor-elect Dunno, Democrat,
Governor Wilson declared that sue
cess Of enterprise depended upon the
opening up to the rank and file OF
the nation not only it's physical re-
sources, but business credit as well.
Men had testified under oath, he
said, TO the existence OF an inner
circle" by which credit was obtain
able to the exclusion OF those against
whom that inner circle sought to dis
|criminake.
7 am not drawing an Indictment
against the banking SYSTEM he said.
That already has been convicted.
But do refer Ito the basis OF credit
in business.
T tell you frankly that if II per-
mil
the responsibility that will fall upon
me, I would be daunted. I came
here to ask your counsel and assist
ance
The business future of this coun-
try does not depend on the govern
ment OF the United States; it Is de-
pendent on the business men. The
government cannot breed a temper,
it cannot generate thought and pur-
poses. Things done under the whip
OF the law are done sullenly, some
what reluctantly, and never success
fully. The hope OF America is the
changing attitude of the business
men toward the things they have to
handle in this country.
want to take sternness out of
this country. want to see sus-
picion dissipated. want to see the
time brought about when the rank
and file of the citizens Of the United
States who have d stern attitude to-
sWand Ihe business men of the eoun
try shall be done away with and for
gotten. Perfectly honest men are
now as a disadvantage In America,
because methods in general are not
fr51C rsrJ nyys rYr1~ ~.
whole. That Is unjust to you, 1t is
unjust to everybody with whom blsi-
ness deals and everybody whom busi-
ness touches.
So In the United States they do not
believe mean the rank and file of
our people do not belieye-tllat men
of every kind are upon an equality
in their access to the resources of
the country, any more than they be-
ieve everybody is upon equal terms
in his access to the justice of the
country. It is believed in this coun-
try that a poor man has less chance
to get justice administered to him
than q rich man. God forbid thaE
that should be generally true.
And then, in addition to all this,
We must see to 1T that the business
OF the United States Is set absolute
" free OF every feature of mo-
nopoly.''
Here Governor Wilson paused, look-
ed about the banquet room, and then
added:
i notice you do not applaud that.
I am somewhat disappointed because
unless you feel that way the thing ia
not going to happen except by duress,
which is the worst way to bring any
thing about, because there will be
monopoly in this country until there
are no important business men who
do not intend to bring It about.
know when they are talking about
that they say there is not anybody
IN the United States who ever in
tended to set up a monopoly. But
know there are some gentlemen who
did deliberately go about to set up
monopoly. We know they intended
to do it because they did it.
II don't care how big a particular
business gets, provided 1t grows big
in contact with sharp competition,
and know a business based upon
genuine capital which has not a drop
Ol WdLEI III Sutl
greater efficiency and economy than
a business that is loaded with walker
Touching on conservation, ne said:
"A policy Of reservation is not one of
conservation. =
Applause greeted this statement,
and he added that the government
at Washington had been s.suspici-
GUS Of everybody who approached IL
for water power rights and the pri-
Vi1eges Of conservation generally. .
The governor proclaimed policy
Of accessibility to the raw materials
of the country to everybody On the
same terms. A conservation policy,
he declared, should be frf from dis
elimination.
Law ought to be based upon a
premise that only the man exception
al in character is going to cireum-
vent the law" he declared. IL on
" the crooks tried to circumvent the
law not very much law would be
necessary. But there are some men
who have permitted themselves to !
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