The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-30
In New Atmosphere Business
VIII Enjoy Greater Prosper
ity Than Ever Before
Sportsmanship
In Life 5 Game
"A Free Field and No Favors.
He Declares. Should Be Rule
In Great Race for Business.
No "Squealing' Then

dent Wilson delivered an impor-
tAnt speech on the business out
look before the Convention of the
American Railway Association
hero this afternoon. He said an
era of confidence Is at hand with
ali Interrogation points" and sus-
pftion removed, and he predicted
that In this atmosphere the co,in-
try In about to ENJOY q period OF
prosperity and enterprise greater
than any the country has known
The President appealed for an
application Of the spirit Of sports
manship to American business
demand for only what each IL
entitled to and mo squcaiing'
from those who are beaten in the
race.
The Presidents speech made deep
Impression upon his hearers, most OF
whom regarded it his first init.
mate talk TO the business men of the
country.
Mr.. Wilson said in part:
1T seems to me that / can say with
a good deal OF confidence that we are
upon the eve of a new era OF enter
prise and OF prosperity. Enterprise
has been checked in this country for
aimest twenty years because men
MCtS HAotAHA 1HsgA6@A - hRN&T VA
terrogatien points They did not
know what was going TO happen to
them. All sorts OF regulations were
proposed and II WAS a matter OF un-
certainty what sort OF regulation was
going to be adopted. All sorts NJ
charges were made against business
as IL business were at fault. within
most men knew that the great ma
jority of business men were honest.
were public spirited. were intending
he right thing. and that many were
made afraid because the few did not
80 what was right.
The most necessary thing, there
fore, was for us to agree. rs We did
by slow stages agree. upon the main
particulars Of what ought not To bs
done and then put our laws In such
shape as TO correspond with that gen
eral Judgment. That. say, was
necessary preliminary. not only TO a
common understanding. but also TO
a universal cooperation. Tho great
forces OF 81 country like this cannot
pull separately: they have got to pull
together. And except upon basis !
OF common understanding as TO tho
law and a. to the rropriet!es OF con-
duct. Ii Ia impossible to pull together, I
1. for one. have never doubted that
all America was OF one principle.
have never doubted that all America
peileSeu III QpiHk " uat War A@i Hiit
honorable and of good report But
the method. the method of control /
by law against the small minority
that was recaicitrant against those /
principles was a thing that II was Diff !
fcult to determine upon and 1t was
very great burden, let me say. to
fall upon a particular administration
OF this Government TO have TO under 1
take practically the whole. business
of ANAL definition. That is what has
been attempted by the Congress now
about to come to a close.
what / have come to. speak OF
this afternoon is this unity OF our
interest and ] want to make SOME |
demonstrations. I understand that
there Is among the medical proies-
siou diagnosis and prognosis. l dare
say the prognosis Is more difiicult
than the diagnosis. since 1t has to
come first. and not being physician |
have all. the greater courage in
the prognosis- The thought OF no
single man can comprehend the life
OF a great nation like this; and yet
men In pubic life upon whom the
burden OF q certain degree OF guild !
ance is laid must attempt to COM
prehend as much Of II ms they can. |
Strength IAcs In Counsel.
Their strength will lie In COM
mon counsel; their strength win Tie |
in taking counsel OF as many In
formed persons as possible In each |
department with which they have to |
deal, but some time or other the |
poirt will come when they have to /
make decision based upon prog !
nosis. We have HAD to do that in |
attempting the definitions OF nv
which have been attempted by this
Congress, and now 1t Is necessary for |
us, in order TO go forward with the
treat spirit with which believe we /
IAN go forward to look ahead and !
see the things that arc likely to hap /
pen.
In the ar@ place. / fee! thar
the mists and miasmic airs OF
suspicion that have filled the busi- ,
ness world have now been blown
away. II my Judgment Is correct.
nobody has been suspicious OF any
business merely because II was big. t
but they have been suspicious " hen-
ever they thought that the bigness
was being used to take an unfair /
advantage. We all have to admit |
that II Is easier for a big fellow to
take advantage OF you than for a !,
little fellow to ta4s advantage of
you; therefore we instinctively watch
the big fellow with a little closer /
scrutiny than we watch the little fell
low. But bond having been given for
the big fellow. we can sleep nights.
Bond having been given that he will
keep the peace We do mot have to
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