New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-30
Rules of Game" Laid
Down in Talk TO Elec-
trical Railway Men.
MORE PUBLICITY
FOR CORPORATIONS
President Expresses Belief His
Legislation Has Cleared
Paths Of Trade.


era Of enterprise and Of prosperity,
President Wilson in speech at the
conference OF the American Electric
Railway Association here this after
noon said that henceforth nobody was
going to be afraid or suspicious Of
any business merely because it was
big
The President was in the best OF
humor and used many sporting terms
in defining the freedom OF action
which he said belonged to all men.
There was a hint OF reply to the
criticisms Of one-man power which
ha;s been made against him when he
said that the thought Of no single
man can comprehend the life OF
great nation like this, and yet men in
public life. upon whom the burden
Of a certain degree Of guidance is
laid. must attempt to comprehend az
much of il as they can"
81 have always maintained that the
only way in which men could under
stand one another was By meeting one
another" said the President. If be-
lieved all that read in the newspapers
would not understand anybody. I
have met many men whose horns
dropped away the moment I was per-
mitted TO exan.le their character.
Business Doubts Removed.
ut seems to me that | can say with
a good deal Of confidence that VIC are
upon the eve OF new era OF enter
prise and of prosperity. Enterprise
has been checked in this country for
almost twenty years because men were
moving amongst a maze of interroga-
tion points. They did not know what
was going to happen to them. All sorts
Of regulations were proposed. and it was
a matter Of uncertainty what sort OF
regulation was going TO be adopted. All
sorts of charges were made against
business, as if business were at fault.
when most men knew that the great
majority of business men were hon.
est, we're public-spirited, were intend
ing the right thing, and the many were
made afraid because the few did not
do what was right.
"The most necessary thing, there
fore, was for us 20 agree, as we did by
slow stages agree, upon the main par
ticulars Of what ought not TO be done
and then to put ou- Jaws in such shape
as to correspond with that general
judgment. for enc have never doubt
ed that all America WAS of one prin-
ciple. have never doubted that all
America believed in doing what was
fair and honorable and of good re.
port But the method, the method OF
control by law against the small minor
ity that was recalcitrant against these
principles. was thing that it was diff
fcult to determine upon.
Period of Test Needed.
"And it was very great burden, let
me say, TO fall upon a particular ad-
ministration of this government to
have to undertake practically the whole
business Of final definition. That is
what has been attempted by the Con-
gress now about 20 come 10 a close.
It has attempted the definitions for
which the country had been getting
ready or trying to get ready for nearly
half n generation.
cit will require a period Of test 10
determine whether they have success
fully defined them or not, but no ono
needs to have il proved 10 hlm that it
was necessary to define them and re-
move the uncertainties, and that the
uncertainties being removed, common
understandings are possible and a uni
versal cooperation.
"In the first place, ! feel that the
mists and miasmic airs OF suspicion
that have filled the business world have
now been blown away. | believe that
we have passed the era of suspicion and
have come now into the era OF conf
dence. Knowing the elements We have
10 deal with, we can deal iwth them;
ana NlLn lfNb NOUUN'iNt VI hHVNAtbko
we can have confidence Of enterprise.
And that enterprise is going TO mean
this: Nobody is heneeforth going 10
be afraid of or suspicious Of any busi-
ness merely because II Is big.
Passing Of Private Business.
"If my judgment is correct, nobody
has been suspicious Of any business
merely because il WAS big, but they
have been suspicious whenever they
thought that the bigness was being
used 20 take an unfair advantage. We
all have 10 admit that il Is easier for
a big fellow 10 take advantage Of you
than for little fellow TO take sd-
vantage of you; therefore, We instinc-
lively watch the big fellow with
little closer scrutiny than We watch
Continued en- page ,. column 8