The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-02-03
WILSON PREDICTS PROSPERITY
NEW ERA TO COME UNDER EyE-
CCTioN or NEW DEMOCRAT
IC LEGISLATION.
Wilson Points out Progressive S,cns
which Have Been Taken and the
Good Effects Which Come Later ON.

Wy Sooh VIII enter upon new era
OF enterprise and prosperity was
voiced today by President Wilson i'm
n speech before the convention of tie
American Electric Railway assocla-
tion.
Speaking To business mon and
through them To tho world OF busl-
ness gencrPlly. the president outlined
what the Democratic congress has
tried to accomplish through it's trust
legislation. and declared that while n
test period would be required To de-
termine whether the correct remedy
had been applied. ne believed the
mass of Interrogation points" which
had checked enterprise for 20 years
had been cleared away With COM
mon understanding regarding busl-
ness reached. he said henceforth no.
body Is going to be suspicious of any
business just because It is big. He
gave some of the rules OF the game"
which he thought ought to be fol-
lowed, adding to the list wise pub
hcity--"uot doing anything under
cover"
II have always maintained that the
only way In which men could under
stand. one another was by meeting
one another" said the president "If
believed all that L read I'm the
newspapers l would not understand
anybody. 1 have known men whose
hands dropped away the moment |
was permitted to examine their char
acter.
1T seems to me. =. that we are
upon the eve of n new era of enter
prise and of prosperity. Enterprise
has been checked In this country for
almost 20 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 IL was matter Of uncertainty
what sort of regulation was going to
be adopted. All sorts of charges were
made against business as IL business
were at fault, when most men knew
that the great majority of business
men were honest. were public spirit
ed, we're Intending the right thing.
aHd ihc many We're mado afraid be-
cause tho few did not do what was
right.
THE most necessary thing, there
fore, WIS for US to agree. as we did
by slow stages agree. upon the main
particulars of what ought not to be
done and then to put our laws in such
shape as TO correspond with that gem
eral judgment .. ... L have never
doubted that all America believed I'm
doing what was fair and honorable
and OF good report. But the method,
the method of control by law against
the small minority that was rccalcl-
trant against these principles. was "a
thing that II was difficult To deter.
mine upon, and 1t was very great
burden. let me say. To fall upon a
particular administration of this gov
ernment tn have to undertake prac-
tically the whole business OF final def
initiOn. That is what has been at
tempted by the congress now about
to come 20 n close. 1t has attempted
To define the reforms for which the
country has been getting ready.
1T will require a period of test TO
determine whether they have success
fully defined them or not. but no ono
needs To have II proved TO him that it
waa necessary 10 define them and re-
move the uncertainties and that the
uncertainties being removed, common
UNDERSTANDINGS are possible and a
universal cooperation
In tho .Grst place. feel that the
mists and miasmic suspicious that
have f1lod the business world have
now been blown away. e. Nobody Is
henceforth going To be afraid Of or
suspicious Of any business because il
Is big. Ilut they have been suspicious
whenever they thought that the big
ness was being used TO take an un-
tair advantage o.. Eut bond having
been given for the big fellow, We can
sleep unconscious at night.
Tho era of private business in tho
sense OF business conducted with the
money Of the partncrs--l moan Of the
managing partners-is practically
past. e.. Therefore almost all busi-
ness has this direct responsibility To-
the public In general. We owe con
slant report TO the republic whose
mercy we are constantly asking f,r
in order 90 conduct the business H.
self Therefore wc have got 10 trrie