The Republican., 1925-07-23
A LESSON LEARNED

In the midst of plenty and prosper
ity in land like the United States,
it is necessary for the people to real
ize the advantages which they enjoy,
if they are to fully appreciate them.
Without this understanding and ap-
probation, the agitator, who if he
could would undermine the ideals of
our constitutional form of govern
ment with his socialistic doctrines and
experiments, has an easy field in
which to work.
The American people have paid for
some dear lessons in the school of ex-
perience, when they have permitted
themselves to be led astray from the
basic principles laid down by the
founders of Our Country.
During the past thirty years we
have witnessed the passage of drastic
legislation which severly handicap
ped the full play of private initiative
and enterprise. Such legislation SEEM
ed necessary to curb the greed and
rapacity of the few who would tram
pie on the rights of the many.
But conditions improved-until to-
day so called "big business" which a
few years ago was looked upon by
many as a curse to the nation, is now
considered essential to its proper de-
velopment.
Commenting on this reaction in
public sentiment, which is based on
reason and understanding instead of
blind prejudice, Henry Ford in a re-
cent issue of his Dearborn Indepen-
dent, asks a question as to whether
our business system has learned its
lesson from past experience and will
profit from the same.
1t is safe to say that it has learned
and it has also profted. A great in
dustry today is no longer a one-man
institution. Instead it is owned by
thousands and hundreds of thousands
of everyday Americans who have a
voice in its management.
There is no question but what this
change in ownership has been respon-
sible in a large degree for the change
in sentiment toward business gener-
ally.
Rational consideration of business
problems has been brought about as
our people have gained better un-
derstanding of the questions at issue
They see that short-sighted policies of
a few industrial leaders, which ignor-
ed basic principles of justice and fair
play in business, are not sufficient
grounds for condemning all "big bus
mess" They have found that in or
der to correct abuses in special cases,
it is not necessary to apply the RENE
dy to all business alike whether it
needs it or not.
With experience has come under
standing. Today, the cry of 'big bus
mess" arouses no anxiety. The pub
lie cares not how big business gets
so long as it is conducted honestly
and in the public interest.
That our great industries are fully
aware of their duty and obligation to
the public is evidenced by the fact
that their brightest executives are in
charge of or devote a great share of
their time to the public relations work
of their companies in order that the
public may know of, and if it so de-
sires, share in the ownership and the
management of such companies.
Henry Ford's question can be safely
answered in the affirmative-Ameri-
can business has learned by its past
experience. And further, it can be
said, the American people have pro-
fitted by making themselves acquaint-
ed with business problems and by ac-
cepting partnership in our leading in
dustrial companies, thus establishing
real public ownership on sound
footing free from politics.