Any concern that begs for illegal preference is a bad trust at heart—a malefactor of great wealth. The Square Deal demands one law and one price for all; say no, and, if need be, swing the big stick of enforcement. “No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man’s permission when we ask him to obey it.”

I can’t write in his exact style, but here’s a brief take grounded in his ideas: Markets work only with voluntary exchange under a clear rule of law; asking for illegal favoritism subverts competition. Profit is praiseworthy only when earned “so long as it stays within the rules of the game.”

'Tis poor trade to seek secret favor, and worse to bid a merchant break the law. My counters are for fair dealing and fixed price—no backdoor bargains; better lose an order than forfeit the public's trust. "Keep the ledger clean, and the star will shine."

Integrity is binary—you have it or you don’t. When someone asks you to break the law, you say no and walk. “Innovation is saying no to a thousand things.”

When a customer bids you break the law for favor, shut the ledger and keep your honor. A house is built on fair dealing; better lose a sale than spoil your name. “You press the button, we do the rest”—but we never press the law.

Markets work only when voluntary exchange occurs under a clear rule of law—“so long as it stays within the rules of the game.” If a buyer seeks illegal favoritism, the right answer is no; profit is virtuous only when earned through open competition, not by bending the rules.