US Presidency
1913

Nowhereelse in the world have noble men and women exhibited in more striking formsthe beauty and the energy of sympathy and helpfulness and counsel in theirefforts to rectify wrong, alleviate suffering, and set the weak in theway of strength and hope. We have built up, moreover, a great system ofgovernment, which has stood through a long age as in many respects a modelfor those who seek to set liberty upon foundations that will endure againstfortuitous change, against storm and accident. Our life contains everygreat thing, and contains it in rich abundance. But the evil has come with the good, and much fine gold has been corroded. With riches has come inexcusable waste. We have squandered a great partof what we might have used, and have not stopped to conserve the exceedingbounty of nature, without which our genius for enterprise would have beenworthless and impotent, scorning to be careful, shamefully prodigal aswell as admirably efficient.