US Presidency
1913

We have been proud of our industrial achievements, but we have not hitherto stopped thoughtfully enough to count the humancost, the cost of lives snuffed out, of energies overtaxed and broken, the fearful physical and spiritual cost to the men and women and childrenupon whom the dead weight and burden of it all has fallen pitilessly theyears through. The groans and agony of it all had not yet reached our ears, the solemn, moving undertone of our life, coming up out of the mines andfactories, and out of every home where the struggle had its intimate andfamiliar seat. With the great Government went many deep secret things whichwe too long delayed to look into and scrutinize with candid, fearless eyes. The great Government we loved has too often been made use of for privateand selfish purposes, and those who used it had forgotten the people. At last a vision has been vouchsafed us of our life as a whole. We seethe bad with the good, the debased and decadent with the sound and vital.