Omaha daily bee., 1889-03-05

sccnded the senate steps and continued until
they were seated in their carriages and took
their places in the procession, which mmed-
lately began to move.
THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
How the various Political Problems
Will BE Met and Solved.
WAsHlNGroN, March 4.-The following is
President Harrison's inaugural address, as
delivered in the senate to-day:
There is no constitutional or legal require
ment that the president shall take the oath
of office in the presence of the people But
there is such manifest appropriateness in
public introduction to the Office of chief exec
utivc officer of the nation that from the be-
ginning of the government the people, to
whose service the official oath consecrates
the officer have been called to witness the
solemn ceremonial. The oath taken in the
presence of .he people becomes a mutual COW
enant. The officer covenants to serve the
whole body of the people by the faithful exc
cution of the laws, so that they may be the
unfailing ,ng defense and security of
them, and that neither wealth, station. nor
power of combinations shall be able to evade
their just penalties or to wrest them from
the beneticent public purpose TO serve the
ends of cruelty or scltishness. My promise
is spoken, yours unSpoken, but not the less
real and solemn.
The people of every state have here their
representatives. Surely do not misrcpre-
sent the spirit of the occasion when assume
that the whole body of the people covenant
with me and with each other to-day to sup
port and defend the constitution and union
of the states, to yield willing obedi-
ence to all laws and each
to every other citizen his equal, civil and
political rights. Entering thus soleinnly into
covenant with each other, we may reverently
invoke ana confidently expect favor and help
OF Almighty God, that he will give to me
wisdom, strength and fidelity, and to our
people the spirit of fraternity and love of
righteousness and peace.
This occasion derives peculiar interest
from the fact that the presidential term,
which begins this day, is the twenty-slxth
under our constitution. The first inaugural
ton of President Washington took place in
New York, where congress was then
1889, having been deferred by reason
of delays in amending the organization of
congress ani the canvass of the electoral
vote. Our people have already worthly OBJ
served the centennials of the declaration of
independence, of the battle of Yorktown and
of the adoption of the constitution, and will
soon celebrate in New York the institution
of the second great department of our consti-
tutional scheme of government When the
centennial of the constitution of the judicial
depaI tment by the organization of the su-
preme court shall have been suitably OBJ.
served, as / trust it will be- our nation will
have certainly entered its second century.
will not attempt to note the marvellous,
and, in great part happy contrasts between
our country as it steps over the threshold into
its second century of organized existence un-
der the constitution, and that weak but
wisely ordered young nation that looked un-
dauntedly down the first century when all
its years stretched out before it. Our people
will not fail at this time to recall the Incl.
dents which accompanied the institution
of the government under the constitution or
to find inspiration and guidance in the teach
ings and example of Washington and
his great associates, and the hope
and courage in contrast which populous and
prosperous states offer to thirteen states,
weak i'll everything except courage and love
of liberty, that then fringed our Atlantic sea
board. The territory of Dakota has now a
population greater than any of the original
states Except Virgina), and greater than
the aggregate of five of the smaller states in
li95. The center of population when our ma
tional capital was located was east of Baiti-
more, and it was argued by many we'll
informed persons that it would
move eastward rather than westward
Yet in 1850 it was found to
be near Cincinnati and the new census about
to be taken will show another suride to the
westward. That which was the body has
come to be only the rich fringe of the ma.
tiOns robe.
But our growth has not been limited to
territory, population and aggregate wealth,
rections. The masses of our people are bet
ter fed, clothed and housed than their faith
ers were The facilities for popular educa-
ton have been vastly enlarged and more
generally diffused. The virtues of cour-
age and patriotism have given recent
proof of their continpcd presence and in
creasing power in the hearts and over the
lives of our people. The influences of re-
ligion have been multiplied and strength
ened; the sweet offices of charity have
~ hn vi ipt ~
is held in higher estimation. We have not
attained the ideal condition. Not all OF our
people are happy and prosperous; not all of
them are vrtuous and lcw-abiding, but on
the whole the opportunities offered to the
individual to secure the comforts of life are
better than are found elsewhere and largely
better than they were here one hundred
years ago.
The surrender of large measure of sover-
eighty to the general government, effected
by the adoption of the constitution, was not
accomplished until suggestions of reason
were strongly reinforced by the more inner
atlve voice of experience, The divergent in
terests of peace speedily demanded more per-
fect union. The merchant, shipmaster and
ufacturer discovered and disclosed to our
statesmen and TO the people that commercial
must be added TO the political
freedom which had been so bravely won.
The commercial policy Of the mother
of its hard and oppressive fe,.
lures to hold in check the developments of
our commercial marine, TO prevent or retard
the establishment and growth of manufact-
urers in the states. To secure an Amer
lean market for their shops and u carrying
trade for their ships, was the policy of the
European statesmen, and was pursued with
the most selfish vigor, Petitions poured in
upon congress urging the imposition of dis
duties that should encourage the
production OF needed things at home. The
patriotism Of the people which no longer found
a field for exercise in war, was energetically
directed to the duty of equipping the young
republic for the defense of its independence
by making its people self-dependent. Socie-
ties for the promotion of home manufactures
and for encouraging the use of domestics in
the dress Of the people were organic lied in
many of the states.
The revival at the end of the century of
the same patriotic interest in the preserva-
tion and development of domestic industries
and the defense OF our working people
against injurious foreign competition,
is an incident worthy of attention.
II is not q departure but re-
turn that we have witnessed. The
protective policy had then its opponents.
The argument was made, as now, that its
benefits Injured TO particular classes or sec
Or at any time, sectional, it was only because
for this there was no reason why the cotton
states should not have led or
walked abreast with the New England
states in the production Of cotton fabrics.
There was this reason only why the states
hat ltWVt.N