The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-03-20
HARRISON'S INAUGURAL.
The Presidents Views Upon lm-
portant Public Questions.
Discussing the Tariff, Civil Ser
vice, the Surplus, Etc.

The following IS tne luauSuiai ouuAe Va
President Harrison:
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 so manifest IN appropriateness in
the public induction to office of the chief
executive officer Of the nation that from tho
beginning Of the Government the people, to
whose service the official cath consecrates the
officer, have been called to witness the SOL
emn ceremonial. The oath taken in
the presence of the people becomes
a mutual covenant The, officer
covenants to serve the whole body OF
the people by a faithful execution OF the
laws, so that thoy may be the unfailing de.
fence and security OF those who respect and
observe them and that neither wealth and
station nor the power Of combinations shall
be able to evade their Just penalties or to
wrest them from beneficent public purpose
to serve the ends Of cruelty or selfishness.
My promise is spoken; yours unspoken,
people of every State have their repre-
sentatives Surely I do not misin-
terpret the spirit Of the occasion
when I assume that the whole body of the
people covenant with me and with each other
to-day to support and defend the Constitu-
tion and the Union Of the States to yield
willing obedience to all the laws, and each to
every other citizen his equal civil and politi-
cal rights Entering thus solemuly in COW
enant with each other, we may reverently
invoke and confdentially expect the favor
and help of Almighty God-that He will
give to Inc wisdom, strength and fidelity, and
to our people spirit of fraternity and love
of Righteousness and peace.
This occasion derives peculiar Interest from
the fact that the Presidential term which be-
gins this day is the twenty-sixth under our
Constitution. The first Inauguration OF
President Washington took place in New
York, where Congress was then sitting. on
the 3Oth day of April, 1859, having been de-
ferred by reason of delays attending the or
ganization of the Congress and the
canvass of the electoral vote. Our
Eeope have already W. worfhy 96sarVea e
Independence, of the battle of Yorktown,
and of the adoption of the Constitution; and
will shortly celebrate in New York the in
stitution Of the second great department OF
our Constitutional scheme of Government.
When the centennial Of tho institution of thu
Judicial Department, by the organization of
the Supreme Court, shall have heen suitably
observed, as I trust it will be, our nation
will have fully entered its second century. I
will not attempt to note the marvellous, and,
in great part, happy contrasts between our
country as 1t steps over the threshold into its
second century of organized existence under
the Constitution, and that weak but wisely
ordered young nation that looked undaunt-
edly down the first century, when all Its
years stretched out before it. Our people will
which accompanied the institution Of gov
ernment under the Constitution, or to
find inspiration and guidance in the
teachings and example of Wash
ington and his great associates,
and hope and courage in the contrast which
thirty-eight populous and prosperous States
offer to the thirteen States, weak in every
thing except courage and the love Of liberty
that then frlnged our Atlantic seaboard.
lation greater than any of the original
States except Virginia., and greater
than the aggregate Of five OF the smaller
States in 1790 The centro of popula-
ton, when our National Capital was
located, was east Of Baltimore and it was
argued by many well-informed persons that it
would move eastward rather than westward.
Yet in 1880 it was found to be near Gin
cinnati. and the new census about to be
taken will show another stride to the West.
ward. That which was the body has come
to be only the rich fringe of the nations
robe. But our growth has been limited to ter
ritory, population, and aggregate wealth,
marvellous as it has been in each Of those
directions. The masses of our people are better
fed, clothed and housed than their fathers
were. The facilities for popular education
have been vastly enlarged and more general
ly diffused. The virtues of courage and pa
triotism have given recent proof OF their con-
tinued presence and increasing power in the
hearts and over lives Of our people. The in
fluenceS of religion have been multiplied and
strengthened. The sweet Offices of charity
have greatly increased The virtue of tenn.
perence is held in higher estimation.
-1k -,
tion. Not all of our people are happy and
prosperous; not all of them are virtuous and
law. abiding. But, on the whole the oppor-
tunities 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.
g., THE TARIFF POLICY.
Tie surrender of large measure OF SOW
reieuty to the general Government, effected
by the adoption of the Constitution, was not
accomplished until the suggestions OF reason
were strongly reinforced by the ino:e I'M,
perative voice of experience. The divergent
interests of peace speedily demanded
more perfect union" The merchant,
the ship.maSter, and the manufactured
discovered AMI disclosed to our states.
men AMI to the. people that COM
mercial emancipation must be added to the
pOllIlCal lTSeuOm WHICH udl Ueeu 50 oEafeiy
won. The commercial policy of the mothe:
country had not relaxed any Of its hard and
oppressive features. To hold in check the de-
velopment Of our commercial marine, to pre-
vent or retard the establishment and growth
OF manufactures in the States. and so to Sc.
cure the American market for their shops
and the carrying trade for their ships, was the
policy OF European statesmen, and was pur-
sued with the most selfish vigor. Petitions
tion of discriminating duties that should
encourage the production Of needed things at
home. The patriotism of the people, which
no longer found field Of exercise in war,
was energetically directed to the duty OF
equipping tho young republic for the defense
OF its independence by making its people
self-depsndent. Societies for the promotion
Of home manufactures and for encouraging
the uso of domestics in the dress of the peo-
pie were organized in many of ths States.
The revival at the emu of the century of,
the same patriotic interest in the preservation
and development of domestic industries, and
the defence of our working people against
injurious foreign competition is an incident
worthy Of attention. 1t is not departure.
but return 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
tions. If the question became in any sense,or
at any time sectional, it was only because
slavery existed in some Of the States But
for this there was no reason why the cotton,
producing 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 that di-
vide with Pennsylvania the mineral treas;
ures of the great southeastern. and central
mountain ranges should have been so tardy
in bringing to the smelling furnace and
the mill, the coal and iron from their near
opposing hiisides Mill fires were lishtei at
the funeral pile of slavery. The emanclpa-
tion proclamation was heard in the depths
of the earth as well as in the sky. Men were
made free, and material things became our
better servants