The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1905-03-07

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chamber, the shouting began, swelling
into roar like the Niagara, rising to
cyclonic effects and continuing while
the senate and members, CT the house.
the cabinet, the supreme court, the
Feads of the army and navy, ambassa-
doris and ministers, representatives OF
every subordinate branch of the gov
ernment and a great company OF
guests filed out of the senate doors
and filled the immense platform.
At length all was ready 15r the
crowning ceremony. the sea of hu,
manity was stilled. The president ad,
tanced to take the oath of office. With
j hand upon the Bible held by the
chef justice he reverently repeated
the oath, kissed the book at the end,
dent. He then delivered his inaugural
address, which surprised his hearers
by it's brevity. AS the ceremony closed
he was again greeted by the roaring
cheers of the immense throng. The
presidents address follows:
Presidents Address.
Wy Glow CITIZENS: NO people on
eartn nave more TO be thankful tor
tnan Ours, ana thls is sald reverently
anu in no spirit Oh boasLfulness in our
own strength, but with gratitude to the
gLver OF good WING has blessed us with
The conolt4ons which have enabled us
10 achieve SO large measure OF well
being ana OF happiness. To us as a
people it has been granted to lay the
foundations OF our national life in q
new continent. We are the heirs of the
ages, and yet we have had to pay few
OF the penalties which IN old countries
are exacted by the dead hand of a by
gone civilizations.
I'VE have not been obliged to fight
tor our existence against any alien
race; and yet our lite has called for
the vigor and effort Without which the
manlier and harder virtues wither
away Under such conditions it would
be our own fault it we failed; and the
success which we have had in the past,
the success which we confidently be-
lieve the future, will bring, should
cause us no feeling OF vainglory, bur
rather a deep and abiding realization
of all which life has offered us; fun
acknowledg cement of responsibility
which is ours; and fixed determine,
tion to show that under a free gov
ernment mighty people can thrive
best, alike as regards the things OF
the body and the things of the sou1.
Much Is Expected.
Much has been given TO us, ana
much will rightIully be expected from
us. We have duties to others, ana
uuties 10 ourselves; and we can shirE
neither. We have become great ma
ton, forced by the fact of it's great
ness into relations with the other ma
Cions of the EARTH and we must be-
have as Deseems people with such
responsibilities. Toward all other ma
tions, large and small, our attitude
must be one OF cordial and sincere
friendship. We must show not only IN
dc, 1,11f 40 h0t WA
are earnestly deslrous of securing
their good will by acting toward them
in a spirit of just and generous recog-
milton of all their rights. But justice
and generosity IN nation, as in an in
dividual, count most when shown NOT
by the weak but by the strong.
While ever Watchful to refrain from
Wronging others we must be no less
insistent that we are not Wronged our
selves. We wish peace; but we wish
the peace of Justice, the peace OF
We wish it because we
think it is right and not because we
are afraid. No weak nation that acts
and justly should ever have
cause to fear us, and no strong power
should ever be able to single us out as
a subject for insolent aggression.
''Our relations with the other pow
ers of the world are important; but
still more important are our relations
among ourselves. Such growth in
wealth, in population and in power as
this nation has seen during the cen
tury and quarter of it's national life
is inevitably accompanied by like
growth in the problems which are ever
before every nation that rises to great
ness Power invariably means both