Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-15

this gayel was presented by Prest-
cent cen WASHINGTON 70 Valentine ood RENT;
this city, which lodge has ever since
possessed and guarded with Jealous care
this historic relic.
Five ether presidents, James X Polk,
Willard Fillmore, James Buchanan, William
Mckinley and Theodore Roosevelt, have
also used this gavel on notable occasions.
1t Is by the courtesy of Potomac lodge
that am permitted 10 use It at this time.
Within these walls the nation Is to be
beneficiary through the law that shall
here have their beginning. We can only
hope that this structure which has had the
best thought Of many minds In It's planning
will house faith, honor and duty and that
selhshness and passion will be noticeable
by their absence. In yOnder capitol will
An instrumental selection followed and
then the president and the speaker of the
house Of representatives entered the presi-
dnts box. Their appearance was greeted
with round after round of applause. With
out so much as waiting for the applause
20 cease the speaker, waving his hand 10
silence the audience, said;
Citizens; It is my privilege at this time
to introduce TO you one who needs no
Observation-Disclosures Roosevelt president
of the United States.
The Presidents speech.
The president was in splendid voice and
throughout the address hearty and long
continued applause greeted his words
The president said
over a century ago Washington laid the
cornerstone OF the capitol In what was then
little more than tract OF wooded wilder
ness here beside the Potomac. We now find
IL necessary to provide by great additional
buildings for the business of the govern
nlent. This growth in the need for the
housing OF the government is but proof
and example OF the way In which the ma
lion has Grown and the sphere Of action Of
the national government has grown. We
now administer the AFFAIRS Of nation in
which the extraordinary growth of popula-
ton has been o1tstripSed by the growth OF
The material problems that face us today
are not such AZ they were in Washington 5
time, but the underlying facts of human
nature are the same now they were then.
Under altered external form we war with
the same tendencies toward evil that were
evident In Washington's time, and are
helped by the same tendencies for good.
II is about some Of these that ! wish to
In Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress you
may recall the description Of the man
with the muck rake, the man who could
rake in his hand; who was offered a ce-
lestial crown for his muck-rake, but who
would neither look up nor regard the crown
he was offered, but continued to rake to
himself the filth of the floor.
In Pilgrims Progress the man with
OF him whose vision is liked on carnal In
stead OF on spiritual things. Yet he also
lyplnes the man who in this life consist
q
aud hxes his eyes with solemn intentness
only on that which is vile and dobasng.
Now, Il is very necessary that We should
not fiinch from seeing what Is vile and de-
basing. There Is Nth on the floor ana Il
must be scraped up with the muck-rake
and there are times and places where this
service Is the most needed OF all the serV-
ices that can be performed, But the man
who never does anything else. who never
thinks or speaks or writes, save of his
feats with the muck-rake, speedily be-
comes, not a help TO society not an in
element 10 good, but one Of the most
potent forces for evil.
DenunciatiOh with Discretion.
There are, IN the body polite, economic
and social, many and grave evils. ana
there is urgent necessity for the sternest
war upon them. There should be relent-
less exposure OF and attack upon every
evil man, whether politician or busine IS
man, every evil practice. whether I'm poll
ties, in business, or i'm social life. 1 hail
as benetactor every writer or speaker,
every man who, on the platform, or in
book, magazine, or newspaper, With
mercilcss severity makes such attack,
provided always that he in his turn re-
members that the attack Is OF use only
II IL Is absolutely truthful. Ti.s liar Is
no whit better than the thief and IL
his mendacity takes the form OF Islander.
he may be- worse than most thieves II
0sts premium upon knavery untruth-