The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-01-06
Governor Gilchrist's
Inaugural Address.

Amen to Governor Gilchrist's part
ing sentiment conveyed in his inaugu-
ral address: May we all strive to
do our duty as best we can, heart
within and God overhead" For as
Addison well puts it in his tragedy of
Cato:
'.Tis not with mortals to command
success;
We will do more Sempronius: wen
deserve it,
No one of the great throng who lis
tened to his address at Tallahassee
yesterday but must have been i'm
pressed by the bluntness of the orator
the rugged sincerity of tone that
characterized his first public utter
ance as chief executive of this great
state And it certainly must have
conveyed to its hearers, as it has to
The Journal, the conviction that the
governor said what he meant and
meant what he said'-twO widely diff
ferent propositions, but when com
bined they form the secret of the
greatest power in an officer who has
assumed the sacred obligation of serv-
ing the people of a commonwealth.
Governor Gilchrist touched on sew.
eral subjects of the greatest possible
concern to the people: good roads, the
drainage of the Everglades, reform in
the convict system, public schools and
other questions. All of these he han
died comprehensively and with a well
defined wish to treat each of them
when they shall come before him in
his official capacity with a just dis
rriminatiop which will be the result
OF investigation and study.
This is no time to question any OF
the conclusions the governor has ar
rived at from his study SO far of the
states economic condition. The Jour
nal may not thoroughly endorse each
one of his opinions. but it rests conf
guilty of no final judgment not based
on the most careful investigation and
that the interests of the state will be
safe in the hands of such an execu-
tive. What we may have to say on
these questions will be spoken honest
~ ana fearlessly when they are
brought up for general discussion by
the press and people.
Honesty was the keynote of Govern
or GilchTist's speech. That is what
we like about it. That must have been
its chief attraction for all who heard
it. He acknowledges with few sim
pie words that honor can come only
TO him who acts his part well and in
Inmates that he, above most men,
must seek honor through the perform
ance of duty. The Office of govern
or" he said, was not born to me; the
Office of governor was not thrust upon
me; the Office of governor was just
wanted by me and the people gave 1t
TO me-that's all" And he knows, as
the people of Florida know, that it was
given to him because the great ma
jority of his fellow citizens believed
in him and placed absolute faith in
his immutable loyalty, his fealty to
their interests, his incorruptibility.
The Journal is grateful to the gov
ernor for selecting it alone from the
press of Florida for especial mention
and quotation from its columns. 1t
is true that the words he quoted we're
written to defend him from the
sslings and arrows of outrageous
newspapers, and TO help him endure
nobly the spun that patient merit of
the unworthy takes" The Journal
has recognized all along that this in
sistance on the part of many of its
well-meaning but biased contempt
varies that, willy-niny-or viii she will
she-the governor must enter in the
role of a benedict upon his field of ac-
ton. Was not by any means a fair |
deal"
When the modest paragraph to /
which he alluded was written it told /
a truth; a very important one. And /
as truth constitutes the best support /
of a man, be he governor or simple !
citizen, We feel that Governor Gilchrist |
has more than q broken reed to lean /
upon. For is this not true? a bach /
elor governor. Good thing. He viii /
look after the affairs of state and viii /
not be worried looking after any other