The Twin City star., 1912-01-13
INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Of Pres. Benz. r. Bullock, at the Min
neapoIls Sunday Forum, on
January z, 1912.
Officers, members, and friends OF
the Sunday Forum: do not stand
before you to apologize for being
elected your president. always did
believe in absolute frankness. And
If there Is anything that makes me
grow impatient, it is during the time
of our election, when that ironical
epidemic, Il Decline" gets into the
atmosphere, to which SO many of our
we'll meaning people fall victims. But
you say, 1--WE do not mind lending a
helping hand for the uplift of hui
manity, but we don't want the honor
of filling an office or holding some
responsible position" You say that
you don't want honor, and yet you
love to do the things in which the
very roots of honor itself are i'm
bedded.
shall answer your argument and
at the same time defend the state
ment that the expression 'T decline"
is ironical, by saying, there are GER
tain rules common to the human
family, from which but few escape;
and one of these rules is the love Of
honor and esteem of ones fellow
men," This rule is one of the prin-
cipal motives of economic activities.
Much of our wealth and acquisition
is inspired by a desire to impress our
fellows with sense of our import
ance, to let the world see and know
that we are ambitious, admirable,
and successful. For an example:
When our income will permit, we
buy new hat, new pair of shoes, a
new dress, or a new suit of clothes
not merely because our old ones
cease to be comfortable, or to give
due service, but because we wish to
make a favorable impression upon
others: the desire to own fine houses
is not merely the want of comfortable
shelter from the cold, but it is the
sense of honor coming from the fact
that most people don't own fine
houses.
And friends, upon the face of this
argument, l would not be human If
I didn't feel my breast throb with
pride as 1 stand before you as your
administrator for the incoming term;
as the successor of one so highly
respected and honored as your ex-
president; as the successor of one
who has awakened enthusiasm from
it's slumbers and kindled a spark of
ambition that will bring forth union
and strength out of the chaos of a
downtrodden people; and / have no
fear of intruding upon the good will
or common consent of the people, to
say, as the successor of one who has
been the most faithful and has
proven himself the most successful
administrator in the history of this
organization, the honorable DR.. B. s.
Brown.
And three weeks ago, as sat and
looked on, and even engaged in the
fight to keep him in office, it was
perfectly obvious that after all people
really do appreciate honest and faith
full service. And this thought shall
be the keynote of my administration.
A few days ago as I was looking
over my Rules of Order, came across
a paragraph putting forth the duties
of the President. After giving the
isolated duties it concluded by say
ing, And in general he shall rep
resent and stand for the assembly,
declare its will, and in all things
obey it's commands" This,-this is
what l stand before you to pledge
myself to do! l do not propose to
make laws to govern this Forum, but
do propose to declare unto you and
execute those laws that you make for
your own government I do not pro-
pose to have this Forum to carry out
my will, but I do propose to carry
out the will of this Forum! I do not
propose to work in the interest of a
special few, but do propose to work
in the interest of this Forum as a
whole! / do not finch from these
duties; for I feel it a privilege and
an honor to carry them out.
remember a gentleman getting up,
in the midst of hot discussion dur.
ing one of our late meetings, and
saying that he counted himself for
tunate because he could come to the
Forum only once in a long while. But
/ don't think that We can hold our
friend altogether responsible for max
ing that statement; for we know that
it is very easy matter to get just
a little bit excited in the midst of a
hot discussion. And, from another
statement made by the same gentle
man but a few minutes later, we feel
safe to say that doubtless at the time