The Chanute times., 1913-03-07
WILSON SPEAKS
TO THE NATION
Inaugural Address Delivered by
the New President.
SEES WORK OF RESTORATION
Task of Victorious Democracy Is 10
Square Every Process Of National
Life With Standards Set up
at the Beginning.


able for it's brevity, was listened 10
with the greatest interest by the vast
throng which was gathered In front
of the capitols east portico, and at its
close there was heard nothing Dut
nraise for it's eloquence and hlgh
moral tone. The address in full was
as follows:
There has been change of govern
ment. 1t began two years ago, when
the house of representatives became
Democratic by a decisive majority
II has now been completed. The SEN
ate about to assemble will also De
Democratic. The offices of president
and vice-president have been put into
the hands of Democrats. What does
the change mean? That is the ques-
ton that is uppermost in our minds
today. That is the question l am go
ing to try to answer, in order, II
may. to interpret the occasion.
Purpose Of the Nation.
It means much more than the mere
success of a party. The success OF
party means little except when the
nation is using that party for a large
and definite purpose. No one can
mistake the purpose for which the
nation now seeks to use the Demo-
cratic party. 1t seeks to use 1t to In
terpret change in it's own plans ana
point of view. Some old things with
which we had grown familiar and
which had begun to creep into the
very habit Of our thought and OF our
lives. have altered their aspect as we
have latterly looked critically upon
them, with fresh, awakened eyes;
have dropped their disguises and
shown themselves alien and sinister.
Some new things, as we look frankly
upon them, willing to comprehend
their real character, have come to as
sumo the aspect of things long believ-
ed in and familiar, stuff Of our own
| convictions. We have been refreshed
by a new insight into our own life.
We see that in many things tnat
life is very great. 1t is incomparably
great in its material aspects, in its
body of wealth, in the diversity and
sweep Of it's energy in the Industries
which have been conceived and built
I'D by the genius OF individual men
and the limitless enterprise of groups
of men. 1t is great, also, very great,
| in its moral force. Nowhere else in
the world have noble men and women
exhibited in more striking form the
beauty and energy of sympathy and
helpfulness and counsel in their efforts
to rectify wrong, alleviate suffering
| and set the weak In the way OF
strength and hope. We have built up
moreover, great system of govern,
ment, which has stood through long
age as in many respects model for
those who seek to set liberty upon
foundations that will endure against
fortuitous change, against storm and
accident. Our life contains every
great thing, and &C -.ains it in rich
abundance.
Evils That Have Come.
But the evil has come with the
good, and much fine gold has been
corroded. With riches has come in
excusable waste. We have squan
dered a great part of what we might
have used, and have not stopped tc
conserve the exceeding bounty Of ma
ture, without which our genius for en-
terprise would have been worthless
and impotent, scorning to be careful
shamefully prodigal as we'll as admir-
ably efficient. We have been proud oi
our industrial achievements, but We
have not hitherto stopped thought
fully enough to count the human cost
the cost of lives snuffed out, of ener
gies overtaxed and broken, the fear
full physical and spiritual cost to the
men and women and children upor
whom the dead weight and burden Of
It all has fallen pitilessly the years
through. The groans and agony of i
all had not yet reached our ears, the
solemn, moving undertone Of our life
coming up out of the mines and fac
tories and out of every home where
the struggle had its intimate and ia
miliar seat. With the great govern
ment went many deep secret thingi
which we too long delayed to lool
into and scrutinize with candid, fear
less eyes. The great government WI
loved has too often been made use o
for private and selfish purposes, ant
those who used it had forgotten thu
people.
At last a vision has been vouch
safed us of our life as whole. W.
see the bad with the good, the de
based and decadent with the souni
and vital. With this vision we ap
proach new affairs Our duty Is t.
cleanse, to reconsider. to restore, t
correct the evil without impairing th'
good, to purify and humanize ever,
process of our common life withou
weakening or sentimentalizing il
There has been something crude ant
heartless and unfeeling in our haste Il
succeed and be great. Our thought ha
been Let every man look out for him
self, let every generation look out fol
ITSELF while we reared giant machin
cry which made Il impossible that an