River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-03-06
WILSON SPEAKS
TO THE NATION
inaugural Address Delivered by
the New President.
SEES WORK OF RESTORATION
Task OF Victorious Democracy IL TO
Square Every Process of National
Life With Standards Set Up
at the Beginning.

WILSON'S inaugural dQUFS5S1 ISA1dA a
able for its brevity, was listened Il
with the greatest interest by the vas
throng which was gathered in from
Of the capitol's east portico, and at it
close there was heard nothing bu
praise for it's eloquence and higf
moral tone. The address in full wal
as follows:
There has been change of govern
ment. It began two years ago, wher
the house of representatives became
Democratic by a decisive majority
It has now been completed. The sen
ate about to assemble will also Ot
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 / 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
barty means little except when the
nation is using that party for large
and definite purpose. No one car
mistake the purpose for which the
nation now seeks to use the Demo
cratic party. 1t seeks to use 1t TO In
Eerpret a change in it's own plans and
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 ouI
lives, have altered their aspect as we
have latterly looked critically upon
them, with fresh, awakened eyes;
have dropped their DISCUSSES 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
I'd In and familiar, stuff of our own
convictions. We have been refreshed
~ a new insight into our own life.
We see that in many things that
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
up by the genius of individual men
and the limitless enterprise of groups
If men. It Ia great. also, very great
IN it's 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
10 rectify wrong, allie viate 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 a long
lge as in many respects a model for
those who seek to set liberty upon
foundations that will endure against
eortuitous change, against storm and
accident Our life contains every
great thing, ana contains 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.
excusabIe waste. We have squan.
dered great part of what we might
have used, and have not stopped to
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 OF
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.
ful physical and spiritual cost to the
men and women and children upon
whom the dead weight and burden OF
1t all has fallen pitilessly the years
through. The groans and agony OF ii
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 it's intimate and IA
ment went many deep secret things
which we too long delayed to look
Into and scrutinize with candid, fear
less eyes. The great government we
loved has too often been made use OF
for private and selfish purposes. and
those who used it had forgotten the
people.
At last a vision has been vouch
safed US OF our life as whole. We
see the bad with the good, the de
based and decadent with the SOUND
and vital With this vision we ap
proach new affairs Our duty is tt
cleanse, to reconsider, to restore. tC
correct the evil without impairing tho
good. to purify and humanize every
process of our common life without
weakening or sentimentalizing it
There has been something crude anC
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 machiD
cry which made it impossible that any
but those who stood at the levers o.
control should have a chance to lool
out for themselves. We had not for
gotten our morals. We remembered
we'll enough that we had set up 6
policy which was meant to serve the
humblest as we'll as the most power
full, with an eye single to the stand
ards Of justice and fair play, and re
membered 1t with pride. But we were
very needless and in a hurry to b.
great.
Things to Be Altered,