The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1913-03-06
inauuural Address Delivered by
the New President.
SEES WORK Of RESTORATION
Task Of Victorious Democracy Is to
Square Every Process Of National
Life with Standards Set Up
at the Beginning.

with the greatest interest Dy the VAST
throng which was gathered in front
Of the capitol's east portico, and at it's
close there was heard nothing but
praise for it's eloquence and high
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.
It has now been completed. The SEN
ate about to assemble will also be
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 I am 60
ing to try to answer, in order, II l
may, to interpret the occasion.
Purpose Of the Nation.
It means much more than the mere
success of party. The success OF a
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 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 our
lives, have altered their aspect as we
have latterly looked critically upon
them, with fresh, awakened eyes;
hava 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-
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 that
life is very great. It is incomparably
great in it's 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
ND by the genius Of individual men
and the limitless enterprise Of groups
of men. 1t is great also, very great
In it's moral force. Nowhere else III
the world have noble men and womer
exhibited in more striking form the
beauty and energy of sympathy ane
helpfHlness and counsel in their efforts
to rectify wrong, alleviate suffering
and set the weak in the way O
strength and hope. We have built up
moreover, a great system of govern
ment, which has stood through a lons
age as in many respects a model fol
those who seek to set liberty upo1
foundations that will endure agains
fortuitous change, against storm ant
accident. Our life contains ever,
great thing, and contains it in ricl
abundance.
Evils That Have Come.
But the evil has come with tn
good, and much fine gold has beel
corroded. With riches has come in
excusabe waste. We have squan
Gered great part of what we Nigh
have used, and have not stopped t.
conserve the exceeding bounty of ne
ture. without which our genius for en-
terprise would have been WORTHLESS
and impotent, scorning to be careful
shamefully prodigal as we'll as admin
ably efficient. We have been proud 0
our industrial achievements, but W
have not hitherto stopped thought
fully enough to count the human cost
the cost of lives snuffed out, of enel
gies overtaxed and broken, the feal
full physical and spiritual cost to tn
men and women and children upo
whom the dead weight and burden q
1t all has fallen pitilessly the year
through. The groans and agony OF
all had not yet reached our ears, til
solemn, moving undertone of our lift
coming up out of the mines and fat
tories and out of every home Wher
the struggle had its intimate and +;
miliar seat. With the great govern
ment went many deep secret thing
which we too long delayed to loo
into and scrutiniZe with candid fea
less eyes. The great government w
loved has too often been made use {
Tor private and selfish purposes. an
those who used it had forgotten tn
people.
At last vision has been voucl
safed us of our life as a whole W
see the bad with the good, the d.
based and decadent with the SCUM
and vital With this vision we al
proach new affairs, Our duty is
cleanse, to reconsider, to restore,
| correct the evil without impairing til
| good. to purify and humanize ever
| process OF our common life withol
| weakening or sentimentaliZing
| There has been something crude an
| ileartless and unfeeling in our haste t
! succeed and be great. Our thought hi
| been Let every man look out for hin
| self, let every generation look out fc
| itself while we reared giant machi1
| cry which made it impossible that an
| but those who stood at the levers {
! control should have chance to loo