The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-03-08
His Inaugural Address Calls on
All Honest Men to Aid in
His Task.
WILL RESTORE, NOT DESTROY
N.u Chief Executive Says Change of
Government Means the Nation Is
usinq Democratic Party for
LARGE and Definite Purpose.

4 marty as the mdhudle vi the hdIlOn 10
correct the evils that have been al
lowed to grow up in our national life,
President Wilson in his inaugural ad-
dress today called on all honest men
N assist him in carrying out the will
n, the people. Following is his ad-
dress:
There has been a change of govern
ment II began two years ago, when
the house of representatives became
Democratic by a decisive majority.
II has now been completed. The SEN
ste about to assemble will also be
Democratic. The Offices of president
and yice-president have been put into
the hands Of Democrats. What does
the change mean? That is the ques-
tjon that is uppermost in our minds
today. That is the question ! am 60
ing to try to answer, in order, if
may to interpret the occasion.
New Insight Into Our Life.
II means much more than the mere
success of a party. The success OF a
Marty means little except when the
nation is using that party for large
and definite porpose. No one can
1 mistake the purpose for which the
nation now seeks to use the Demo
cratic party. 1t seeks to use it to in
terpret a change in its 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;
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
mme the aspect of things long believ-
ed In and familiar, stuff of our own
convictions. We have been refreshed
l BY q new insight into our own life.
We see that in many things that
lie Is very great. 1t is incomparably
great In its material aspects, in its
body Of wealth, in the diversity and
sweep Of its energy, in the industries
which have been conceived and built
up 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, a great system of govern
ment, which has stood through long
age as in many respects a 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 contains it in rich
abundance.
Human Cost Not Counted.
But the evil has come with the
good, and much fine gold has been
ccrroded. With riches has come in
excusable waste. We have squan-
dered a 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 well as admir-
ably efficient. We have been proud of
our Industrial achievements, but we
have not hitherto stopped thought
mliy enough to count the human cost,
the cost of lives snuffed out, of ener-
xgies 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
all has fallen pitilessly the years
through. The groans and agony of it
all had not yet reached our ears, the
solemn, moving undertone of our life,
coming up out of the mines and fac
wrles and out of every home where
me struggle had its intimate and ia
niliar seat. With the great govern
ment went many deep secret things
which we too long delayed to look
INTO and scrutinize with candid, fear
iess eyes. The great government we
ioved has too often been made use of
ior private and selfish purposes, and
nose who used it had forgotten the
people.
AZ last a vision has been vouch.
saieo US OF our life as whole. We
see tne bad with the good, the de-
osseo and decadent with the sound
anu vital. With this vision we ap-
p'oacn new affairs. Our duty is to
Cleanse. to reconsider, to restore. to
orrect the evil without impairing the
sooo' TO purify and humanize every
process OF our common life without
fastening or sentimentalizing it..
uere mas been something crude and
aearuess and unfeeling in our haste to
succeed and be great. Our thought has
zen Let every man look out for him.
net every generation look out for
SIT while We reared giant machin-
y winch made it impossible that any
u' tnose who stood at the levers of
ua'rol should have a chance to look
-. Ior themselves We had not fer.
s Gwen our morals. We remembered
.sn enough that we had SET nm q
poncy which was meant 90 ~.
M "olest as well as the most power.
& with an eye single to the stand.
s'os OF justice and fair nIo,