The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1913-03-07
WILSON'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS
New Chief Executive Declares His Aim Will Be to Correct the
Evils of Our National Life Without lmpairng the Good.


delivered today, one OF the shortest on
record, was as follows:
There has been a change of govern
ment. 1t began two years ago when
the house of representatives became
Democratic by decisive majority
1t has now been completed. The SEN
ate about to assemble will also be
Democratic. The Offices of president
and vice-presdent have been put into
the hands Of Democrats. What does
the change mean? That is the ques-
tion that is uppermost in our minus |
today. That is the question | am 60
ing to try to answer, in order, If !
may. to interpret the occasion.
1t 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 large
and definite porpose. No one can
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 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 or 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 bellev-
ed in and familiar, stuff OF our own
convictions. We have been refreshed
by 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 It's
body of wealth, in the diversity and
sweep of its energy, in the industries
which have been conceived and bullt
up 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 women
exhibited in more striking form the
beauty and energy OF sympathy ana
helpfulness and counsel in their efforts
to rectify wrong, alleviate suffering,
and set the weak in the way OF
strength and hope.
But the evil has come with the
good. and much fine gold has been
corroded. With riches has come In
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 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
: full physical and spiritual cost TO thu
men and women and children upol
. whom the dead weight and burden o
: it all has fallen pitilessly the year
J. through. The groans and agony OF
2 all had not yet reached our ears. TN
S solemn, moving undertone or our HE
|. coming up out of the mines and FAC
e tories and out of every home Wher
g the struggle had its intimate and ia
: miliar seat. With the great govern
g ment went many deep secret thing
l. which we too long delayed to 100
n into and scrutinize with candid, feal
h less eyes. The great government W
d loved has too often been made use
y for private and selfish purposes, an
those who used it had forgotten tn
d people.
j. At last a vision has been voucl
d safed us of our life as whole. W
4 see the bad with the good, the d
based and decadent with the soun
IS and vital With this vision we a.
If proach new affairs. Our duty is
n cleanse. to reconsider, to restore,
,r correct the evil without impairing tn
s. good, to purify and humanize ever
Is process of our common life withol
ID weakening or sentimentaliZlng
Sc There has been something crude an
N heartless and unfeeling in our haste
le succeed and be great Our thought hs
o. been Let every man look out for hin
H. self, let every generation look out fd
ITSELF while We reared giant machil
ID cry which made IL impossible that an
III but those who stood at the levers
rs contro! should have g. chance to loo
W out for themselves. We had not TO
IS gotten our morals We remembert
le we'll enough that we had set up
o. policy which was meant to serve II
ye humblest as well as the most powe
lie full, with an eye single to the stan
| ards of justice and fair play, and r
an membered it with pride. But we we
We very needless and in hurry to be gres
mt We have come now to the sob
IS, second thought. The scales Of hee
ne lessness have fallen from our eye
EN- We have made up our minds to squa
IN every process Of our national II
again with the standards we so prou
SIS What Would You Do?