Gilpin observer., 1913-03-06
WILSON SPEAKS
TO THE NATION
Inaugural Address Delivered by
the New President.
SEES WORK OF RESTORATION
Task Of Victorious Democracy 10 to
Square Every Process Of National
Life With Standards Set Up
at the Beginning.

Washington, March 4.-President
Wilson's inaugural address, remark
able for It's brevity, was listened to
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 but
praise for its eloquence and high
moral tone. The address in full was
as follows:
There has been a change Of govern
ment. 1t began two years ago, when
the house of representatives became
Democratic by q 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-
tion that is uppermost in our minds
today. That is the question / am 60
ing to try to answer, in order, II l
may, to interpret the occasion.
Purpose Of the Nation.
1t 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 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 1se 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
sumo the aspect of things long believ-
ed in and familiar, stun 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 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 oi
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 fol-
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.
Evils That Have Come. s.
But the evil has come With the
good. and much fine gold has beer
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 te
conserve the exceeding bounty Of ma
ture. without which our genius for en-
terprise would have been worthless
and impotent, scorning to be careful
ably efficient. We have been proud ol
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 upoI
whom the dead weight and burden oi
1t all has fallen pitilessly the years
through. The groans and agony Of Il
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 things
which we too long delayed to lool
into and scrutinize with candid, fear
less eyes. The great government we
loved has too often been made use oi
for private and selfish purposes, ant
those who used It had forgotten the
people.
At last 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 tc
cleanse, to reconsider. to restore, tc
correct the evil without impairing the
good. to purify and humanize ever,
process of our common life withou,
weakening or sentimentalizing 1t
There has been something crude and
heartless and unfeeling in our haste tc
succeed and be great. Our thought hal
been Let every man look out for him.
self. let every generation look out for