The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-03-07


Food Statutes and Measures Deter.
mining Conditions of Labor-Task
Not Merely One Of Politics.
Washington, March 4.-The inaugural
address Of President Woodrow Wilson
Is as follows:
There has been change of govern
ment. lt began two years ago. when
the house of representatives became
Democratic by decisive majority. 1t
has now been completed The senate
about to assemble will also be Demo.
cratic. The offices OF president aud
vice president have been put into the
hands OF Democrats. What does the
change mean? That Is the question
that Is uppermost In our minds today.
That Is the question ! am going to try
to answer. in order, If | may. to inter-
pref the OCCASION.
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 mis-
now seeks to use the Democratic party
1t seeks to use it to Interpret Il 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. awak-
ened eyes; have dropped their DISCUSSES
and shown themselves alien and sin.
lister. Some new things as we look
frankly upon them. willing to coDlpre-
bend their real character, have come
TO assume the aspect OF things long be.
lieved in and familiar. stuff Of our own
convictions We have been refreshed
Dy>a new insight into our own life.
our Model Government.
We see that in many things life
is very great. II 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 lin
itless enterprise of groups Of men. 1t
Is great also, very great, In its moral
force. Now here else in the world have
noble men and women exhibited In
more striking forms the beauty ana
the energy of sympathy aud helpful
ness and counsel in their efforts to rec
tify wrong. alleviate suffering and set
n W. n hn Of .,fr Ia
hope. We have built up. moreover.
a great system Of government. which
has stood through Il long age as in
many respects n model for those who
seek TO set liberty upon foundations
that will endure against fortuitous
Our life contains every great thing and
contains it in rich abundance.
But the evil has come with the good.
and much fine gold has been corroded.
With riches has come inexcuSabIe
waste. We have squandered Il great
part Of what we might have used and
have not stopped to conserve the ex.
,eeding bounty of nature without
which our genius for enterprise would
have been worthless and impOtent,
to he careful. shamefully
)r0digal as well as admirably efficient.
We have been proud of our Industrial
achievements. but we have not ~bith
count the human cost. the cost Of lives
'nuffed out. Of energies overtayed and
broken, the fearful physical and spir-
tual cost to the men and women and
children upon whom the dead weight
Ind burden of II all has fallen pitiless-
y the years through. The groans and
lgony Of 1t all had not yet reached
,ur ears. the solemn. moving under
one Of our life. coming up out Of the
mines and factories and out of every
home where the struggle had Its inti-
nate and familiar seat. With the
,reat government went many deep Sc
ret things which we too long delayed
o look into and scrutinize with can
lid, fearless eyes. The great govern
nent we loved has too often been
made use of for private and selfish
purposes. and those who used Ii had
orgotten the people.
Duty OF Americans Outlined.
At last vision has been vouchsafed
rs Of our life as a whole. We see the
,ad with the good. the debased and
lecadent with the sound and vital.
With this vision we approach new az
airs. Our duty Is to cleanse, TO re-
to restore. to correct the evil
without impairing the good. to purify |
md humaniZe every process OF our
common life without weakening or |
1t. There has been |
crude and heartless and un-
ceiling IN our haste to succeed and be |
treat. Our thought has been. LET ev-
.ry man look\oGts for himself; let ev-
nv generation look ont for Itself.
While we reared giant machinery which |
made II impossible that any but those
vho stood at the levers of control
Mould have u charge to look ont for
We had not forgotten our
morals. We remembered well enough
hat we had set mp policy which was
meant to serve the humblcst az well as
he most powerful. with an eye single
q the standards Of justice and fair
Inv and remembered II with pride.