Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-03-12
His Inaugural Address Calls on
All Honest Men to Aid in
His Task.
WILL RESTORE, NOT DESTROY
New Chief Executive Says Change OF
Government Means the Nation is
Using Democratic Patry for
Large and Definite Purpose.

Washington, March 4. 4.-Looklng
upon the victory of the Democratic
party as the mandate Of the nation to
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
10 assist him in carrying out the will
of the people. Following is his ad-
dress:
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-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 I am go
ing to try to answer, in order, If /
may, to interpret the occasion.
New Insight Into Our Life.
It means much more than the mere
success. of a party. The success Of a
party means little except when the
nation is using that parry 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 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 lattt ly 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 believ-
ed In and familiar, stuff of our own
convictions. We have been refreshed
by new insight into cur own life.
We zee that In many things that
life is very great. 1t is incomparably
sreat In It's material aspects, IN its
body of wealth, in the diversity and
sweep Of its energy. in the Industries
which have been conceived and ouih
up by the genius Of individual men
and the limitless enterprise OF groups
| of men. It is great, also, very great
in it's 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. great system of govern
| ment, which has stood through a long
| age as in many respects a mode! Tor
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 1t in rich
| abundance.
Human Coat Not Counted.
But the evil has come with the
good, and much fno gold has been
corroded. With riches has come in
e1cusable waste. We have sQuan-
| dered a great part Of what we might
have used, and have not stopped to
conserve the exceeding bounty OF na-
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
| fully enough to count the human cost,
the cost of lives snuffed out, Of ener-
giles overta1eG and broken, the fear
| full physical and spiritual cost to the
men and women and children upon
whom the dead weight and burden of
It all has fallen pitilessly the years
| through. The groahs and agony OF 1t
| 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 it's intimate and IA
miliar seat. With the great govern
ment went many deep secret things
which We too long delayed to look
into and scrutinize with candid, fear
less eyes. The great government we
loved has too often been made use OF
for private and selfish purposes, and
those who used 1t had forgotten the
people.
At last a 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 to
cleanse, to reconsider. to restore, to
correct the evil without impairing the
good, to purify and humanize every
process of our common life without