Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-03-05
inaugural Address Delivered by
the New President.
SEES WORK or RESTORATION
Task Of Victorious Democracy Is to
Square Every Process Of National
Life With Standards Set Up
at the Beginning.

Of the capitoIs east poFtieo, aDd az lts
close there was heard nothing but
praise for its eloquenee 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 a decisive majority.
1t has now been completed. The SEN
ate about to assemble viii also be
Democratic. The Offices of president
and vice-presldent have been put into
the hands OF Democrats. What does
the change mean? That is the ques.
ton that Ia uppermost in our minds
today That is the question ] am go
ing to try to answer, in order, il /
may, TO interpret the occasion.
Purpose Of the Nation.
II 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 a large
and definite purpose. No one can
mistake the purpose for which the
nation now seeks to use the Demo
cratic party. It seeks to use 1t 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 CIR thought and Of our
lives. have altered their aspect as we
have latterIy looked critically upon
them, With fresh, awakened eyesj
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, haze come tc as
sumo the aspect Of things long beiiev-
ed in and familiar. stuff 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 1t Is incomparably
great In it's material aspects. in it's
body OF wealth, in the diversity and
sweep of it's energy, In the industries
which have been conceived andNbuilt
up by the genius Of individual men
and the limitless enterprise of groups
of men. II 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.
Evils That Have Come.
But the evil has come with the
good, and much fine gold has been
corroded. With riches has come in
excusable waste. We have squan
dered great part of what we might
have used. and have not stopped tC
conserve the exceeding bounty of ma
ture. without which our genius for en-
terprise would have been worthless
and impotent. scorn'ng to be careful
shamefully prodigal as well as admir-
ably efficient We have been proud ol
our industrial achievements. but We
have not hitherto stopped thought
1, 70
the cost OF lives snuffed out. OF ener
gies overtaxed and broken, the fear
full physical and spiritual cost to tbs
men and women and children upoT
whom the dead weight and burden o
IL all has fallen pitilessly the year!
through The groans and agony of
all had not yet reached our ears. thu
solemn. moving undertone of our life
coming up out of the mines and fac
tories and out of every home wher
the struggle had It's intimate and ia
| miliar seat With the great govern
ment went many deep secret thing
which we too long delayed 20 loo
! into and scrutinize with candid, fear
less eyes. The great government w
loved has too often been made use o
for private and selfish purposes, an
those who used 1t had forgotten tn
people.
At last a vision has been vouel
safed us of our life as whole. W
see the bad with the good. the d,
BASED and decadent with the SCUM
and vital with this vision we al
preach new affairs, Our duty is I
cleanse, TO reconsider. to restore. {
correct the evil without impairing III
good. to purify and humanize ever
process of our common life withol
weakening or sentimentaliging
There has been something crude an
heartless and unfeeling in our haste
succeed and be great. Our thought hi
been Let every man look out for hiu
self. let every generation look out fC
itself while we reared giant machi
cry which made it impossible that an
but those who stood at the levers
control should have chance to loo
out for themselves. We had not 70
gotten or morals. We remembers
well enough that We had set up
policy which was meant to serve Il
] humblest as well as the sAcst powe
: full, with an eye single to the stan
ards Of justice and FAIR play, and !
membered it with pride. But we we
very needless and in a hurry to
great
Things TO Sc Altered.
, We have come now 20 the sob
I second thought The scales OF he6