The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-03-07
PRESIDENT WILSON'S INAUGU'
RAJ

The inaugural address delivered
by President Woodrow Wilson on
Tuesday morning will, we believe,
meet with a responsive echo in the
heart of every good citizen in the
United States.
1t is short, concise, but incisive. 1t
is clear and comprehensive and is adj
mirably constructed. We believe it
to be a faultless production. Our
new president tries to interpret the
meaning of the change which finds
the democratic party at the head Of
this great government, and we be-
lieye that there will be found but few
who viii not agree with him in his
Interpretation. He says that no
where 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.
He tells of the model of government
that we have set up, but he reminds
us that evil comes with good, and we
have permitted much refined gold TO
become corroded. Some men have
looked upon government as a bust
ness asset, and while it has helped
some it has imposed a tax and hard
ship upon others that have caused
groans and heartaches.
We must take an inventory, pre-
serving what is good and wedding out
that which is hurtful and debasing in
the body polite
A tariff which cuts us off from our
proper part in the commerce of the
world, he says, violates the just prin-
ciples of taxation and makes the gov
eminent a facile instrument in the
hands of private interests; an indus
trial system which restricts the liber-
ties and limits the opportunities Of la
Dor He finds fault with our currency
system, and says that the instrument
talities of science have never yet been
taken directly to the farm He says
that our water courses are undevelop-
ed, and that our forests are fast dis
appearing. We regret that he is 81
lent upon our good roads propaganda
We must all applaud his peroration
1t would do infinite credit to the
ablest of our statesmen or those most
gifted in the art of composition.
Mr.. Wilson concludes:
"And yet it will be no cool process
of mere science. The nation has been
deeply stirred, stirred by a solemn
passion, stirred by the knowledge OF
wrong, Of ideals lost, of government
too often debauched and made an in
strument of evil The feelings with
which We face this new age of right
and opportunity sweep across our
heart-strings like some air out of
Gods own presence, where justice
and mercy are recOnciled and the
judge and the brother are one. We
know our task to be no mere task of
politics, but a task which will search
us through and through, whether we
be able to understand our time and
the need of our people, whether we
be indeed their spokesman and inter
prefers, whether we have the pure
heart TO comprehend and the rectified
will to choose our high course Of ac-
ton.
This is not a day Of triumph: it is
a day of dedication. Here muster, not
the forces Of party. but the forces of
humanity. Mems hearts wait upon us;
mems lives hang in the balance;
mems hopes call upon us today TO
say what we will do. Who shall live
up to the great trust? Who dares
fail TO try? I summon all honest men,
all patriotic, all forward-looking men,
to my side God helping me, | will
not fail them, if they will but counsel
and sustain mel"