The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-04
VICE PRESIDENT MARSHALL'S
INAUGURAL ADDRESS

| Senators-The proprieties of this oc-
cas1on probably require q few words
from one who is grateful to the Amer
lean people for the honor heretofore
done him and this day contaminated.
No senator, has, 1 trust, a keener
| appreciation of the necessities in the
| way of tact and courtesy now devolv-
| ing upon me than I myself offer
no surety as to my discharge of duties
other than a personal pledge that L
will seek to fami1iarize myself with
| them and will endeavor always to ex-
ercise that complaisance and forbear-
ance which are essential to him who
| ably presides over great debates upon
great public questions by great mel
Divergent views relative to this body
would be less divergent If the AInert-
| can people would come to realize that
| in all sides Of real questions much
may truthfulIy be said. Such an at
titude of the public mind would elinni-
| nate the view that this body is dis
| tinctively deliberate and not tl-or-
oughly patriotic.
Charges of bad faith based upon an
| attitude of mind or upon conduct
should never be made until it is clear
| 1y esta blfshed that the resultant action
| is the outcome of personal interest or
| improper and dishon orabIe business or
social relations.
| Your action has not always met, with
universal approval. but up to this good
hour no workable substitute for the
exercise Of the functions of this body
has been proposed. It is not needful
for me here and now to accept brief
/ in your defense. This body will con-
| tinue to stand not because of it's pre-
! siding officer, but because of the pa
| triotism and intelligence of it's con-
stituent members and their devotion
to our system of government.
| To my mind government is the
harness with which a people draws
| it's load of civilization. If the harness
be properly adjusted the load, though
heavy will be drawn with ease and no
part of the people will be CALLED.
The senate is the binders, intended
to keep the people from shying at
| imaginary dangers and topping. into
| the ditch our system. of government.
| So long as the bIinders serve this
purpose they are a most valuable part
of the harness, but If they be drawn
so closely to the eyes as to prevent
! the seeing of real dangers. then they
should either be spread or done away
with entirely. am one of those VINO
think that we can 50 adjust our
| binders as to meet new conditions
and render US sanely responsive TO
every reasonable demand of the peo-
pie without disturbing any OF the
| checks and balances OF OUT system OF
government and preserving with loyal
| ty and fidelity the ancient Ideals Oh
| the republic.
with neither right nor desire to in
fringe upon the preroSatives OF the
president SO soon to he, beg the e1-
preston of the opinion that whatever
diverse views may be held relative TO
the work of this body all persons are
agreed that under the constitution
The senate of the u. s. is stngularly the
guardian Of the peoples honor: that
more and more, as righteousness Is
L ii
| is becoming more frrnly fixed that IT
| is not vast territory, great wealth nor
large learning which mark the real
status Of America; that America IS 70 De
measured by thegoldez rsFetewand OF
| honor. and. as the idea in her forma-
tion was the inherent right of men
to rule themselves, that now she can
Ill afford to announce this doctrine IN
her own land and renounce 1T for an
instrument of oppression in other
lands
unfortunately there is no fixed
standard of honor outside the die
tionary The gambler may hold 1T
to consist in paying his gaming debts,
the member of the smart set, IN d1-
vorcing his neighbor's wife before tax
ing her unto himself. the senator IN
eliminating personalities. But when
we enter the chancelleries of the world
and submit to their judgments not
only our right to be but our right to
be respected we can hope to be meas
ured in but one way; and we must
be able to show that the solemn treaty
obligations of this republic will be
kept with the same scrupulous honesty
both Of spirit and letter wrerver
made with the humblest people of this
continent struggling for self-govern-
ment or with the mightiest monarch
of the old world. This high sense of
honor constitutes the panoply OF the
American people. Armies and bat
tIeships furnish no substitute for IT
These are valuable but the people
never intended that authority should
use them as accessories to a burglars
kit.
If any one in the name Of the Amer
lean people, either in violation of
treaty obligations or the manifest pur
pose of the Monroe doctrine, has taken
aught while this body was deliberat-
ing. it is your duty to ascertain all
facts thereto. And if wrong or in
justice has been done, even to the
humb1est republic let this people be
brave enough and sufficiently honest
to make reparatfon. The real great
ness of this republic rests upon its
unsulled honor and it is the duty of
this body to search down rumorS of
bad faith dishonesty and to rectify
wherever wrong is discovered.
Here is this most sacred spot, where
war has been made and peace de-
clared, here in the presence of the
distinguished representatives of the