The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-11-02
PRESIDENT PLEDGES
GREATER PROGRESS
Laws Must Fit New Life Mr..
Wilson Tells the American
People.
HIS RECORD OF DEEDS DONE
U. s. Rights Upheld With Honor,
Farmers Aided, Business and Labor
Benefited, Children Protected
-Women's Votes Needed.


the American people Woodrow Wilson
today gave an accounting OF MS ad-
ministration as their President. tie
"balanced his books" so that the rec
ord stands clear. Promises fulhlled'
great deeds done! That in short
tells the story. And yet the story
is not finished. Other chapters IN the
great Book of Human Progress re-
main to be written. 1t rests with
YOU. American Voters, to say whether
the man who began the book snail
finish it.
Here, in the Presidents own
words, is plain statement OF what
he. as leader not only Of the Demo-
cratic party but Of the nation, has
accomplished in your behalf and OF
what he plans for your future-a
statement made not alone to the thou
sands who journeyed here. but to you
and the hundreds of thousands
throughout the country who celebrat-
ed "Wilson Day."
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
"My FellOW-cltlZenS:
"This is called Wilson Day only
because for six years, first as Cover
nor of New Jersey and then as Presi-
dent of the United States, have been
permitted to lead first great state
and then a great national party along
the ways of progress and of enlarged
and regenerated life which our people
had so long sought and so long been
held back from by the organized
power of selfish interest, and because
the great honor has fallen to me OF
being chosen once more spokesman
and representative of the men VINO
mean to hold the country to these
ways of peace, humanity and progress
It is of these forces that shall speak
and not of myself, who am merely
their servant.
"NNhat are these forces? Whence
do they spring? What have they ac-
complished, and what is their pro-
gramme and purpose for the future?
1t is plain what they are. They are
the forces of humane, righteous, and
patriotic purpose which have sprung
I'D in our day in the minds of those
who perceive the shortcomings of the
1aw as it has hardened in America
and who look forward with purpose
and conviction to new age in which
government shall be indeed the
servant of liberty and not Of privi-
lege.
'"These are men who perceive that
American law has not kept pace
with American sentiment; that our
law has been holding us rigid and
immovable, until class has begun, in
free America, to be arrayed against
class; until what was legal has begun
to play more important part in our
thoughts and determinations than
what is human and right; and until
America has begun to lag instead of
lead in reconciling what is with what
ought to be.
Dawn OF a New Age.
"A new age had dawned upon us
while those who were attempting to
lead us were stumbling along with
their heads over their shoulders, in
tent upon preserving the conditions Of
a day that is gone. America had
changed and the whole world had
changed. Our commerce and industry
had grown to such bulk that the
domestic markets Of which our for
mer leaders were always so sOlicitOus
were glutted and we were bound, I'M
less we were to burst our Jacket,
to find a free outlet into the markets
of the world The time had come
when our commerce needed freedom
and would be throttled by further re-
straints.
"We had acquired foreign posses
sions, had been drawn into the poll
tics Of the world, had begun to play
part which could not be played by
provincials, but must be played by citi-
| zens of the great world of nations.
And vet we had not altered our policy
! or our point Of view. The great
| European war has served at. least to
t show us this one thing, that the world
| lCSell HIS CllillSCu. lAdI IL Atlu UC-
| come at once too big world and
too little a world to submit it's des-
TIMES to the hostile rivalries and am
! billions now of this and again of that
member Of the great family of men
too compact, too intimate in its con-
| facts, too universal in its way OF
intercourse, to make it. any longer
possible to limit the effects of any
] nations action to a single, separate
sphere where the rest would be un.
touched
IAN inevitable partnership of inter.
ests has been thrust upon the nations
They are neighbors and must accom-
modate their interests to one another
or else disturb the lives and embarrass
the fortunes of men everywhere. Nc
| wonder that in such an age men tr
4 America should be cried awake an6
feel once more, as they felt them In
the days when their great republic
was set up, the compulsions of hui
mainly and of justice!
squarIng Laws With Life.