Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-03-09
President Hardins's Inaugural
Address.
Continued from page Tuo)

ever service, military or civic, the
individual is best fitted, where we
may call to universal service every
plant, agency or facility, all in the
sublime sacrifice for country and not
one penny for war profit shall inure
to the benefit of private individual,
corporation and combination, but all
above the normal shall flow into the
defense chest of the nation. There
is something inherently wrong, some
ching out of accord with the ideals
of representative democracy when
one portion of our citizenship turns
its activity to private gain amid de-
fensive war while another is fighting,
sacrificing or dying for national
preservation.
Unity of Spirit and Purpose.
Out of much universal service will
come new unity of spirit and pur-
pose, y new confidence and consecra-
ton which would make our defense
impregnable, our triumph assured.
Then we should have little or no dis
organization of our economic, indus
trial and commercial systems at
home, no staggering war debts, no
swollen fortunes to aout the sacri-
fees of our soldiers, no excuse for
sedition, no pitiable slackerism, no
outrages of treason. Envy and jeal-
ousy would have no soil for their
snenacing development and revolution
would be without the passion which
ingenders it.
A regret for the mistakes of yes
terday must not, however, blind US to
the tasks of today. War never left
such an aftermath. There has been
staggering loss of life, and measure
less wastage of materials. Nations
are still cropping for return to stable
ways. Discouraging indebtedness con-
fronts us like all the war torn ma
&ions, and those obligations must be
provided for. No civilization can sur
vive reputation.
We can reduce the abnormal ex-
penditures and we will. We can strike
at war taxation and we must. We
must face the grim necessity with
full knowledge that the task is to
be solved, and we must proceed with
a full realization that no statute en-
acted by man can repeal the mex
orable laws of nature. Our most dan
gerous tendency is to expect too
much of government and at the same
time do for it too little.
We contemplate the immediate
task of putting our public household
IN order. We need rigid and yet
sane economy, combined with fiscal
Justice and it must be attended by in
dividual prudence and thrift. which
are so essential to this trying hour
and reassuring for the future.
Reflection of Wars Reaction.
The business world reflects the dis
turbances of wars reaction. Here
in flows the life blood cf material ex-
istence. The economic mechanism
as intricate and it's parts interdepen-
dent and has suffered the shocks and
lars incident to abnormal demands,
credit infations and price upheavals.
The normal balances have been i'm
paired, the channels of distribution
have been clogged, the relations of
labor and management have been
strained. We must seek the readjust-
snent with care and courage. Our peo-
pile must give and take. Prices must
reflect the recedlng fever of her
activities. Perhaps we never shall
know the old levels of wage again,
because war; invariably readjusts
compensations and the necessities OF
aife will show their inseparable re-
aationship, but we must strive for
uormalcy to reach stability. All the
penalties will not be light or evenly
There is no way of making them
so. There is no instant step from dis
order to order. We must face con-
dition of grim reality, charge off
our losses and start afresh. 1t is the
Oldest lesson of civilization. l would
like government to do all it can to
mitigate them. In understanding, in
mutuality of interest, in concern for
the common good-our tasks will be
solved.
No altered system will work mi