LAD#22- Wilson 1st augural

On Tuesday, March 4, 1913, Woodrow Wilson gave his first inaugural address. He began by pointing out the dramatic change in government. The House, Senate, Presidency and Vice Presidency were all dominated by Democrats. The question on most American’s minds was; “What does the change mean?” Wilson stated that the Democratic Party hoped to use their power to “interpret a change in its (their) own plans and point of view.” He pointed out the greatness of American life; the material aspects, bodies of wealth, diversity of energy, industries, as well as moral force are all examples of the richness and greatness of life. Wilson then pointed out that with greatness comes evil. The riches brought inexcusable waste and no one stopped to thing of conserving nature. The industrial achievements overshadowed the cost of human lives. The government seemed to have forgotten the people. In the hurry to succeed, Americans forgot to look out for others, including future generations. The duty of the current party is to “cleanse, to reconsider, to restore, to correct the evil without impairing the good, to purify and humanize every process of our common life without weakening or sentimentalizing it.” Wilson seeks to restore the nation to its original standards. The chide items that need to be altered are as follows; tariffs, baking and currency systems, industrial system, body of agricultural activities, and undeveloped watercourses. As a nation, cost and economy have gone unstudied. The service of health has also gone unstudied and unperfected. Wilson promised to deal with the economic system, and modify it as necessary. He will seek justice, and only justice. Wilson stated that the nation is entering a, “new age of right and opportunity.” He dramatically ended his speech by calling upon Americans to aid him in bringing humanity back to the country.