| Show adeas a ii I 1 ia res cleve lallI S folley pol I 1 hit lined 0 1 IT ITIS IS TARIFF REFORM platitudes platitude s on m the surrency Our Cur rency reiley question frugality is urged T D C march 4 before taking the oath of office mr Cla veland read his inaugural address as fol follows lowa my fellow citizens in obedience to the mandate of my countrymen 1 a am in about to dedicate myself to their se ser r vice under the sanction of a sole solemn ma oath deeply moved by the expressions oi of e and personal attachment which bae c called a ailed me to this service I 1 am sure eure my gratitude can make r no 0 better belter return than the pledge I 1 now give before god and these witnesses of unreserved complete devotion to the interests and welfare of those who honored me I 1 deem it fitting on this thia occa occasion slun while indicating the opinions I 1 hold bold concerning public questions of present importance also to briefly refer to the existence of cf certain condi tiona lions and tendencies among our people e w lich seem to menace the integrity an and d usefulness ot their covern government ment while every american citizen must contemplate with the utmost pride prid and enthusiasm the growth and expansion of our country the sufficiency of our oar institutions t to stand island against tle the of violenda vio lenca lenco the wondern wonderful erful III thrift and enterprise of our people and the demonstrated superiority of our government it behooves beho bebo oyes us constantly to watch for every symptom of insidious infirmity that threatens our national vigor the strong man who in the confidence of sturdy health courts the st ernest activities of life and rejoices in the hardihood of constant labor in may ay still have lurking near his vi ta tala an unheeded disease that dooms him to sudden collapse colla ose it cannot he be durat d that our stepen stupendous dous achieve as aa a people and our count rys robust strength have given rise to heed lessner less nesa nes of those laws governing our national health which we can no more evade than human life cart can escape the laws of god and nature mature therbia The reia r a is manifestly nothing more vital to our supremacy as a nation and to beneficent purposes of our government than a sound and currency its ita exposure to degradation should at once arouse to activity the most enlightened statesmanship and the danger of depreciation in the purchasing power of wares raid paid to toil should tarnish furnish the b incentive to prompt C conservative precaution in dealing witti our present embarras embarrassing sinz situa tion as related to this subject we shall ili ih faith g in 0 our ur n atio nea strength strength R and andr re sources with the frank concession sion that event heSO will w ill not permit us to defy ath with impunity them the inexorable laws of if finance and trade at the same game time in our efforts to adjust the difference of opinion we should be ba free from intolerance or pas stion and our judgments should be unmoved by alluring phrases and by selfish interests I 1 am confident that such approach to the subject wilt will result in prudent effective i le em medical edical legislation in the meantime as far as the executive branch of the government can intervene none of the powers with which it is invested will be ba withheld hen their excise is ia deemed acs necessary to maintain gour four national credit 01 closely oRely related to the exaggerated confidence in our coun trva greatness which tends to a disregard of the rules of national safety another danger confronts us not less serious I 1 refer to 0 o the prevalence of the popular disposition to expect from the operation rf cf the government special and direct individual advant advantages aZes the verdict of our voters which condemned the policy of maintaining protection for protections sake enjoins upon the peoples servants the duty of exposing ng and destroying the brood of kindred evils devils which are aft an un whole some progeny of paternalism this is the bane ban of republican institutions and the constant peril of a government govern mant by the people it degrades to purposes of wily craft the plan of rule our fathers established and bequeathed bequeath eLd to us as an object of our love and veneration it prevents the patriotic sentiment of our countrymen and tempts them to a pitiful calculation of sordid gain to be derived from their governments maintenance te nance it undermines the self reli ance of our people and substitutes in its place dependence upon governmental favoritism it stifles the spirit of true americanism and stupefies fies every ennobling trait of american citizenship the lesions of paternalism ought to be unlearned and a better lesson taught that while the people should practically and cheerfully support their gobern ment its functions do not include the support of the people one mode of misappropriation of public funds is avoided when the ap point ments to office instead of being I 1 the reward of partisan activity are awarded to those whose eMcie efficiency ncy promises a fair return of work for the compensation pensa tion paid them to secure fitness and competency of appointees to office and remove from political action the demoralizing madness for spoils civil service reform has found a place in our public policy and laws the benefits already gained through this instrument ins trumen bality and the further usefulness it promises prom isea entitle it to the hearty BUD support and encouragement of all who desire to t see our public service well I 1 pe performed r ire ormed or who hope for elevation ol of the p political sentiment and purification of p political methods the tha ezi existence stence pt of immense aggregations of kindred bombina lions of business interests formed for the purpose of limiting the prod prediction production action and fixing the prices is is inconsistent with their the fair field which ought to bo be open to ayery independent activity legit legitimate mate attice in business should not ot be superseded eded by enforced concession to tle demands of combinations that haye have power to destroy nor should the people to be ba served lose the benefit of cheapness ness which usually results from wholesome some competition our relations with the Indi indians atis located within our borders imi oso osa upon us responsibilities we can not escape humanity and consistency require us bs to treat them with forbearance and in our dealings with them to honestly ind and con a estly regard their rights and interests the people of the united states hava hato decreed en cn th this 3 day that tha con arol of their government in its fists legislative and executive branches shall b be e oven to a political party pledged in inmost mos t positive terms to the accomplishment of tariff reform they have thus determined in favor of a more just and equit babie system of federal taxation the agents they have chosen to carry out weir purpose were bound by their promises aud and not less leas than by corn COM mand of ther masters to dev devote 0 to themselves unremittingly to th this t a service W while hile there dooald be aa no DO a surrender ar render ot of principle our task must be undertaken wisely aul aal without vindictiveness vindictive nees our in mission I 1 9 sion is not the punishment but the rectification of wrongs it if ia lifting the burdens from the daily life of our people we reduce inordinate unequal 0 vanta vantages es lone enjoyed this is ia but a necessary necee earv incident ot ol our return to right and justice it we exact from unwilling minds minda acquiescence in the theory of tha bonest distribution of the governmental beneficence benefi cenca treasured up for all we but insist upon the principle which underlies our free institutions when we tear aside the delusions misconceptions and which have blinded our countrymen to their condition under vicious us tariff laws we but sho show w them how far they havo have been led away from the tha paths ot contentment and prosperity when we proclaim that the tha necessity for revenue to support the government burnishes turnis shea hes the only justification fur tax tas ing the people we announce a truth so plain gnat its denial would seem to indicate the extent to which our judgment PLY may h he influenced by familiarity with the tha perversions of the taxing power and when we seek to reinstate the its self confident business enterprise enter prise of our by discredit discrediting ng abject dependence upon governmental favor we strive to stimulate those elements of the Ani american erkan character which support the hope bope of american achievement the anxiety for the redemption of tho the pledges which my party has bai made and the tha solicitude fora complete justini justi fl fi cation of the trust the people havo have re coped in us constrain me to remind ao iafe it aan L am to cooperate co operate iliac 1 we ed tz if i a f I 1 wh whid inta been special specially ty 5 set et ej to or ab on only 17 bythe most sincere sincer i e harmonious ond disinterested ellort even if men lerable obstacles wind and opposition the consummation of our oar task we wa shall hardly bw be excused and it if failure con be tracked to ta our fault or neglect we may be sure aura the keople will hold bold us ua to swift and exacting accountability the oath I 1 now take to pro hect and defend the constitution ot the united states not only impressively defines the great responsibility I 1 assume suggests obedience to the constitutional con sti tut ional commands as a rule by which my official conduct must be guided I 1 shall to the best of my ability and within my sphere of duty preserve the constitution slit ution by bv loyally protecting every grant of federal power it contains I 1 find much comfort in remembering thatty that my countrymen are just and generous and in the assurance that they will not condemn those who by sincero sincere de to these services deserve their forbearance and approval above all I 1 know there ia a supreme being who rules the affairs of men whose goodness and aad mercy always followed the american people and ami I 1 know ile fie will not turn from us now if we humbly aud and reverentially seek his bia powerful aid |
