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Show OUTLINES DUTY BEFORE Mil President's Inaugural Address Deals Chiefly With Ri-cor,slruction. Ri-cor,slruction. ACCEPTS MANDATE OF PEOPLE Electoral Vote Construed as Directing Continued Policy of Non-Involvement in World Affairs Tariff Readjustment. Washington, March 4. I'rusiuVnr Harding's inaugural address, delivered tuday, was substantially as follows : My Countrymen When one surveys the world about him after .the great storm, noting the marks of destruction and yet rejoicing in the ruggedness of the things which withstood it, if he is an American he breathes the clarihed atmosphere with a. strange mingling of regret and new nope. V e have seen a world i' passion epend its fury, but we contemplate our ( republic unshaken, and hold our civilization civiliza-tion secure. Liberty liberty within the law and civilization are inseparable, and though both were threatened, we linu them now secui e and ihrere comes to Americans the profound assuram e thac our represen tative government is the highest expression and surest guaranty of both. rtLanuing in this presence, mindful of the solemnity of this occasion, feeling the emotions which no one may know until he senses the great weight of responsibility responsibil-ity for himself, I must utter my belief in the divine inspiration of the founding fathers Surely there must have been God's intent in th making of this new world republic. Ours is an organic law which had but one ambiguity and we saw that effaced in a baptism of sacrifice and blood, with union maintained, the nation supreme and its concord inspiring. We have seen the world rivet its hopeful gaze on the great truths on which the founders found-ers wrought. We have seen civil, human and religious liberty verified, and glorified. In the beginning, the world scoffed at our experiment, today our foundations of political po-litical and social belief stand unshaken, a precious inheritance to ourselves, an inspiring in-spiring example of freedom and civilization civiliza-tion to all mankind. Let us express renewed re-newed and strengthened devotion, in grateful reverence for the immortal beginning, be-ginning, and utter our confidence in the supreme fulfillment. No Entanglement With Old World., The recorded progress of our republic, materially and spiritually, in itself proves the wisdom of the inherited policy of non-involvement non-involvement in old world affairs. Confident Confi-dent of our ability to work out our own destiny, and jealously guarding our right to do so, we seek no part in directing the destinies of the old world. We do not mean to be entangled. We will accept no responsibility except as our own conscience con-science and judgment, in each instance, may determine. Our eyes never will be blind to a developing menace, our ears never deaf to the call of civilization. "We recognize recog-nize the new order of the world, with the closer contacts which progress has wrought. We sense the call of the human heart for fellowship, fraternity and co-operation. We crave fellowship, fellow-ship, and harbor no hate. But America, Amer-ica, our America, the America fJuilded on the foundation laid by the inspired fathers, can be a party to no permanent perma-nent military alliance. It can enter into no political commitments nor assume as-sume any economic obligation which will subject our devisions to any other than our own authority. Will Assoc! lite Id Counsel. We are ready to associate ourselves with the nations of the world, great and small, for conference, for counsel, to seek, the expressed views of world opinion, to recommend a way to approximate ap-proximate a disarmament and relieve the crushing burdens of military and naval establishments. We elect to participate par-ticipate in suggesting plans for mediation, media-tion, conciliation ajid arbitration, and would gladly join in that expressed conscience of progress which seeks to clarify and write the laws of international inter-national relationship, and establish a world court, for the disposition of such justiciable questions as nations are agreed to submit thereto, but every commitment must be made in the exercise ex-ercise of our national sovereingty. Since freedom impelled, and independence independ-ence inspired, and nationality exalted, a world super-government is contrary to everything we cherish, and can have no sanction by our republic. This Is not selfishness, it is sanctity. It is not aloofness, it is security. It Js not suspicion of others, it is patriotic adherence to the things which made us what we are. We have come to a new realization of our place in the world and a new appraisal apprai-sal of our nation by the world. The unselfishness un-selfishness of these United States is a ered our portion of hateful selfishness ftt home, it also revealed the heart ot Anu r- i lea as sound and tearless and bciiiUiig m connuence un uutini;. 5upreiwe Tiok It o fore (Ion. Our supremo uisk i.s the resumption of our oiiB'ard. normal way. I'.-'Oon-struct '.on, rt-a d just men t. rstoru t ion ail i !i HS-' must luiltiw. I would like to ha si-n them, to lighten the spirit and a ihi 1 1.) I he !"sol u t ion with w h-irh wc take up the task, l. t me repeat for hi r nation, we sha 1 1 give no people just e a u s t to m a k e war u p u n u s . w e h"M no national prejud iet-s. we enter- . i i i:ii spirit of revenue, we do nrt hate, we do not covet, we dream of no I i-uU'i uest nor boast o f a rmed prow, ss, j It. despite this attitude, war is airain . r"'irevd upon us. I earnestly hope a way may be found which will unify our individual in-dividual and collective strength and eiins-er-a t e all America, materially and spiritually, body and sou 1. to national defense. There is something inhereni-1 inhereni-1 wrii, something cut of accord with the ideals of representative democracy, de-mocracy, when one portiuu of our citi-zenship citi-zenship turns its activities to private gain amid defensive war while another is tiLjhti n?, sm ori fici ng or dying for I national preservation. A regret for the mistakes of yesterday yester-day must not. however, blind us to the tasks of today. War never left such an aftermath. Discouraging indebtedness indebted-ness confronts us like all the war-torn war-torn nations, and these obligations must be provided for. No civilization can survive repudiation. We can reduce re-duce the abnormal expend it ures. and we will. We can strike at war taxation, taxa-tion, and we must. Our most dangerous tendency is to expect too much of government, gov-ernment, and at the same time do for it too little. We ned a rigid and yet sane economy, combined with fiscal justice, and it must be attended by individual prudence and thrift, which are so essential to this trying hour, and reassuring for the future. Task of RendjiiNtinent. The business world reflects the disturbance dis-turbance of war's reaction. The economic eco-nomic mechanism is intricate and its parts interdependent, and it has suffered suf-fered the shocks and jars incident to ar.normai demands, credit inflations and price upheavals. We must seek the readjustment with care and courage. cour-age. Perhaps we never shall know the old levels of wa?e again, because war invariably readjusts compensations a nd the necessaries of li fe will show their inseparable relationship, but we must strike for normalcy to reach stability. All the penalties will not be light, nor evenly distributed. There is no . instant step from disorder to order. or-der. No altered system will work a miracle. Outlines Party's Program. The call is for productive America to go on. I speak for administrative efficiency, for lightening tax burdens, for sound commercial practices, for adequate credit facilities, for sympathetic sympa-thetic concern for all agricultural problems, prob-lems, for the omission of unnecessary interference of government with business, busi-ness, for an end to government's experiment ex-periment in business, and for more efficient business in government administration. ad-ministration. Duty Before Women Voters. With the nation-wide induction of womanhood wom-anhood into our political life we - mty count upon her intuitions, her refinement, refine-ment, lier intelligence and her influence to exalt the social order. We count upon her exercise of the full privileges and the performance of the duties of citizenship tc speed the attainment of the highest state. Revolutionists Warned. If revolution Insists upon overturning established order, let other peoples make the tragic experiment. There is no place for it in America. When ' world war , threatened civilization we pledged our resources re-sources and our lives to its preservation, and when revolution threatens we unfurl the flag of law and order and renew our consecration. . Ours is a constitutional freedom where the' popular will is the law supreme and minorities are sacredly protected. Our revisions, . reformations and evolutions reflect a deliberate judgment judg-ment and an orderly progress, and we mean to cure our ills, but never destroy or permit destruction by force. Tariff Readjustment. It has been provtd again and again that we cannot, while throwing our markets mar-kets open to the world, maintain American Ameri-can standards of living and opportunity, and hold our industrial emiserce in such unequal competition. Today, as ne-ver before, be-fore, when peoples are seeking trade restoration and expansion, we must adjust ad-just our tariffs to the new order. We seek participation in the world's exchanges, ex-changes, because therein lies our way to widened Influence and the triumphs of peace. We know full well we cannot sell where we do not buy, and we cannot sell successfully where we do not carry. Opportunity Op-portunity is -calling not alone for the restoration, but for a new era in production, produc-tion, transportation and trade. We shall answer it best by meeting the demand of a surpassing home market, by promoting pro-moting self-reliance in production and by bidding enterprise, genius and efficiency to carry our cargoes in American bottoms bot-toms to the marts of the world. America's Highest Ideals. We should not have an America living liv-ing within and for herself alone, but we would have her self-reliant, independent inde-pendent and ever nobler, stronger aii richer. Believing in our higher standards, stand-ards, reared through constitutional liberty and maintained opportunity, we invite the world to the same height. But pridi in things wroug-ht to Tin i-ofl-v nf n pnmnleted task. Com- thing proven. Our devotion tar.peace for ourselves and for the world is well estab-1 estab-1 Hshed. Our concern for preserved civilization civili-zation has had its impassioned and heroic expression. There was no American failure fail-ure to resist the attempted reversion of civilization. There will be no failure today to-day or tomorrow. . Declares Nation Has Spoken. The success of our popular government rests wholly upon the correct interpretation interpreta-tion of the deliberate, intelligent, dependable depend-able popular will of America. In a deliberate delib-erate questioning of a suggested change of national policy, where internationality was to supersede nationality, we turned to a referendum of the American people. There was ample discussion, and there is a republic mandate in manifest understanding. under-standing. America is ready to encourage, eager to inirrrirp. anxious to participate in any seemly program likely to lessen the probability prob-ability of war and promote that brotherhood brother-hood of mankind which must be God's highest conception of human relationship. We aspire to a high place in the moral leadership of. civilization; and we hold a maintained America, the proven republic, the unshaken temple of representative democracy, to be not only an inspiration and example, but the highest agency of strengthening good will and promoting accord on both continents. Mankind needs a world-wide benediction of understanding. It is needed among Individuals, In-dividuals, among peoples, among governments, govern-ments, and it will inaugurate an era of good feeling to mark the birth of a new order. United States as an Object Lesson. We must understand the ties of trade bind nations In closest intimacy, and none may receive except as he gives. In the new order of finance and trade we mean to promote enlarged activities and seek expanded confidence. Perhaps we can make no more helpful conrrlbution by example than a republic's capacity to emerge from the wreckage of war. While the world's embittered travail did not leave us devastated lands nor desolated des-olated cities, left no gaping wounds, no breast filled with hate, it did involve us in the delirium of expenditures, in expanded ex-panded currency and cred;ts, in unbalanced unbal-anced Industry, in unspeakable waste and disturbed relationships. While it uncov- mon welfare is the goal of our national endeavor. Wealth is not inimical to welfare; It ought to be its friendliest agency. There never can be equality of rewards or possessions so long as the human plan contains varied talents and differing degrees of industry and thrift, but ours ought to be a country free from great blotches of distressed poverty. We ought to find a way to guard against the perils and penalties of unemployment. We want an America Amer-ica of homes, illumined with hope and happiness, where mothers, freed from the necessity for long hours of toil beyond be-yond their own doors, may preside as befits the hearthstone of American citizenship, citi-zenship, rt Solemn Pledge to the People. Service Is the supreme commitment of life. I would rejoice to acclaim the era of the Golden Rule and crown it with the autocracy of service. I pledge an administration wherein all the agencies agen-cies of government are called to serve, and ever promote an understanding of government purely as an expression of the popular will. One cannot stand in this presence and be unmindful of the tremendous responsibility. The world upheaval has added heavily to our tasks, but with the realization comes the surge of high resolve, and there is reassurance reassur-ance in belief in the God-given destiny of our republic. If I felt that there is to be sole responsibility in the executive exec-utive for the America of tomorrow. 1 should shrink from the burden. But here are a hundred millions, with common com-mon concern and shared responsibility, answerable to God and country. The republic summons them to their duty and I invite co-operation. I accept my part with single minded-ness minded-ness of purpose and humility of spirit and implore the favor and guidance of God in His Heaven. With these I am unafraid, and confidently face the future. fu-ture. 1 have taken the solemn oath of office on that passage of holy writ wherein It is asked: "What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly hum-bly with thy God." This I pledge to God and country. |