The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-24

dent Roosevelt was given a tremendous
ovation when he arose to deliver his
speech, which was enthusiastically
cheerad at times.
The President said:
l am glad here at the capital OF
North Carolina to have a chance to
greet SO many Of the sons and daugh-
tiers of your great state. North Caro-
lina's part in our history has ever been
high and honorable. 1t was in North
Carolina that the Mecklenburg Decla-
ration Of independence foreshadowed
the course taken in a few short
months by the representatives of the
thirteen colonies assembled in Phila-
delphia. North Carolina can rightf1l-
ly say that she pointed us the way
which led to the formation of the new
nation. In the Revolution she did
many memorable deeds; and the bat
tie of Kings Mountain marked the
turning point of the Revolutionary
war in the South. But | congratulate
you no only upon your past, but upon
your present. | congratulate you up
On the great industrial activity shown
in your Commonwealth, an Industrial
activity which, to mention but one
thing, has placed this state second
only to n other in the number Of
its textile factories. You are showing
in practical fashion your realization OF
the truth that there must be a founda-
ton of material w~ell-being in order
hat any community may make reai
n rapid progress. And l am happy
to say that you are in addition show
ing in practical fashion your under
standing Of the great truth that this
material well-being, though necessary
as a foundation. can only be the
foundation, that upon it must
be raised the superstructure Of;
a higher life, if the Commonwealth is
to stand as it should stand. More and
more you are giving care and atten-'
ton to education; and education
means the promotion not only of in
dustry, but of that good citizenship
which rests upon Individual rights ana.
upon the recognition by each indivi-
dual that he has duties as we'll as.
rlghts-in other words of that good
citizenship which rests upon moral in
tegrity and intellectual freedom. The
man u be decent in his home life,
: his private life. of course; but this is
J not by itself enough. The man who
fails to be honest and brave both inI
his political franchise and in his pril
vate business contributes t Q POLITICAL
and social anarchy. Self-governmentI
is not an easy thing. Only those com
munities are fit for it in which thc|
average individual practices the virtiel
of self-command, of self-restraint, cf|
wise disinterestedness combined wiGnl
wise self-interest; where the indivi1
dual possesses common sense, hones-yl
and courage.
PRESERVATION OF FORESTS.
And now I want to say a word toI
o on a special subject in which all
the country is concerned, but in which,
North Carolina has a special concern.
The preservation of the forests is vital
to the welfare of every country. China}
and the Mediterranean countries Off ,1
examples of the terrible effect of del
forestation upon physical geography
and therefore ultimately upon the nal
tional well-being, of the nations. Onel
of the most obvious duties which )url
SCI1Sl oI1oh o"So ~ LAX SNkAS
that are to come after us is to pref
serve the existing forests. The prime|
difference between civilized peoples isl
that in civilized peoples each general
lion works not only for it's own we'll
being, but for the w%ell-being of the|
generations yet unborn, and if we per-
nit the natural of this landl
to be destroyed so that we hand over
to our children a heritage diminished
in value we thereby prove Jul unnt-I
ness to stand in the forefront of civt.1l
lied peoples. One of the greatest oil
these heritages is our forest wealth
1t is the upper attitudes of the fOresI-i
ed mountains that are the most vaiu
able to the nation as a whole, especial
ly because of their effects upon theI
water supply. Neither state nor mai
ton can afford to turn these mount
aims over to the unrestrained greed OIL
those who would exploit them at theI
expense of the future. We cannot att
ford to wait longer before assuming
control, in the interest of the public
of these forests; for if we do walt
the vested interest of private parties
in them may become so stronly a.
trenched that it may be a most Sc
rious as we'll as a most expenslVel
task to GUST them. If the Eastcrnl
States are wise. then from the Bay of
Fundy to the gulf we will see, withinI
the mex few years a policy set onI
foot similar to that S fortunately
carried out in the higher Sierras of
the West by the National Government
All the higher Appalachians should
be reserved, either by the states orI
by the nation. | much prefer that
they should be put under NATIONAL
control, but it is a mere truism to sayi
that they will not be reserved eitherI
by the states or by the nation unlessl
you people of the south show a strongI
interest therein.
IMPORTANCE OF THE MOVEMENT |
Such reserves should be a payiEgl
investment, not only in protection to!
many interests. but in dollars andI
cents TO the government. The i'm