Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-16
Meeting Of Governors So Declare Be.
fore Adjournment

ward. Put in a provision at the end
of certain specified period our chill
dren may say what in their judgment
should be done with that great natu-
raj power, which Is of use to the
grantee only because the people as a
whole allow him to use it. It is my
opinion that it is right that he should
receive consideration from his devel-
opment of it, but make him pay some
thing for the privilege and make the
grant for. affixed period so that when
conditions change, as in all probable
ity they will change, our children
the nation of the future-shall have
the right to determine the condition
upon which the privilege shall be en-
joyed. In cases where the state has
not acted or cannot act, I hold the
nation should act. Policies that can
be better carried out by the state
should be carried out by the state;
where 1t can be carried out best by
the nation, let it be carried out by
the nation. My concern sisnot with
academic learning, but with the mat
ter from the standpoint of true popu-
lar interests, and therefore my desire
Is to employ either the principle of
states rights or the principal of ma
tional sovereignty, whichever in given
cases will best conserve the needs of
the people,
The declaration upon which the
presidents remarks were predicated
was presented to the conference by
Gov. Blanchard of Louisiana at the
opening of the session shortly after 10
o'clock. After reading it, Mr.. Blan-
chard stated that it proceeded upon
broad lines and purposely not making
! specific Endorsements of desired prof.
ects or legislation.
It was upon the suggestion of Gov.
| Glenn of North Carolina that future
conferences should depend upon the
expressed desire of two-thirds of the
i governors that Gov. Folk made the
| criticism which called forth the presi-
dents remarks quoted above. The
declaration was adopted without dis
sent, after which the president intro
duced w. j. Bryan, who received
most cordial applause.
The desire of Mrs. Roosevelt to en-.
terrain the governors was not thwart.
ed even by the rain which fell drear,
lily throughout the day. A garden
party had been planned by her to be
| held in the south grounds of the
White House during the afternoon, Sc
| the garden party was brought inside
the White House and lost none of its
| zest.
More than 800 guests were enter
! tanned in the afternoon, and the first
conference of governors of the several
states of America passed into history
! The. following addresses were made
during the morning session:
s'Waste of Our Fuel Resources -
| DR.. J. G. White, state geologist of
West Virginia, spoke Of ''The Waste
] of Our Fuel Resources. He said in
part:
"a great geologist once said The
i nations that have coal and iron will
| rule the world Bountiful nature
4 has lowered the American people
with heritage of both coal and iron
! richer by far than that of any other
i political division of the earth.
"What accounts, can we, as a ma
ton, give of our.stewardship OF such
vast fuel treasures? Have we care
i fully conceived them, using only
what was necessary in our domestic
4 and Industrial life, and transmitted
the remainder like prudent husband
men, uninjured to succeeding genera.
I! lions? Or have we greatly depleted
4 this priceless heritage of power and
I comfort and source of world wide in
1 luence, by criminal waste and wan
! ton destruction? The answer should
bring a blush of shame to every pat
riotic American, for not content with
destroying our magnificent forests,
I the only fuel and supply of carbon
j. known to our forefathers, we are
with ruthless hands and regardless
of the future applying both torch and
:. dynamite to the vastly greater re
sources of this precious carbon which
4 proyident nature has stored for oul
use in the buried forests of the
distant past. The widest anarchists
determined to destroy and oyerturr
(. the foundations of government could
3 not act in a more irrational ano
t thoughtless manner than have oul
3 peopIe in permitting such Fearful de
: struction of the very sources OF oul
power and greatness.
e The prospect is not a pleasing one
. to contemplate. True, the naIura
! wealth of our beloved union is SC
h great and varied; our riches OF SOIL
r If forest and stream are so vast 4
t preserved and their boundless posi-
# hilities thoroughly utilized that VIC
d would probably have the advantage
t, Of ali other nations in the struggle
d for existence even after our fuel re
). sources have been exhausted, bu,
vi This no reason why We should MOI
nj do everything in our power ~ oo -
l. serve them so that we may retail s -
g a remote future the greal uenen''
III which their possessions assures,
!e "Hon. Governors OF the sese nc.
lei states, the questions inVolvea a.
i Nnl1 and XOuE .COn