The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-08

given legislative -DOQt. anu II is I0efe-
fore less easy to fix his personal re
sponsibility and hold him accountable
therefor With a judge who, being
human, is also likely to err, but whose
tenure is for life, there is no similar
way of holding him to responsibility
Under ordinary conditions the only
forms of pressure to which he is in
any way amenable are public opinion
and the action of his fellow judges. 1t
is the last which is most Immediately
effective and to which we should look
for the reform of abuses. Any remedy
applied from without is fraught with
risk 1t is far better from every stand
point that the remedy should come
from within. In no other nation in the
world do the courts WELD such vast
and farreaching power as in the Unit
ed States. All that is necessary is that
the courts as Il whole should exercise
this power with the farsighted wis
dom already shown by those judges
who scan the future while they act in
the present. Let them exercise this
great power not only honestly and
bravely but with wise insight into
the needs and fixed purposes of the
people. so that they may do justice and
work equity, so that they may protect
all persons in their rights and yet
break down the barriers of privilege,
which is the foe of right.
Forests.
If there is any one duty which more
than another we owe it to our children
and our chiIdren's children to perform
at once it is to save the forests of
this country, for they constitute the
first and most important element in
the conservation of the natural re-
sources of the country. There are, of
course, two kinds of natural resources
One is the kind which can only be
used as part of a process of exhaus-
ton. This is true of mines, natural
oil and gas wells and the like The
other, and of course ultimately by far
the most important, includes the re-
sources which can be improved in the
process of wise use. The soil, the riv-
ers and the forests come under this
head. Any really civilized nation will
SO use all of these three great national
assets that the nation will have their
benefit in. the future. Just as a farm
err. after all his life making his living
from his farm, will, if he is an expert
farmer, leave it as an asset of increas-
ed value to his son, so we should leave
our national domain to our children
increased in value and not worn out.
There are small sections of our own
country in the east and in the west. in
the Adirondacks, the White mountains
and the Appalachians and in the
Rocky mountains, where we can al
ready see for ourselves the damage in
the shape of permanent injury to the
soil and the river systems which comes
from reckless deforestation. 1t mat
ters not whether this deforestation is
due to the actual reckless cutting of
timber, to the fires that Inevitably fol-
low such reckless cutting of timber or
to reckless and uncontrolled grazing,
especially by the great migratory
bands of sheep, the unchecked wan
dering of which over the country
means destruction to forests and dis
aster to the small homemakers, the
settlers of limited means.
Shortsighted persons, or persons
blinded to the future by desire to
make money in every way out of the
present, sometimes speak as if no
great damage would be done by the
reckless destruction of our forests.
1t is difficult to have patience with the
arguments of these persons. Thanks
to our own recklesSnesS in the use of
our splendid forests, we have already
crossed the verge of a timber famine in
this country, and no measures that we
now take can, at least for many
years, undo the mischief that has al
ready been done But we can prevent
further mischief being done, and it
would be in the highest degree repre- |
hensible to let any consideration of
temporary convenience or temporary
cost interfere with such action, espe
cially as regards the national forests, |
which the nation can now at this very |
moment control.
All serious students of the question |
are aware of the great damage that |
has been done in the Mediterranean |
countries of Europe, Asia and Africa |
by deforestation. The similar dam
age that has been done in eastern |
Asia is less well known. A recent in
vestigation into conditions in north !
China by Mr.. Frank n. Meyer of the |
bureau of plant industry of the Unit
ed States department of agriculture |
has incidentally furnished in very |
striking fashion proof of the ruin that |
comes from reckless deforestation of |
mountains and of the further fact that |
the damage once done may prove prac- |
ticalIy irreparable. So important are |
these Investigations that 1 herewith |
attach as an appendix to my message !
certain photographs showing present |
conditions in China. They show in
vivid fashion the appalling desolation,
taking the shape of barren mountains
and gravel and sand covered plains,