Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-08
PRESIDENTS LAST
WORD 1O CONGRESS

u VIII ~ VOlbNlb1VV
CONTINUED from Fourth Page)
not be permitted to pardon evil and
slipshod legislation on the theory that
the court will set 1t right. They should
be taught that the right way to get rid
of a bad law is to have the legislature
repeal 1t and not to have the courts by
ingenious hair splitting nullify 1T,
People Themselves to Blame.
For many of the shortcomings OF
justice III our country our people as n
whole are themselves to blame, and the
judges and juries merely be;,r their
share together with The public rs n
whole. 1t is discreditablc to us as II
people that there should be difficult!
in convicting murderers or in bringing
to justice mcn who as public servants
have been guilty of corruption or who
have profited by the corruption Of pub
lie servants.
The huge wealth that has been &c
cumulatel by few individuals of re
cent years. III what has amounted to
4 social aud industrial revolution, has
been as regards some Of these individ.
uuls made possible only by the improp
er use Of the modern corporation. Cor
porations are necessary instruments OF
modern business. They have been per
mitted to become q menace largely be.
cause the governmental Representatives
of the people have worked slowly In
providing for adequate control over
them.
Real damage has been done by the
manifold and conflicting interpreted
lions of the interstate commerce law.
Control over the great corporations do
ing interstate business can be effective
only IL 1t is vested with full power In
an administrative department. branch
of the federal executive. carrying out
a federal law. 1t can never be eff
fective IL divided responsibility Is
left in both the stntes and the nation
1t can never be effective if left in the
hands of the courts to be decided by
lawsuits.
The courts hold place of peculiar
and deserved sanctity III der our form
Of government. Respect for the law is
essential to the permanence Of our In
situations, and respect for the law is
largely conditioned upon respect for
the courts. But we must face the fact
that there are wise and unwise judges,
Just as there are wise and .unwise ex-
ecutives and legislators. When a
president or governor behaves improp-
erly or unwisely the remedy is easy,
for his term is short. The same is
true with the legislator. although not
to the same degree. With n 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 condi.
tons the only forms Of pressure tc
which he is in any way amenable are
public opinion and the action Of his
fellow jus.lres. 1t is the last which is
most Immediately effective and to
which we should look for the reform
Of abuses.
Forests.
If there is any one duty which more
than another we owe 1t to our children
md our children's children to perform
at once 1t 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.
Shortsighted persons, or persons
blinded to the future by desire to
make money in every way out Of the
present, sometimes speak as II NO
great damage would be done by the
reckless destruction Of our forests. It
IS difficult to have patience with the
Of these persons. Thanks
% our own recklessness in the use Of
our splendid forests, we have already
crossed the verge Of timber famine
n this country, and no measures that
We now take can, at least for many
Years, undo the mischief that has al
'eady been done. But we can prevent
.urther mischief being done, and it
would be in the highest degree repre-
to let any consideration Of
temporary convenience or temporary
cost interfere with such action, espe
Tally as regards the national forests,
which the nation can now at this very
moment control.
1.-THE president here cites in support
# his contentious the great destruc-
ion wrought in China by the denuda-
ion of the forest areas.I
What has thus happened in northern
China, what has happened In central
Asia. in Palestine, in north Africa, in
PARTS OF the Mediterranean countries
# Europe, will surely happen in our
country if we do not exercise that
wise forethought which should be one
II the chief marks Of any people call
ng itself civilized. Nothing should be
permitted to stand in the way of the
reservation Of the forests. and it is
riminal to permit individuals to pur-
base a little gain for themselves
trough the destruction Of forests
When this destruction is fatal to the
veil being Of the whole country in the
uture.
Inland Waterways.
Action should be begun forthwith,
Turing the present session Of congress,
or the improvement Of our inland wa
which will result In