The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-05-22
COY, FOLK NOT AWED IN
PRESENCE OF "BIG STICK, 1"
He INDUCES in Il Neat Bit of Satire at
the Expense of the Presidents
Views on Capitalization.

The conference of Governors and
other distinguished citizens called
by President Roosevelt met in
Washington last week and has
passed into history. The object Of
the call was stated to be for the con
servation of the country's internal
resOurccs-its timber, mines and
waterways After carefully reading
the reports Of the conference, of
what was said and done, II doesn't
appear that much was accomplished
or anything effected toward the in
auguration of any practical move
ment in futherance of the object
named in the call, but 1t gave the
President another opportunity to
stand for passing moment In the
lime light. Considerable disgust
and dissatisfaction was expressed
by the delegates from the Middle
West at the action of the President
in peremptorily wiping out that part
of the.program referring to water
way Improvement, and the Missis-
sippi:Nalley Governors afterwards
met and inaugurated Governors
Association looking toward State
cooperation in the matter of con-
serving and preserving State and
National resources.
During rhe conference aresolution
was prepared by committee of the
Presidents appointment In which
the latter's Capitalization Views
cropped out too plainly to suit some
Of the States rights governors and
delegates, and in discussing the res
olutionIGovernor Folk, in the shad-
ow OF the "big stick" and not ten
PAGES away from President RoOse-
welt, INDUCED in the following neat
bit of satire at the latters expense,
at which 1t IL said the President
laughed as heartily as anybody:
"There Is no one here who has n
higher regard for the President than
/ have. There is no one here who
feels under n deeper sense Of per-
sOnal obligation to the present Oc-
cupant OF the presidential chair
than | do, but by this resolution as
offered by. the committee We are con-
ferring, not upon the individual who
happens to occupy the chair, but
upon that Office, IA power and author
| ity to call the Governors Of the
States together ut any time he may
see fit.
"Thc distinguished person before
us can not be always bc President
Of the United States. Laughter
Suppose that some time in the future
there shOld be a man in that office
who would want to use such power
or prestige as might be obtained
from gathering of the Governors,
to c0erce Congress, for instance, In
to adopting some law. daughter
and applause
"Now, while we all think that the
big stick once in Il while is a mighty
good thing Great applause) do
not know what man hereafter may
have that instrument in his hands.
| (Laughter) So | for one, am UNI
willing to commit, not only myself
but the man who may follow me as
Governor OF Missouri, to become
what may be merely IA club to enable
president to accomplish something
with another branch Of the Govern
ment.
"Sometime in the future, under
this resolution, some president
might try to use the Governors of
the States merely as kite to the
Federal administration. Now, prec-
edents are dangerous things. Al
the moment they may seem unim-
pOrtant, and just now this resolution
may not appear of much conse-
qucnce, but some time in the future
it will rise up to plague us, and |
for one stand here to protest against
| it,
The President joined heartily in
the laughter that Governor Folk $
sallies brought forth, and seemed to
heartily enjoy the batting.