The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-16

 erals of limited supply, in the reelama. ton of deserts and of swamps and in | the preservatioA of forests stilI re- | maining and the replantins of denuded | tracts. money invested in these and In the development Sof waterways and | In the deepening of harbors Is an l investment yielding an annual return. | If any of these expenditures fail 10 bring return at once the money ex- | pended Is like bequest to those who 1 come after us. And as the parent lives | for his children as well as for himself. | so the citizen provides for the future l as we'll as for the present
 | This gathering will be remembered | by future generations because they as we'll as ourselves will be the re- cipients of the benefits which will flow | from this conference. We have all | been strengthened by communion to- | gether. our wisdom has been enlarged and the enthusiasm here aroused will permeate every State and every com | munity."
 Governor Conner Speaks 1 At the conclusion of Mir. Bryan's ad- l dress the President opened the meet | ing to Governors who had not had an | opportunity to speak.
 l In response to this invitation Cover nor Conner. of Alabama. took the plat | form and while heartily endorsing the 
 | turning to the President:
 We are a little bit skittish, Mir. | President. about turning over our rail- roads to the President. We do not | quite go with you theie-there but waterways-"
 This seeming desire of Governor Co., mere to get away quickly from his sug- | gestion of opposition to the President struck the disabilities of the confer | ence and a general laugh followed. Governor Conner continued with serious discussion of whether the State or the nation should control the water ways He said that his state was anxious to develop the water power of the streams and also make them navfgable for commerce. He said the States were in doubt as to what the nations intentions were in this re- spect. His State wanted to know neither In building locks for the navigation of the rivers the nation would not permit those. locks to be constructed so as to develop water power. This question, he said. was highly important in connection with the Mussei Shoals project.
 When Governor Conner had finished the President carried the convention entirely of It's feet with an unexpected himself squarely on record as to his belief regarding the division of power between the States and the nation. Roosevelt on States Rights. 'T want to say one word about the twilight land-the power between the Federal and State governments" He said. ''Afy aim in the action I have ad- vocated for the regulation of the great corporations has been to provide sound, effective. popular sovereignty for each corporation. (Applause1 What I am trying to find out--not negatively. not by decisions, that State cannot act, l or Federal decision that the nation | cannot act--is where one or the other | can act so that there shall always be some sovereign power on behalf Of the l people that they may hold over the big | corporations, over the big individuals 1 too, that an accountability regarding I their acts shall be had for the benent | of the people. Applause and cheers) 'In matters that relate only to the | people within the State. of course the State is to be sovereign and 1t should | have the power to act. If the matter is such that the State itself cannot act | then wish on behalf Of the State that | the national government should act. l (Applause.)
 The President then explained in de- | tail his position relative to the use or l water power and other concessions l granted by the national government to
  | lieved that none of these privileges should be granted without reserva- | tion in the franchise limiting the time | if should run and providing that com | pensation be had for the providing. | This, he said, guaranteed to future generations the right to control the | natural resources on which they would depend and make It possible for them l to terminate any private control over | such resources which might be grant
 Where this .nelicy can be carried out best by the State it ought to De oy the State" he said. where It can pc best carried out by the nation. then the nation should enforce. My con cern is not in the academic discussion of either the principle of States rights l of the principle of national sovereignty
 hut if ia what will best conserve the
 needs of the people as whole
 The Presidents remarks were re,
 ceived with thunderous applause. and
 shouts, and 1t was some time oeIors the conference could proceed with other
 addresses.
 Governors Meade of Washington
 Hanlv of Indiana and Willison of Ken
 lucky spoke briefly.
 Lieutenant- Governor Davidson oi
 Texas spoke of the needs of his state
 for Federal aid in irrigation.
 Governor BiancnAru tHSh AhoNco ti'H'
 the convention adjourn sine die, bul
 before putting the motion. President
 Roosevelt said he wished to extend hii
 thanks to those who. had attended the
 conference.
 "The White House." he said, 'has
 held many distin guishe ed gatherings IT
 its day, but do not believe 1t has ever
 cid as distinguished gathering al
 this, composed of Governors and tht
 representatives of the Executives oi
 the States of the Union.
 "I thank you for coming, and car
 assure you that at least no body oi
 guests has ever been more welcome
 than you, have been to the White
 House."
 The President then declared the con
 ference adjourned sine die.
 Sympathy for Cleveland.
 The following resolution. offered bS
 William Jennings Bryan. was adopted
 by exclamation by the conference.
 Resolved. That this conference ex
 presses its deep regret that ex-Presi
 dent Cleveland Is prevented by sick
 ness from participating In this his
 torie meeting, and expresses it's sincere
 wish for his speedy recover"
 | thn preaidAOt'a RnRRAattnT