The Washington herald., 1908-05-14


nation on the earth.
Firmly, be said, that all differences
were buried; all dissensions We're dead
and on the fields of Cuba and urler the
walls OF Pekln all partitions were beaten
down and we became one people.
He believed firmly that when we spoke
of the Capital OF the nation we should
use the capital IN" but he believed also
that when we use the word State, we
should always use the capital IS"
He thought the great problem Of the
country Of to-day was not the production
Of wealth but the just distribution OF
wealth.
'The great problem Of preventing the
wealth Of the many from being gathered
into the hands Of the few
To achieve our best possible results, he
thought that power must be left in the
hands of the States. and never, as II was
in the DAYS of Rome. be left In the hands
Of the central government.
Speaking for myself. he said. Il am
here TO say that the state conscience and
the State trust have been administered as
honestly, as faithfully and as efficiently
as have the affairs Of the Federal gov
ernment during the past four years"
He hoped that the meeting Of governors
good would come from such conferences.
great economy and great advance.
Let each and every one of US, as Amer
ican eitizens--let US resolve 20 feel as the
great Virginians felt-as Washington felt,
as Jefferson felt, as Madison feit-that
private honor Is public honor. I am tired
Of those critics Of the press who assail our
public servants; those dr0nes who do
nothing but find fault
We of the South come 20 these con-
ferences loving our South; we come be-
Iieving that the safety of the Union lies
in the safety Of the States. There is no
sacrifice that Virginia Is not willing TO
make to add 10 the grandeur and glory of
this nation and to the betterment and JOY
Of humanity the world over"
CorteIyOu Talks of Recent Panic.
Secretary Of the Treasury Cortelyou
was the next speaker. He dwelt on the
great value that must ensue from such
meetings as this one Of the meeting Of
governors. Speaking OF the conservation
of natural resources. he referred TO the
money stringency OF a few months ago.
and showed how by a proper use Of the
conserved forces in the United States
Treasury panic was averted and conf
dence restored.
He referred to the men who had done
so much for their country Washington,
Lincoln Grant. and Mckinley. Said he:
4 believe that this great conference
will stand as perpetual memorial TO the
greatness, the clear sight. and the earnest
patriotism OF Theodore Roosevelt"
Representative John Sharp Williams,
the next speaker, was In a fine vein OF
/ humOr but deeplr In earnest as well.
though he expressed himself as glad that
the speakers were applauded before they
spoke. and SO were sure Of some applause
anyway
He referred feelingly 20 the way he and
his colleagues had fallen under the
hemmer OF the Speaker, and saying that
",.ns was a time when they were trying
70 win the colored voter by appealing 10
that which he does not possess-his rea-
son" and this introduced one Of his
inimitable darkey stories.
So far. he thought from the nation
owning the Capital, he thought that
/ Washington came nearer owning the ma
tion. He hoped that Washington would
I be made the model city Of the world-the
4 Athens Of the New World
Williams Surprised by Cannon.
| He said that the speech OF Mr.. Cannon
/ had almost made him a State rights Dem
ocrat He said It was with great feeling
that he had listened TO Mr.. Cannon talk
ing about constitutional rights So that
/ he had nearly forgotten that Mr.. Cannon
had robbed him OF about every right he
was guaranteed under the Constitution.
lie was strongly for the conservation OF
natural resources. but he thought il was
much more important 20 conserve our in
stitutions. and it was vital 10 remember
| that our system was founded on indlvid-
ual government first. local government
second, State government third. and Fed
eral government after all He did not be-
/ lieve in the shifting Of individual or State
responsibilities. We heard a great deal
about this law and that law. but after
ALL laws are but a necessary evil, and the
/ only excuse for the existence Of govern
ment is that individuals dc not govern
themselves.
Reverting to his humorous vein, he took
another dig at Speaker Cannon. who. he
said. was a coordinate branch OF the
government He referred 20 the walk to
the Union station, and said that II he
were a citizen Of Washington he would
rather walk those two blocks for three
years than allow the creation Of public
utilities without proper supervision.
He was not in favor of uniformity Of
laws-neitheT divine laws nor banking
laws, nor any others, What would suit
Mississippi would not suit Washington.
He did not like the idea of no North and
no South. He thanked God there were
different sections of the country. so that
each might learn from each. Said he:
For heavens sake, quit preaching from
Washington this doctrine OF uniformity
That's Chinese-not Amerlcan-and We
don't want it."
Mr.. Williams spoke at great length
along the same lines taken by other
speakers, developing the idea that gov.
ernment was not a thing apart from
the people. but rested with the people
themselves and that the greatest dan
ger to the nation lay in the fact that the
people Of the United States might learn
| 10 rely less on themselves and more oa
! the imaginary central force located in
the National Capital
Cushman Speaks for the West.
The last speaker Of the evening was
the Hon. Francis W. Cushman. OF Wash
ington, who briefly thanked the Washing
ton Board Of Trade for the honor Il had
done him by inviting him TO be present.
and who took a dig at his friend, John
Sharp Williams. He also said that he
was glad that the governors who were
visiting Washington were guests of the
President, because while Mr. Roosevelt
was talking to them he could not be
lecturing Congress.
He expressed himself as heartily in IA
vOT Of the conservation OF the nations
natural resources, but he thought the
movement fell rather hard Just now upon
the great West, which was only just be-
ginning to use its natural resources fol
its own development. But after all, he
said, the greatest natural resource we
had was the United States Constitution,
and so long as that was conserved the
country would be safe.