Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-01-28
the control Of a public necessity In

public intervention In the Affairs OF
public service corporation is neither
to be resented as usurpation nor per-
mitted as privilege by the corpora
tons. but on the contrary to be ac-
cepted as duty and exercised as q
right by the government in the in
terest of all the people. The etfl-
cheney of the army and the navy has
been Increased so that our people may
follow in peace the great work of
making this country better place for
Americans to live in. and our navy
was sent round the world for the same
ultimate purpose. All the acts taken
by the government during the last
seven years. and all the policies now
being pursued by the Government ut
In as parts of consistent whole
The enactment OF n pure food law
was a recognition of the fact that the
public welfare outweighs the right to
| private gain, and that no man may
poison the people for his private profit.
The employers liability bill recog-
nized the controlling fact that while
the employer usually has at stake no
more than his profit the stake of the
employee is living for himself and
his family
1--WE are building the Panama canal;
and this means that we are engaged
| in the giant engineering feat OF all
time. We are striving to add in all
our country. We are striving to hold
In the public lands the remaining
supply of unappropriated coal, for the
protection and benetit of all the people
We have taken the first steps toward
| the conservation OF our natural re-
sources, and the betterment of coun-
try life, and the Improvement of our
waterways We stand for the right
| of every child to a childhood free from
grinding toll, and to an education; for
the civic responsibility and decency
of every citizen; for prudent fore
sight in public matters. and for fair
play in every relation of our national
and economic life. In international
matters we apply a system of diplo-
macy which puts the obligations OF
| international morality on n level with
those that govern the actions of an
| honest gentleman in dealing with his
| fellow-men. Within our own border we
stand for truth and honesty in public
and in private life; and we war stern
| ly against wrongdoers of every grade.
All these efforts are integral parts
| of the same attempt the attempt to
enthrone justice and righteousness. to
secure freedom of opportunity to all
| OF our citizens, now and hereafter, and
to set the ultimate interest OF all OF
us above the temporary interest Of
any individual, class, or group.
The nation, it's government. and its
resources exist, first of all, for the
American citizen. whatever his creed,
race, or birthplace, whether he be rich
or poor. educated or ignorant, pro-
vided only that he is a good citizen.
recognizing his obligations to the ma
ton for the rights and opportunities
| which he owes to the nation.
THE obligations, and not the rights,
of citizenship increase in proportion to
the increase of mans wealth or
man will be judged not by what he
has succeeded in getting for himself
from the common store but by how
well he has done his duty as citizen,
and by what the ordinary citizen has
gained in freedom of opportunity be-
cause of his service for the common
good. The highest value we know Is
that Of the individual citizen, and the
highest justice is to give him fair
play in the effort to realize the best
there is in him.
The tasks this nation has to do
are great tasks. They can only be
done at all by our citizens acting to-
gether, and they can be done best of
all by the direct and simple applica-
ton of homely common sense. The
application of common sense to common
problems for the common good under
the guidance of the principles upon
which this republic was based, and by
petuity for the nation, civil and indus
trial liberty for it's citizens, and
freedom of opportunity in the pursuit
of happiness for the plain American
for whom this nation was founded, by
whom 1T was preserved, and through
whom alone 1t can be perpetuated.
Upon this p1atform--larger than any
party differences, higher than class
prejudice, broader than any question
OF profit and losS-there is room for
every American who realizes that the
common good stands first"
Accompanying the message are ex-
plantations and recommendations of
work to be done for the future good of
the country The president says: 1T is
especially important that the Develop
ment of water power should be guard
ed with the utmost care both by the
national government and by the states
! in order to protect the people against
| the upgrowth Of monopoly and to in
| sure to them a fair share in the bene-
| fits which will follow the development
| of this great asset which belongs to
the people and should be controlled by
| them.
II urge that provision be made for
! both protection and more rapid devel-
opment of the national forests. Other
| wise, either the increasing use of these
forests by the people must be checked
or their protection against fire must
be dangerously weakened. If we
compare the actual fire damage on SIM
liar areas on private and national for
est lands during the past year, tho
government fire patrol saved CONNER
cial timber worth as much as the
total cost Of caring for all national
forests at the present rate for about
ten years.
II especially commend to congress
the facts presented by the commits
sion as to the relation between for
ests and stream flow in it's bearing
upon the Importance of the forest
lands in national ownership. With
out an understanding of this ultimate
relation the conservation OF both these
natural resources must largely fail
"The time has fully arrived for rec
ognizing in the law the responsibility
to the community the state, and tie
nation which rests upon the private
ownership Of private lands. The own
ership of forest land is a public trust.
The man who would handle his forest
as to cause erosion and to iniure
stream flow must be not only educated
but he must be controlled"
In conclusion the president urges
upon congress the desirablity of
maintaining a national commission on
the conservation of the resources OF
the country. He adds II would also
advise that an appropriation OF at
least $50 900 be made to cover the ex-
penses of the national conservation
commission for necessary rent, assist
ance and travelling expenses This Is
a very small sum. I know OF no
other way in which the appropriation
of so small n sum would result in so
large benefit to the whole nation"