The Mena weekly star., 1909-01-28

nuhlic service corporation is neither to be resented as usurpation nor per- mitted as a privilege by the corpora tons but on the contrary to be ac. cepted as duty and exercised as a right by the government in the in- terest of all the people. The efn- ciency of the army and the navy has been increased 50 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 it in as parts of consistent whole.
 .'The enactment of a pure food law was . 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- nixed the controlling fact that while the employer usually has at stake no more than his profit, the stake of the empIoye is living for himself and his family
 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 ways to the habitability and beauty of our country. We are striving to hold in the public lands the remaining supply of unappropriated coal for the protection and benefit 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 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 system of diplo- macy which puts the obligations of international morality on a level with those that govern the actions of an honest gentleman in dealing with his feiIow-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. its 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 good citizen. recognizing his obligations to the na- 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 l power. The time Is coming when . man will be judged. not by what he has succeeded in getting for himself from the common store. but bS how well he has done his duty as htlzcn. and by what the ordinary citizen has l gained in freedom of opportunity be. 1 caus. of his service for the common | good The highest value we know ls that of the individual citizen. and tho | highest justice is to give him fair 1 play in the effort to realize the best | there is in him.
 | "The tasks this nation has to do I are great tasks They can only hs | 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 1 the guidance of the principles upor
 
 i virtue of which 1t exists. spells per
 petuity for the nation civil and indus
 trial liberty for It's citizens. an, | freedom of opportunity in the pursui
 of happiness for the plain American
 for whom this nation was founded, b.
 whom 1t was preserved. and throngl
 whom alone ii can be perpetuafed | Upon this platform--larger than am l party differences. higher than clas
 prejudice. broader than any question
 of profit and Ioss-there is room fo
 every American who realizes that tn,
 common good stands first"
 | Accompanying the message are ex | plantations and recommendations o work to be done for the future good o
 the country. The president says: Tt ii
 especially important that the develop ment of water power should be guard. | cd with the utmost care both by thu l national government and by the statss
 in order to protect the people against the upgrowth of monopoly and to In. | sure to them fair share in the bene. | nts which will follow the deveiopmeni | of this great asset which belongs u | the people and should be controlled by | them.
 | ''I urge that provision be made foi
 both protection and more rapid devei. l opment of the national forests Other. | wise. either the increasing use of these ' l or their protection against fire must be dangerously weakened 1T we compare the actual Are damage on sim. liar areas on private and national for. est lands during the past year. the | government fire patrol saved conner. ciai timber worth as much as the total cost of caring for all national forests at the present rate for about len years
 -I especially commend to connres, the facts presented by the commits. sion as to the relation between for. ests and stream How in its 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 the 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 injut
 stream flow must be not only educated
 but he must be controlled"
 In conclusion the president urges upon congress the desirability oi
 maintaining a national commission on
 the conservation Of the resources of the country. He adds: 'I would also
 advise that an appropriation of at
 least f50000 be made to cover the ex
 penses of the national conservation
 commission for necessary rent assist
 snce and travelling expenses. This
 very small sum know of no
 of go small a sum would result in 50
 large n benefit fO The whole nation"