The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1909-01-28

lKhtfeh fhaf VIII FtNuft W kfA"t Wv
people the benefits for which the, hare
pald. hut which they have not yet re-.
ceired We know now that cur forests
are fast disappearing. thar less than
one afth ~ them srr being conserved
and thar no good parfase can I've met
by failing 20 provide the relatively
small sums needed for the protection.
use and Improvement 81 all forests sim
owned by the government and TO enact
laws 70 cheek the wasiefui destruction
Of the forests in private hands. There
are differences OF opinion as TO many
public questions. but the American i,eo'
pie stand nearly as unit for water
way development aud for forest pro
lection.
We know now that our mineral re
sources. once exhausted, are gone for
ever and that the needless waste OF
them costs us hundreds Of human lives
and nearly S300000,o 900 year. There
fore let us undertake without delay
the investigations necessary before our
people viii be In position through state
action or otherwise 20 put an end TO
this huge loss aud waste and conserve
both our mineral resources and the
lives OF the men who take them from
the earth.
| desire 10 make grateful acknowl
edgment 10 the men both In and out OF
the government service who have pre-
pared the first inventory Of our natu-
raj resources. They have made II pos
sible for this nation 10 take great
step forward Their work Is helping
us 10 see that the greatest questions
before US are not partisan questions.
but questions upon which men OF all
parties and all shades Of opinion may
be united for the common good. Among
such questsns, on the material side,
the conservation Of natural resources
stands first. II Is the bottom round OF
the ladder on our upward progress TO-
ward condition In which the nation
as n whole and Its citizens as indiyidu.
ais viii set national efficiency and the
public welfare before personal profit.
Industrial Democracy In Danger.
The policy OF conservation is per
haps the most typical example OF the
general policies which this government
has made peculiarly Its own during the
opening years OF the present century.
The function OF our government Is to
insure to all its citizens now and here
after their rights to life. liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness. Ii we OF this
generation destroy the resources from
which our children would otherwise
derive their livelihood we reduce the
capacity of our land to support a popu-
iation and so either degrade the stand
ard OF living or deprive the coming
generations OF their right to life on
this continent. II we allow great In
dustrial organizations to exercise un-
regulated control Of the means Of pro
duction and the necessaries OF life we
deprive the Americans Of today and OF
the future OF Industrial liberty, a right
no less precious and vital than polit-
zeal freedom. Industrial liberty was a
fruit of political liberty and In turn
has become one Of Its chief supports,
and exactly as we stand for political
democracy SO we must stand for indus
trial democracy.
The rights to life aud liberty ara
funda mental, and, like other funda-
mental necessities, when once acquired
they are little dwelt upon. The right
to the pursuit Of happiness Is the right
whose presence or absence Is most
likely to be felt In daily life. In what
ever It has accomplished or failed to
accomplish the administration which
Is Just drawing to close has at least
seen clearly the fundamental need OF
freedom OF opportunity for every clti-
zen. We have realized that the right
Of every man to live his own life, pro-
vide for his family and endeavor, ac-
cording to his abilities, to secure for
himself Sad for them fair share OF
the good things Of existence should be
subject TO one limitation and to no
other. The freedom Of the Individual
should be limited only by the present
and future rights. interests and needs
Of the other individuals who make up
the community. We should do all In
our power to develop and protect indi-
vidual liberty, individual Initiative, but
subject always to the need of preserv'
ing and promoting the general good.
When necessary the private right must
yield. under due process Of law and
with proper compensation. to the vel
fare of the commonwealth. The man
who serves the community greatly
should be greatly rewarded by the
community. As there Is great Unequal.
nv OF service, 80 there must be great
inequality Of reward, but no man and
no set OF men should be allowed to
play the game Of competition with
loaded dice.
All this is simply good common sense
The underlying principle OF conserva
ton has been described as the appli-
cation OF common sense to common
Nroblems for the common good. II the
description In correct, then conserva
ton IL the great fundamental basis fol
national efficiency. In this stage Of
the worlds history to be fearless, to bs
| lust and to be efficient are the thres
great requirements OF national life.
Administration's Aims Defended.
This administration has achieved
some things. II has sought, but has
aot been able, TO achieve Others. II
has doubtless made mistakes, but al
| Il has done ov attempted has been In
| the single. consistent effort to secure
aud enlarge the rights and opportuni
| ties Of the men and women Of the
| United States. We nre trying to con
serve what IL good In our social sys
tenn, and we are striving toward thi'
end when we endearor to do away
with what is bad Success may bt
| made too hard for some II II II made
too easy for others. The rewards Of
common industry aud thrift may bs
too small II the rewards for other and
on the whole less valuable qualities
are made too large. and especially u
the rewards for qualities which are
really fran the putiic standpoint, un