The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-01-22

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time. We arc striving 20 add ID all
ways 10 the habliubIilty and beauty Of
our country We are striving 70 hold
III the public hands the remaining sup
ply Of unapproprIated coal for the pro-
tecllon and benefit OF all the people
We have taken the FIRST steps toward
the conservation Of our mutual re-
sources and the bettermenl of country
life aud the Improvement OF our wa
terways. We stand FOR the right Of
every child TO a ehllhood free from
grinding toll and 90 IN education, for
the civic responsibility and decency OF
every citlxen, for prudent foresight 70
public matters aud FOR fair play IA
every relation Of our national and eco
nomc llfe. IN International matters
we apply system Of diplomacy which
puts the obligations Of international
morality on d level with those that
govern The actions Of an honest gem
tpman IA deallag with his follow men.
Within our own border we stand for
truth ana honesty IN public and In
private ilfe aud We war sternly against
wrpngdoca OF every grade.
The obligations ara not she rights 81
citizenship mcreasc IN proportion to
the increase Of mans wealth or pow.
er Tbe time IL coming when man
wlll be judged no, By what hc has sue
cccdcd IN getting for himself from the
common store, bui by how well be hns
done hts duty as a clilzcu and by what
the ordinary cltizcu has gained IA free
dom Of opportunity hecnusc Of his
service for the common good The
highest value we know Is that Of the
lndlvidnal rlilycn, and the highest JUS
tice IL TO give him fair play ln the ef-
fort to realize the best there Is m him.
Common Sense Needed.
The tasks this nation has 20 do nre
gfent tasks. They can only he done at
an by our citizens acting together and
they can be done hest OF all by the a.
rect ana slmple application OF homcly
common. SENSE
Tho national conservation commits
sion wlwAy confined rs report to the
statement Of facts and principles, leay-
ing the executive to recommend the
specific steps 70 which these facts aud
principles Inevitably lend According
" emil your attention TO some Of the
larger features Of the situation dis
closed by the report and 70 the action
thereby clearly demanded for the gen
era good.
Waters.
The report says'
Within recent months Il has been rec
ognized and demanded by the people
throigh many thousand delegates from
an states assembled IN convention IN dlf-
ferent sections OF tho country that tie
waterway should and must be improved
promptly and effectively as q means cs
maintaining national prosperity
The frat requisite for waterway Inn
provement Is the control OF the waters Ia
auch manner as TO reduce Hoods and reg
ulate the regimen Of the nayisable rlv-
ers The second requisite is development
OF terminals and connections Ia such man
ner as 20 regulate commerce,
Accordingly urge that the broad
plan for the development Of our water
why's, recommended by the inland wa
terways commission, be put In effect
without delay. II provides for a com
prehonsive system Of waterway I'M
provement extending TO all the uses Of
the waters and benefits TO be derived
from their control. including naviga.
ton. the development Of power the eS-
tension Of irrigation, the drainage Of
swamp and overflow Mrds, the pre-
ventlon Of soil wash and the purlhca-
tlon Of streams for water supply It
proposes to carry out the work By co.
ordlnatlng agencies IN the federal de-
partments through The medium Of an
administrative commission or board
acting IN cooperation with ihe states
and other organizations and Individual
citizens.
The work OF waterway development
should be- undertaken without delay
Meritorious projects III known con.
formlty with the general outlines Of
any comprehensive plan should pro
coed at once, THE cost Of the whole
work should be met by direct appro.
prlatIon II possible, but II necessary
by the isgue Of bonds IN small denomi-
nations
II Is especially Important that the
development OF water power should he
guarded with the utmost care both hy
the national government aad by The
states IN order to protect the people
against the upgrowth OF monopoly aud
10 insure to them a fair share IN the
benefits which viii follow The develop
ment OF this great asset which belongs
to the people and should be controlled
by them.
Forests.
urge that provision be made for
both protection and more rapid devel.
opment Of the national forests Other
wise. either theIncrcaslng use Of these
forests by the people must be checked
or their protection against ilre must
be dangerously weakened II we com
pare The actual Ore damage on similar
areas ON private and naiioaal forest
lands during the past year. The govern
ment fire patrol saved commefclal tim
ber worth as much as the total cost Of
caring for al national forests al The
present rate for about ten years.
/ especially commend q the congress
Che facts presented by the commission