The Green Forest tribune., 1909-01-29


 cepted as duty and exercised as a right by the government in the in- terest of all the people. The eff ciency 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, fit in as parts of consistent whole.
 The enactment of a 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 reeog- nized the controlling fact that while the employer usually has at stake nc more than his profit, the stake of the employe is a 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 unabpropriated 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 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 q system of diplo- macN which puts the obligations ot international morality on a level with those that govern the actions of an honest gentleman in dealing with his fellow-me Within our own border we stand for truth, and honesty in public and in private life; and we war stern ly against wrengdoers of every grado All these efforts are integral parts of the same attempt, the attempt tc enthrone justice and righteousness. te secure freedom of opportunity to all of our citizens. now and hereafter and to set the ultimate interest of all oi us above the temporary interest ot any individual, class, CT 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 rick
 
 vided only that he is good citizen recognizing his obligations to the ma tton 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 power. The time is coming when a 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 a 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 fail play in the effort to realize the bes, there is in him.
 "rhe tasks this nation has to dc are great tasks. They can only be done at all by our citizens acting to. gether. and they can be done best O, all by the direct and simple applica tion of homely common sense. The application of common sense to common problems for the common good. under the guidance of the principles upov which this republic was based. and by virtue of which it exists spells per petuity for the nation. civil and indus trial liberty for it's citizens. and
 
 of happiness for the plain American for whom this nation was founded. by whom it was preserved and through whom alone it can be perpetuated Upon this platform-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 recommends tions of work to be done for the future good of the country. The president says: Tt 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 checke or their protection against fire must be dangerously weakened. If we compare the actual fire damage on sim
 
 est lands during the past year, the government fire patrol saved commer- cfal timber worth as much as the total cost of caring for all national forests at the present rate for about ten years.
 T 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 the nation which rests upon the private ownership of private lands. The own ership of forest land is public trust. The man who would handle his forest as to cause erosion and to injure stream flow must be not only educated, but he must be controlled.n
 In conclusion the president urges upon congress the desirability of 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 S50,000 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 2 sum would result in so large benefit to the whole nation."