The state herald., 1909-01-29

neglecting for n time. II need be. smaller
and less vital questions, shall concentrate
an effective part OF our attention upon
the great material foundations OF ma
tional existence. progress, and prosperity.
THE first OF all considerations Is the
permanent welfare Of our people; and
true moral welfare. the highest form of
welfare. can not permanently exist save
on "A firm and lasting foundation OF mate
rial well-bcing. In this respect our siiu-
alton In far from satisfactory. After
every possible allowance has been made
and when every hopeful indication has
been given Its full weight. the facts stiil
give reason for grave concern. II would
be unworthy OF our history and our In
telligence, and disastrous to our future,
| to shut our eyes TO these facts or at
tempt TO laugh them out OF court The
people should and will rightly demand
that the great fundamental questions
shall be given attention by their rep
resentatives. ] do not advise hasty or Ill
considered action on disputed points. but
] do urge. whore the facts are known,
where the public interest is clear, that
neither Indifference and inertia. nor nd-
verse private interests, shall be allowed
TO stand In the way OF the public good,
''The great basic facts are already well
known. We know that our population is
now adding about onc-ffth to It's numbers
In ten years. and that by the middle OF
/ the present century perhaps 10000 600
Americans. and by It's end very many
millions more, must be fed and clothed
| from the products OF our soil
I'VE know now that our rivers can and
should be made TO serve our people .f-
fectively In transportation. but that the
vast expenditures for our waterways
have not resulted In maintaining. much
less In promoting inland navigation
/ k.t Lat as tat tf.s
ascertain the reasons and TO prepare and
adopt comprehensive plan for inland
waterway navigation that will result in
giving tho people the benefits for which
they have paid but which they have not
yet received. We know now that our for
ertr mr.. fast disappearing. that less than
| onc-nfth OF them are being conserved,
and that no good purpose can bo met by
failing 10 provide the relatively small
sums needed for the protection, use, and
Improvement Of all forests null owned by
the government. and 10 enact laws TO
check the waHteful destruction OF IN. for.
ostr In private hands.
I'VE know now that our mineral re-
sources once exhausted are gone for
ever. and that the needless waste OF
them costs uA hundreds OF human lives
and nearly Jooco0,0o year, Therefore.
let us undertake without delay the In.
vcstlsations necessary before our people
VIII be IN position, through stat" action
or otherwise. 10 put an end 10 this huge
loss and waste, and conserve both our
mineral resources md the lives of tho
men who take them from the earth
"Thir administration has achieved
some things Il has sought. but has
not been able. TO achieve. others. II
has doubtless made mistakes. but all
II has done or attempted has been In
the single, consistent effort to He-
cure and enlarge the rights and oppor-
tunitien Of the men and women Of tho
United States, We ate trying to CON
serve wha, In good In our social HyH.
tenn. and we are striving toward this
end when va unduaVur to do away with
what IN bad. Success may be made too
hard for some II II IN made too easy
for others. The rewards of common
industry and thrift may he too small
N the rewards for others, and on tho
whole less valuable. qualities. are
made too large, and especially N tho
rrwardH for qualities which nrn really
from the public standpoint. undupir.
able. hrH permitted % become too
large. our aim In m fnr aH possible
10 provide such conditions that there
shall he equality Of opportunity where
there In equality NJ energy, fidelity and
Intelligence. when there In q renHop