Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-23

ment to the men. both in and out of the
government service who have prepared the
first inventory of our natural resources.
They have made it possible for this nation
to take a great step forward. Their work
is helping us to see that the greatest
questions before us are not partisan ques-
lions, but questions upon which men of
all parties and all shades of opinion may
be united for the common good. Among
such questions, on the material side. the
conservation Of natural resources stands
first. 1t is the bottom round OF the ladder
on our upward progress toward a condl-
ton in which the nation as a whole, and
it's citizens as individuals, will set national
efficiency and the public welfare before
personal profit.
Work of Government Service.
The policy of conservation Is perhaps
the most typical example of the general
policies which this government has made
peculiarly it's own during the opening
years of the present century. The func-
ton OF our government is to insure to all
it's citizens, now and hereafter, their rights
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happI-
ness. II we of this generation destroy the
resources from which our children would
otherwise derive Their livelihood. we re-
duce the capacity of our land to support a
population, and so either degrade the
standard of living or deprive the coming
generations of their right to life on this
continent. II we allow great Industrial or
Ranizations to exercise unregulated control
Of the means of production and the neces-
saries of life, we deprive the Americans of
today and Of the future of industrial lib
! erty, a right no less precious and vital
than political freedom. Industrial liberty
was a fruit OF political liberty, and in turn
has become one OF It's chief supports, and
exactly as we stand for political democracy
so we must stand for Industrial democracy.
Fundamental Rights Affected.
The rights to life and liberty are funda-
mental, and like other fundamental necessi-
ties. when once acquired. they are little
dwelt upon. The right TO tine pursuit OF
happiness is the right whose presence or
absence is most likely to be felt in daily
life. In whatever II has accomplished, or
failed to accomplish, the administration
which Is just drawing to a close has at
least seen clearly the fundamental need OF
freedom of opportunity for every citizen,
We nave realized that the right Of every
man to live his own life, provide for his
family, and ~endeavor, according TO his abili-
ties, to secure for himself and for them a
fair share Of the good things of existence,
should be subject to one Limitation and to
no otherS 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 com
munity. We should do all in our power to
develop and protect individual liberty, in
dIvidual initiative, but subject always to
the need of preserving and promoting the
general good. When necessary the private
right must yield, under due process OF law
and with proper compensation, to the well
fare OF the commonwealth. The man who
serves the community greatly should be
greatly rewarded by the community; as
there Is great inequality of service so there
must be great Inequality OF reward; but no
man and no set of men should be allowed