The Mena weekly star., 1909-01-28

neGiecting for 6 time, If need be. smaller and less vital questions shall concentrate an effective part of our attention upon the great material foundations of na- tionai 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 firm and lasting foundation of mate rial well-being. In this respect our situ-
 alton Is far from satisfactory. After every possible allowance has been made.
 and when every hopeful indication has
 been given its full weight. the facts still
 give reason for grave concern. Ii would
 be unworthy of our history and our in
 teiligence, 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. I do not advise hasty or ill.,
 considered action on disputed points. but
 I do urge. where the facts are known.
 where the public interest Is clear. tha,
 neither indifference and Inertia, nor ad-
 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 |. now adding about one-ffth to its numbers In ten years. and that by the middle Of the present century perhaps i50. 00
 Americans. and by Its end very many millions more, must be fed and clothed from the products of our soil
 We know now that our rivers can and should be made 10 serve our people eff fectively in transportation. sbut that the vast expenditures for our waterways have not resulted In maintaining. much less in promoting. inland navigation Therefore. let us take immediate steps to ascertain the reasons and to prepare and adopt a comprehensive plan for inland. waterway navigation that will result in giving the people inc benefits for which they have paid but which they have not yet received We know now that our for esIs are fast disappearing. that less than one fifth of them are being conserved and that no good purpose can be met by failing to provide the relatively small sums needed for the protection, use, and Improvement of all forests still owned by the government. and to enact laws to check the. wastefui destruction of the for ests in private hands. There are diner ences of opinion as to many public ques- tions; but the American people stand nearly as unit for waterway develop ment and for forest protection.
 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 $500 0o0. 900 a year. Therefore let us undertake without delay the in- -satigations necessary before our people rin he in position. through state action or otherwise, 10 put an end to this huge ','s and waste. and conserve both our mineral resources and the lives of the men who take them from the earth.
 This administration has achieved some things: it has sought. but has al. A.. hss doubtless made mistakes but all f has done or attempted has been in the single. consistent effort to se cure and enlarge the rights and oppor. tunities of the men and women of the United States. We are trying to con. serve what is good in our social sys- tenn and we are striving toward this end when we endeavor to do away with what Is bad Success may be made too hard for some if 1t Is made too easy for others. The rewards of common industry and thrift may be too small " the rewards for others. and on the whole less valuable. qualities. are made too large. and especially if the rewards for qualities which are resily. from the public standpoint. undeslr. able. are permitted to become too large. Our aim is so far as possible Co provide such conditions that there s5ail he equality of opportunity where there is equality of energy fidelity and - diligence; when there is a reasen- hle equality of opportunity the dls- of rewards will take care f itself.
 The unchecked existence of monop- ly is incompatible with equality of pportunity. The reason for the ex- rcise Of government control over great aonopolies is to equalixe opportunity. | Ve are lighting against privilege. It sas made unlawful for corporations 0 contribute money for election ex- enses m order Co abridKs the power f special privilege at the polls. Rail- oad rate control Is an attempt to se- nre an equality of opportunity for all | aen affected by raA transportation: nd that means all of us The great nthrecite coal strike was settled. and he prssstng danger of a coal famin. 1