The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-09

holds that the people have not only the
right. but the duty to control the use
Of the natural resources. which are
the great source OF prosperity"
According TO Mr.. Pinehot the great
question now confronting congress
and the question that has brought
about the now famous Ballinger-Pin-
chot controversy. with its forthcoming
congressional investigation on the
startling stories OF political designs up
on President Taft's administration oW-
ing to his open support Of Secretary OF
the Interior Balliger. is whether or
not Congress Is to continue TO allow
the rights OF the people 20 be obssruct-
ed and denied by the private corpora
tions that have designs upon the water
power and the coal lands Of the coun-
try. Upon this question. Forester
Pinchot has expressed himself publicly
as follows:
sion whether the great coal fields still
in public ownership. shall remain SO.
in order that their use may be con-
troiled with due regard to the interest
Of the consumed, or whether they shall
pass into private ownership and be
controlled In the monopolis,ic inter
est OF IA few. Congress must decide
also whether immensely valuable
rights to the use of water power shall
be given away to special interests In
perpetuity. and without compensation.
instead OF being held and controlled
by the public.
h., - ~
Cunningham claim to valuable coal
lands in Alaska which started the Bal
linger-Pinchot controversy. Mr.. Pin
chot said: Unless We could not keep
our political liberty. see no reason
why We should deliberately keep on
holding to fasten the handouts OF cor
porate control upon ourselves for all
time merely because the few men who
would profit by ii must have hereto
fore had the power to compel It."
MIR. Pinchot is an avowed disciple
Of President Roosevelt He believes
in the square DEAL and frankly pro-
American citizens are square deal
ers." Therefore. he believes that the
great battle now on between the inter
ests and the people over the water
power sites will eventually end with
victory for the people. 1t must be
clear to any man who has followed the
development OF the conservation idea"
he says. That no other policy now be-
fore the American people il SO thor
Oughly democratic in its essence and
in its tendencies. II asserts that the
people have the right and the duty.
and that II is their duty no less than
their right. to protect themselves
against the uncontrolled monopoly Of
the natural resources which yield the
necessaries Of life. We are beginning
to realize that the conservation Ques-
ton Is q question OF right and wrong,
As any question must be. which may
involve the difference between pros.
perity and poverty. health and sick.
ness. ignorance and education. we'll
being and misery. to hundreds Of
thousands OF families Soon from the
point of view OF human welfare and
human progress. questions which begin
AZ purely economic often end N moral
issues. conservation il q moral issue,
because IL involves the rights and tho
duties of our peopls-their rights to
prosperity and happiness and their du-
ties to themselves. to their descendants
and to the whole future progress and
welfare of the nation