Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-09-08

state against federal Jurisdiction We
are ready to meet that issue If 1t is forced
upon US. But there is no hope for the
plain people in such conflicts of jurisdic-
ton. The essential question is not one
Of hair-splitting legal technicalities. It is
simply this: Who can best regulate the
special interests for the public good2
Most of the predatory corporations are
interstate or have interstate affiliations.
Therefore they are largely out of reach Of
effective state control. and fall Of neces-
stty within the federal Jurisdiction. Ore
Of the prime objects of those among than
that are grasping and greedy Is TO avoid
any effective control either by state or
nation; and they advocate at this time
state control simply because they believe
II to be the least effective. In the great
fight of the people to drive the special
interests from the domination Of our gov
eminent, the nation IS stronger and its
Jurisdiction is more effective than that Of
any state. The most effective weapon
against these great corporations, most OF
which are financed and owned on the At
lantic coast, will be federal laws and the
federal executive. That is why I so
strongly oppose the demand to turn these
matters over to the states. It is funda-
mentally a demand against the interest
Of the plain people, Of the people Of small
means, against the interest of our chill
dren and our childrens children; and it
is primarily in the interest of the great
corporations which desire to escape all
government control
The Conservation Fight.
On of the difficulties in putting into
practise the conservation idea is that the
field to which 1t applies is constantly
growing in the public mind It has been
no slight task to bring before 100000 peo-
pie a great conception like that Of con-
servation. and convince them that it Is
right. This much we have accom-
plished But there remains much to be
cleared up, and many misunderstanding
to be removed These misunderstanding
are due in part at least to direct mis-
representation by the men to whose
interest II is that conservation should not
prosper. For example, we find 1t con-
stantly said by men who should know
better that temporary Withdrawals,
such as the Withdrawals of coal lands.
will permanently check development. Yet
the fact is that these Withdrawals have
no purpose except to prevent the coal
lands from passing into private owner
ship until congress can pass laws to open
them to development under conditions
just alike to the public and to the men
who will do the developing.
Abuses committed in the name Of just
cause are familiar to all of US. Many
unwise things are done and many unwise
measures are advocated In the name Of
conservation, either through ignorance.
or by those whose interest lies not in pro-
noting the movement, but in retardins 1t.
For example to stop water power devel-
opment by needless refusal to issue per-
mits for water power or private irrigation
works on the public lands inevitably leads
many men. friendly to conservation and
believers in its general principles, to as
sumo that its practical application is nee
arily a check upon progress. Nothing
could be more mistaken The idea. widely
circulated of late, that conservation means
locking up of the natural resources for the
exclusive use of future generations, Is
wholly mistaken. Our purpose Is to make
full use of these resources. but to consid-
er our sons and daughters as we'll as our
selves: lust as a farmer uses his farm
in ways to preserve its future usefulness.
Conservation Is the road to national ef-
ficfency and 1t stands for ample and wise
development.
But in spite of these difficulties, most
of which are doubtless inevitable In any
movement of this kind. conservation has
made marvellous progress. 1 have been
astounded and delighted on my return
from abroad at the progress made while I
was away. We have a right to congratu-
late ourselves on this marvellous progress:
but there is reason for believing that
the fight is won. In the beginning the
special interests, who are our chief oppo-
nents in the conservation fight, paid little
heed to the movement. because they neil
Their understood It, nor saw that II 1t won
they must lose. But with the progress OF
conservation IN the minds Of our people
the fight is getting sharper The nearer
we approach to victory. the bitterer the
opposition that we must meet. and the
greater the need for caution and watch
fuIness Open opposition we can over
h1rf 7 PSDaGialiV against
the men who come to congresses such as
this ostensibly as disinterested citizens.
but actually as the paid agents Of the
special interests. I heartily approve the
attitude of any CORPORATION, interested in
the deliberations of meeting such as
this. which comes hither to advocate. by
It's openly accredited agents, views which
It believes the meeting should have in
mind. But I condemn with equal readt-
ness the appearance of a corporate agent
before any convention who does not de-
clare himself frankly as such.
This congress is a direct appeal to the
patriotism Of our whole people, The
nation wisely looks to such gatherings
for counsel and leadership. Let that
leadership be sound, definite, practical.
and on the side of all the people. II
would be no small misfortune IL a meeting
such as this should ever fall into the
hands Of the open enemies or false friends
sents.
It is our duty and our desire to make
this land of ours q better home for the
race but our duty does not stop there.
We must also work for q better nation to
live in this better land. The development
and conservation OF our national charac-
acter and our free institutions must go
hand in hand with the development and
conservation of our natural resources.
which the governors conference so well
called the foundations Of our prosperity.
Whatever progress we may make as
nation, whatever wealth we may accu-
mulate however far we may push me-
chanical development and production, we
shall never reach a point where our well
fare can depend in the last analysis on
anything but honesty, courage, loyalty.
and good citizenship. The homely vir-
tues are the lasting virtues, and the road
which leads to them is the road to gen.
uine and lasting success.
What this country needs is what every
free country must set before 1t as the
great goal toward which 1t works-an
equal oportunity for life liberty and the
pursuit of happiness for every one of its
citizens To achieve this end we must
put a sop to the improper political do
minion. no less than to the improper eco
nomic dominion of the great special
interests This country. its natural re-
sources its natural advantages. its oppor-
tunities and its institutions, belong to all
its citizens. They cannot be enjoyed fully
fully end freely under any government in
which the special interests as such have
a voice The supreme political task of
our day. the Indispensable condition of
national efficiency and national welfare, is
to drive the special interests out of our
public life
One Thing Certain.