The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-08-29

Oeuver. Aug. 2J.-lllS Country mas
shown definite signs Of waking up to
the absolute necessity Of handling its
natural resources with foresight and
common sense. The conservation ques-
ton has three sides. In the FIRST place:
the needless waste Of the natural re-
sources must be stopped. 1t Is rapidly
becoming q well settled policy Of this
people that we Of this generation hold
tho land in part for the next genera
ton and not exclusively for our own
selfish enjoyment.
Just as the farmer Ii q good citizen
II he leaves his farm improved and
not impaired for his children and a
bad citizen II he skins the land in his
own selfish interest. so the nation be-
haves well IL 1t treats the natural re-
sources as assets which 1t must turn
over to the next generation increased
and not impaired in value and behaves
badly II 1t leaves the land poorer to
those who come after u.s.
In the second place. the natural re-
ccoASSS hiAot OC NCNCioPSA
completely and in orderly fashion. 1t
Is not conservation to leave the natural
resources undeveloped. Development
Is an indispensable part Of the conser-
walton plan. The forests, the mines.
the water powers and the land itself
must all be put to use.
Those who assert that conservation
proposes to tie them up. depriving this
generation of their benefits in order to
hand them on untouched to the next
miss the whole point Of the conserva-
ton idea. Conservation does not mean
depriving the men Of today Of their
natural rights in the natural resources
of the land.
Grafton shall so use our rights as not
to deprive those who come after US of
their natural rights In their turn.
In the third place. SO far as possible
these resources must be kept for the
whole people and not handed over fol
exploitation to single individuals. We
do not intend to discourage Individual
enterprise by unwisely diminishing the
reward for that enterprise. On tho
contrary, we believe that the men OF
exceptional abilities should have ex.
ceptional rewards up to point where
the reward becomes disproportiOnate
to the service. up to the point where
the abilities are used to the detrimen,
Of the people as a whole.
We are for the liberty of the indi
vidual up to and not beyond the point
where 1t becomes Inconsistent with
the welfare of the community. Thus
our consistent aim is to favor the
actual settler-the man who takes as
much Of the public domain as he him
self can cultivate and there makes q
permanent home for his children who
come after him. But we are against
the man. no matter what his ability
who tries to monopolize large masses
Of public land.
State and Federal Control.
Now, to preserve the general wei
fare. to see to 1t that the rights Of the
public are protected and the liberty OF
SA0 Auutv1Ouui oCSOTCu anu CAlCOukuScN
as long as consistent with this welfare
and curbed when It becomes incon
slstent Herewith, 1t is necessary to In
woke the aid of the government. Their,
are points In which this governmental
aid can best be rendered by the states
that Is. where the exercise Of state
rights helps to secure popular rights
and as to these ! believe in state
rights.
But there are large classes of cases
where only the authority Of the ma
tional government will secure ths
rights Of the people. and where this Il
the case I am a convinced and n thor
oughgoing believer in the rights of the
national government. Big business
for instance, Is no longer an affair Of
any one state. Big business has be
come nationaiized. and the only eff
fective way Of controlling and direct
ing 1t and preventing abuses in con
nection with 1t Is by having the people
nationalist this control In order t
prevent their being exploited by tn,
individuals who have nationaliZed tn,
business All commerce on a scale suf
ficiently large to warrant any contro
| over II by the government is nova
| days Interstate or foreign. commerce