The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-09-08
the resources for the people q full Of
hope for us all.
State and Federal Control.

hope for W all.
State and Federal Control.
But while we Of the United States are
anxious. as believe we are able. to be
Of assistance to others, there are prob
lens of our own which we must not over
look. One Of the most important con-
servattOn questions OF the moment relates
to the control Of water power monopoly
In the public interest. There Is apparent
to the judicious observer distinct ten
dency on the part Of our opponents to
cloud the issue by raising the question Of
state as against federal Jurisdiction. We
are ready to meet that issue IL 1t is forced
upon U.s. But there Is no hope for the
plain people in such conflicts Of jurisdic-
ton. The essential question 10 not one
Of hair-splitting legal technicalities. 1t II
simply this: Who can best regulate the
special interests for the public good?
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-
sity within the federal jurisdiction. One
Of the prime objects Of those among them
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
it to be the least effective. In the great
| fight of the people to drive the special
| 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 l so
| strongly oppose the demand to turn these
matters over to the states. It is funda-
| mentally demand against the interest
| Of the plain people. Of the people of small
means, against the interest of our chill
| dren and our children's children: and 1t
| 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. 1t has been
no slight task to bring before 100000 peo-
! pie a great conception like that of con-
servation. and convince them that 1t 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 1t 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. Ye,
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. If there Is
| delay, the responsibility for 1t rests. not
on the men who made the withdrawals to
protect the public interest. but on those
who prevent congress from passing wise
| legislation, and so putting an end to the
| need for withdrawals.
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 retarding It
| 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 ant
believers in its general principles, to as
sumo that its practical application Is nee
| essarily check upon progress Nothln :
could be more mistaken. The Idea, widel1
| circulated Of late, that conservation meant
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; Just as farmer uses his farm
| in ways to preserve its future usefulness
| Conservation is the road to national ef-
ficiency. and 1t stands for ample and wise
| development.
But in spite of these difficulties mosi
| of which are doubtless inevitable in an.
movement of this kind. conservation has
made marvellous progress. I have beer
astounded and delighted on my return
from abroad at the progress made while
| was away. We have right to congratu
| late ourselves on this marvellous progress
| but there Is no reason for believing thai
| 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 mel
| Their understood 1t, nor saw that II 1t Wor
they must lose. But with the progress o.
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
fitness. Open opposition we can over
| come, but warn you especially against
| the men who come to congresses such al
| this, ostensibly as disinterested citizens
special interests. I heartily approve the
attitude of any corporation. interested ir
the deliberations Of a meeting such al
this, which comes hither to advocate. by
its openly accredited agents, views which
| 1t believes the meeting should have II
mind But condemn with equal readi
ness the appearance of a corporate agent
before any convention who does not de-
clare himself frankly rs such.
This congress is direct appeal to the
patriotism of our whole people. Thf
nation wisely looks to such gathering
for counsel and leadership. Let thai
leadership be sound, definite, practical
and on the side Of all the people. Il
would be no small misfortune If meeting
such as this should ever fall into the
hands Of the open enemies or false friends
OF the great movement which 1t repre-
| 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 better nation t.
live in this better land. The development
and conservation Of our national charac'
| oo%Ar ooA o,r frno institutions must &C