Mexico Missouri message., 1910-09-08

triotic duty calls upon us. We owe Il 10
ourselves and to them to give the Amer.-
can republics all the help we can. The
cases in which we have failed should be
no less instructive than the cases In
which we have succeeded With prompt
action and good will the task Of saving
the resources for the people is full Of
hope for us all.
State and Federal Control.
But while we of the United States ara
anxious, as I 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-
Fervation questions of the moment relates
to the control of water power monopoly
In the public interest. There is apparent
to the 1udicious observer a distinct ten
deney on the part of our opponents to
cloud the Issue by raising the question Of
state as against federal Jurisdiction. We
arc ready to meet that issue II It 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-spiitting legal technicalities. II Is
simply this: Who can best regulate the
special interests for the public good7
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
night OF the people to drive the special
interests from the domination Of our gov
eminent the nation is stronger and it's
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
lsntic coast, viii be federal laws and the
federal executive That ia why I so
strongly oppose the demand to turn these
matters over TO the states II 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 chiIdren'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 It applies Is constantly
growing in the public mind. It has been
no slight task to bring before 100000 peo-
pie great conception like that Of con-
Eervation. and convince them that It is
riRht. This much we have accom-
plished But there remains much TO he
cleared up, and many MISUNDERSTANDING
to he 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 II con-
stantly said by men who should know
better that temporary withdrawals,
such as the Withdrawals of coal lands.
viii 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 tn 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 q Just
cause are familiar TO all Of us. Many
unw1se 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 II.
For example to stop water power devei.
opment by needless refusal to issue per-
mits for water power or private Irrigation
works on the public lands inevitably lends
many men, friendly TO conservation and
believers in its general principles to as
sumo that its practical application is nee
essariIy check upon progress. Nothing
could be more mistaken. The idea, widely
circulated of late, that conservation means
licking up Of the natural resources for the
exclusive use OF future generations. Is
wholly mistaken. Our purpose Is TO make
full ure of these resources, but to conSid-
er our sons and daughters as well as our
selves; Just a 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, most
fpoNrg4ohIa tn
movement of this kind. conservation has
made marvellous progress. I have been
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 that
the fight is won. In the beginning tho
special interests, who are our chief oppo-
nents in the conservation fight, pnid little
heed to the movement, because they nei-
ther 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 tho
opposition that we must meet and the
greater the need for caution and watch
fulness. Open opposition we can over
come but warn you especially against
the men who come to congresses such rs
this, ostenslbly as dislnterestcd citizens,
but actually as the paid agents OF tho
special interests. I heartily approve tho
attitude Of any corporation. interested in
the deliberations of a meeting such as
this, which comes hither TO advocate. by
its openly accredited agents, views which
II believes the meeting should have in
mind. But ] condemn with equal readi-
ness the appearance Of a corporate agent
before any convention who does not do
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 II n meeting
such as this should ever fall into tho
hands OF the open enemies or false friends
OF the great movement which It repre-
seuts.
II is our duty and our desire TO make
this land of ours better home for the
race but our duty does not stop there.
We must also work for a better nation to
live in this better land The development
and conservation Of our national Charac-