The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-09-08
TAFT ON CONSERVATION.

Conservation is a very vague and
elastic term. 1t embraces much that
is wise and beneficial and sometimes
policies that are visionary and hys-
terical. AS a whole the movement is
distinctly desirable and worthy of
support. President Taft gave an eX-
cellent definition in his speech at st.
Paul Monday, when he said:
Conservation as an economic and
political term has come to mean the
preservation of our natural resources
| for economical use, so as to secure the
! greatest good to the greatest num-
ber."
The Presidents address is an able
sensible, temperate treatment of a big
subject. He is generous enough to
praise Colonel Roosevelt for initial
ing the movement, although the Ex-
President has been peculiarly slow in
saying anything good of Taft. This
address shows that there is no press
ing need of change in the law relating
| to purely agricultural lands. Con-
gress having passed an act at the last
session permitting the Government
to retain coal deposits while it may
sell the surface of the land for farm
ing purposes.
| In one instance the President ap-
parently takes issue with the more
radical theories of men like Roosevelt
and Pinchot. In opposing the sugges-
ton that the Government should aid
in the drainage of swamp lands own
ed by State or private individuals, he
says:
! Il deprecate the agitation in favor
of such legislation. 1t is inviting the
general Government into contribution
| from its treasury toward enterprises
| that should be conducted either by
private capital or at the instance of
/ the State. In these days there is a
! disposition to look too much to the
Federal Government for everything.
! | am liberal in the construction of
] the Constitution with reference to
Federal power; but ! am firmly con
WINGED that the only safe course for
us to pursue is to hold fast to the linn
| itations OF the Constitution and to
regard as sacred the powers of tn
States. We have made wonderful
progress and at the same time hav
preserved with judicial eXactness tn
restrictions of the Constitution. Their
| is an easy way in which the Consti-
tuition can be violated by Congress
without judicial inhibition, to wit, by
appropriations from the nationa
treasury for unconstitutional purposes
! 1t will be sorry day for thic coun
| try if the time ever comes when our
fundamental compact shall be habit
ually disregarded in this manner"
This is sound and wholesome doc
trine. In these days, when the tend
ency is to override the authority of
the States. to stretch the laws and
the Constitution TO permit the nation
al authority to extend its power into
regions where only the broadcast con-
struction will permit it TO go, it is
gratifying to see the President take
such a firm stand. If this doctrine
is considered heresy by the Roosevelt
wing of the party good many here
tics will be found.
In a plan and straightforward way
the President shows how he secured
the passage of law authorizing the
withdrawal of certain lands already
withdrawn by the executive order of
his predecessor. AS there was doubt
of the validity of this action he with
drew the lands again after the pas
sage Of the act, a cause which shows