The searchlight., 1910-09-02
ROOSEVELT FOR
FEDERAL CONTROL
Believes Government Should Gen.
orally Be Leader in Con-
servation.
SAD EXPERIENCE IN EAST
Addressing Public Meeting In Denver,
Es-president Discusses Water Pow.
er. Coal Lands, Ranges and Forests
Powerful Plea for Conservation.

| DSHNeF, SOioss hu6. -SOIouSl
Roosevelt arrived in Denver from
Cheyenne this morning. and after a
parade in which representatives OF the
state and city, the Live Stock asso-
ciatien and the Spanish War Veterans
took part, was the guest of the Den
yer Press club at a cowboy luncheon
at Overland park. In the afternoon
he delivered a public address at the
Auditorium and later spoke to the
Spanish War Veterans, and then he
was the guest of honor at a round
up" dinner at Eljebel Temple.
Talks on Conservation.
Mr.. Roosevelt's main address was
on conservation, and was as follows:
This country has shown definite signs
of waking up to the absolute necessity of
handling Its natural resources with fore
sight and common sense. The conserva-
fion question has three sides. In the first
place. the needless waste Of the natural
resources must be stopped. II is rapidly
becoming n well-set.led policy OF this peo-
pie that We OF this generation hold the
land In part for the next generation, and
not exclusively for our own selfish enjoy
| ment Just as the farmer Is n COED citi-
zen IL he leaves his farm improved and not
impaired for his children. and a bad citi-
zen IL he skins the land In his own selfish
interest. SO the Nation behaves well II 1t
treats the natural resources as assets
which II must turn over to the next gen.
Grafton increased and not impaired In
value. and behaves badly If IL leaves the
land poorer TO those who come after us.
In the second place. the natural re-
sources must be developed promptly
completely. and In orderly fashion. 1t Is
not conservation to leave the natural re-
sources undeveioped. Development is an
| Indispensable part of the conservation
plan. The forests, the mines. the water
powers, and the land itself. must all be
put TO use Those who assert that con-
| servation proposes to tie them up. depriv-
Ing this generation of their benefits in
order to hand them on untouched to the
next. miss the whole point of the con-
servation Idea. Conservation does not
mean depriving the men OF today of their
natural rights In the natural resources OF
the land. All II means is that we of this
generation shall so Use our rights as not
10 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 for
exploitation to single individuals. We do
not intend TO discourage individual enter
prise by unwlsely diminishing the reward
Tor that enterprise. On the contrary, we
believe that the men of exceptional abili-
ties should have exceptional rewards up
TO point where the reward becomes dis
proportionate TO the service, up to the
point where the abilities are used to the
detriment OF the people as a whole We
are for the liberty OF the Individual up to
and not beyond the point where II be-
comes Inconsistent with the welfare of
the community. Thus our consistent aim
Is to favor the actual settIer-the man
aU nf thA
rs he himself can cultivate and there
makes 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 welfare.
to see to II that the rights of the public
are protected. and the liberty OF the indi-
vidual secured and encouraged az long as
consistent with this welfare and curbed
when II becomes inconsistent Herewith. IL
Is necessary to invoke the aid of the
government. There are points in which
thls governmental aid can best be rem
dered by the states. that In. where the
exercise of states rights helps to secure
popular rights: and rs to these I believe
In states rights. But there are large
classes OF cases where only authority
OF the National government will secure
ul tHe people, anu where this Is
the case l am convinced and a thor
nnsh-going believer In the rights of the
national government Big business, for
instance. Is no longer an affair of any one
state. big business Inns become national
ized, and the only effective way OF CON-
trolling and directing It, and preventing
abuses In connection with It, is by having
the people nationaiize this control In order
10 Prevent their being exploited by the In
diNidnals who have nationalized the busi-
ness. All commerce on a scale sufficient
~ large to warrant any control over IL by
the government Is nowadays Interstate or
foreign commerce. and until this fact Is
heartily acknowledged and acted upon by
both courts and legislative bodies. Ma
aonai and state alike. the interest of the
people viii suffer.
In the matter of conservation I heart
lily approve of state action where under
our form of government the state and the
state only. has the power to act. 1 cor
daily join with those who desire to see
the state. within Its own sphere. take the
most advanced position In regard to the
whole matter of conservation. have
taken exactly this attitude In my own
state of New York. Where the state alone
had power to act. have done all I could
to get 1t to act In the most advanced
manner: and where the Nation could act
! have done all I could to get National
action In the same direction. Unfortun-
uteiy. IN tHe east we nave In this matter
paid the penalty OF not having our forest
land under National control; and the PEN
aity has been severe. Most OF the states
although they are old states-have not
protected their forests. each failing to
act by ITSELF because the action was real
ly the common concern of all; and where
action Is the common concern of all, ex-
perience has shown that 1t can only be
proftsbly undertaken by the National
government
As result OF the impossibilIty of get
ting such wise action by the several state
governments in the east. We are doing
our best TO get National legislation under
which the Natiopal government. at the
expense of millions of dollars. shall under
take to do as regards the Appalachtans
and White Mountains of the east what ID
10 now doing In the Rock Mountains here
out wesR. II would oe both a calamity
and an absurdity for the National govern
menf now to do in the west the very
shing that at q heavy pecuniary cost II Is
trying to undo In the east. BY actual ex-
pertence In the east We have found 10
our cost that the Nation, and not the sey-