Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-18
LIsTENINe TO THE WOLVES.

The Register and Leader apologies
for inadvertently printing a paragraph
in the presidents message which had
been ordered "killed" A considerable
number of Killings and changes of
one kind and another were ordered both
by mail and telegraph in the original
message furnished the newspapers by
the associated press. 1t is the duty
and intent of every member of the
association to make these, so the apol-
ogy of the Des Moines paper for its IN
intentional oversight is properly Of
fered.
paragraph out of the message for it
is to a considerable degree illumina-
tive of the vacillating state of mind
with which the president has been
credited both by his critics and his
friends. Here is the paragraph which
has now become public property:
A vast amount of discussion has ap-
peared in the public print in generalized
been little practical suggestion. 1t has
been easy to say that the natural re-
sources in fuel supply, in forests, in
water power, and in other utilities,
must be saved from waste, monopoly
and other abuses, and the genarl pub
lie are in accord With this proposition,
as they are with most truisms. The
problem. however. is how to save and
hn,a m md
still to develop; for no sane person can
contend that natures blessings are only
for unborn generations.
1t would appear to the general reader
that the president is mistaken and that
there has been much of practical sug-
gestion along the lines. OF course all
these things are as the president adj
vances easy to say. They are easy TO
say because they are true 1t is also
true that unborn generations can no:
be permitted to claim justly TO arrest
development of public resources and
that the present generation has its
right to its share of the blessings of
nature
These are ali self-evident truths
When have they been deniedo
Wherein have the conservationists
denied the present? The irrigation
projects are being settled in larger and
smaller tracts by actual settlers, who
expect to grow fruits. potatoes and
gain subsistence from the soil These
irrigated lands are being populated by
free holders. The present generation
is getting what belongs to il there.
These projects are not being exploited
under the fingers Of big business with
government assistance. A part is not
being sold and another part held spec
ulatively. The money paid is going
back into other reclamation projects.
The water power sites and the Alask-
an coalfelds are a somewhat different
proposition but is it necessary for their
future that they be turned over 10 big
business in fee simple? The com plant
against the conservators is not COM
ing from the general public as regards
the coal lands and the water power
sites. The difficulty is not With the
public. They agree with the president
that these and other utilities must be
saved from nonopolists The loud
complaint comes from across the way
And coming from the sources whence
it does come why should the president
being convinced that these should be
protected, why should ne permit him
self to be worried and troubled
when the voice of the monopolist is
raised In protest. The big thing right
now is not the immediate development
of these utilities but the saving OF
them to those to whom they belong
That IS big enough thing to write
one administration irnmutably into his.
tory. Why worry and lose sleep be-
cause the wolves howl outside the
gates?
The paragraph which is not part {,
the message but was part of the pres.
ident's thought along the lines of con.
servation and the serious row that il
being made is really the key to hi.
state Of mind. The president is lettin;
the bowling Of thu wolves keep hin
: