The Yale expositor., 1910-09-09


can republics all the help we can. Tho
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 fun OF
hope for us all.
State and Federal Control.
But while we Of the United States are
anxious. as l believe we are able. 10 be
OF assistance to others. there are prob
lens of our own which we must not over
look. One OF the most important con-
servation questions OF the moment relates
20 the control of water power monopoly
in the public interest There is apparent
to the judicious observer a distinct ten
dency on the part of our opponents 10
cloud the Issue by raising the question or
state as against federal jurisdiction. We
are ready TO meet that issue II II is forced
upon u.s. But there Is no hope for the
plain people In such conflicts OF turisdic-
tion. The essential question Is not one
OF hair-splitting legal technicalities IL Is
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
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 speciai
interests from the domination of our gov
ernment. the nation is stronger and Its
Jurisdiction is more effective than that or
any state. The most effective weapon
against these great corporations, most or
which are financed and owned on the At
lantic coast. will be federal laws and tho
federal executive. That Is why / 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 children's children: and it
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
pra ctise the conservation idea is that the
field TO which It applies is constantly
growing In the public mind. II has been
no slight task TO bring before 100000 poo-
pie great conception like that Of con-
servatlon. and convince them that 1t Is
right This much we have accom-
plished. But there remains much To be
cleared up. and many Observation-Disclosures
to be removed. These MISUNDERSTANDING
are due in part at least 10 direct mis-
representation by the men TO whose
interest It 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.
will 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 to open
them 20 development under conditions
Just alike to the public and 70 the men
who will do the developing.
Abuses committed in the name OF q Just
cause are familiar TO all of us. Many
unwise things are done and many unwise
measures are advocated I'm the name of
| conservation, either through ignorance,
or nv those whose interest lies not In pro-
noting the movement. but in retard'ng II.
| 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 and
believers in it's general PRINCIPLES. to as
sumo that Its practical application Is nec-
essarily check upon pro%ress. Nothing
! could be more mistaken. The idea. widely
| circulated Of late. that conservation means
| locking an of the natural resources for the
exclusive use of future generations, Ia
| wholly mistaken. Our purpose Is to make
| full use OF these resources, but 10 consid-
er our sons and daughters as well as our
selves; Just as n farmer uses his farm
| in vavs to preserve it's future usefulness.
| Conservation is the road to national ef-
/ fciency and Il stands for ample and wise
| development.
But in spite of these difficulties. most
| of which are doubtless inevitable In any
| movement of this kind. conservation has
made marvellous progress l have been
astounded and delighted on my return
| from abroad at the progress made while
| was away We have a right to congratu-
| late ourselves on this marvellous progress:
but there is no reason for believing that
| 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 nell
| ther understood IT, nor saw that IL II won
| they must lose. But with the progress nf
| 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 tho need for caution and watch
| fulness Ouen opposition we can over
come but I warn you especially against
| the men who come tn congresses such as
| this, ostensibly as disinterested citizens.
but actually as the paid agents OF tho
! snecial interests I heartily approve the
| the deliberations Of n meeting such AZ
| this. which comes hither to advocate bv
| its openly accredited agents, views which
| Il believes the meeting should have IN
| mind But I condemn with equal readi-
| ness the appearance of a corporate agent
before any convention who does not de-
| clare himself frankly as such.
This congress is n direct appeal to the
| patriotism OF our whole people. The
| ration 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 a meeting
such as this should ever fall into the
hands OF the open enemies or false friends
| OF the great movement which II repre-
| sents.
II is our duty and our desire 10 make
this land OF ours a better home for tho
race but our duty does not stop there.
We must also work for better nation to
| live in this better land The development
| and conservation of our national charac-
| acter and our free institutions must go
| hand in hand with the development and
| conservation Of our natural resources.
| which the governors conference so we'll
| calIad the foundations of our proqnorffv