Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-09-07


corporations which desire 20 escape
all Government control
One Of the dlfficultiea in putting int
practice the conservation idea is that
he field to which it applies is con-
@tantjy growing in the public mind It'll
mas been no slight task to bring before
l00,000,000 people great conception
Ike chat Of tae conservation, and con
vince them that it is right. This MUGS
We have accomplished But there re-
mains much to be cleared up. ami
many misunderstanding to be remoy,
Ell. T.-a,.e misunderstanding are due
IN part at least to direct misrepresen-
alton by the men to whose interest it
is that conservation should not pros
per. For example, we find it constant
~ said by men who should know bet
Ter, that temporary Withdrawals. such
as tie Withdrawals of coal lands, viii
.ermanentiy check development. Yet
la fact is that thele Withdrawals have
. purpose except to prevent the coal
lands from passing into private own
arship until Congress can pass laws to
)peu them to dege opment under con.
iltions just alike to the public ana to
! men WHO will do the developing. If
'4ere is delay, the responsibility for ii
re Is, not on the men who made tn
Withdrawals to protect tie public in
terest, but on those who prevent Con,
gress from passing wise legislation,
and so putting an end to the need far
Withdrawals.
Abuse committed in the name of
just cause are familiar to ali Of us
Many unwise things are done and
many unwise measures are Advocated
in the name of conservation, either
trough ignorance or by those whose
q terest lies not in promoting the move
ment. but in retarding it. For exam
pie, to stop water power development
by needless refusal to issue permits
for water power or private irrigation
works on the public lands inevitably
leads many men, friendly to conserya-
ton and believers in its general prin-
oip!es, to assume that its practical ap-
Dlication is necessarily a check upon
progress. Nothing could be more mis-
taken. The idea widely circulated of
lata tI,ot coprorx,o+io,, ,,,o.. 7a1r+
up the natural resources for the ex-
elusive use of later generations, is
wholly mistaken Our purpose it 10
make full use of these resources, but
to consider our sons and daughters as
we'll as ourselves; just as farme,
uses his farm in ways to preserve its
future usefulness. Conservation is the
road to national efficiency, and il
stands for ample and wise develop
ment
But in spite of these difficulties.
most of which are doubtless inevitable
in any movement of this kind, conser-
walton has made marvellous progress
have been astounded and delighted on
my return from abroad at the progress
made while | was away We have al
right to congratulate ourselves on this
marvellous progress; but there is mol
reason for believing that tie fight is
won. In the beginning the special iq-
rerests, who are our chief opponents
in the conservation fight, paid little
heed to the movement, because they
neither understood it, nor saw that if
it won they must lose But Wits tic
progress Of conservation in the minds
Of our people, the fight is getting
sharper The nearer we approach to
victory, more bitter the opposition that
We must meet and the greater the
need for caution and watchfulness.
Open opposition we can overcome, but
warn you especially against the men
who come to congresses such as this
ostensibly as disimerested citizens. but
actually as the paid agents of the spec
ial interests. I heartily approve the
attitude of any corporation, interested
in the deliberations of a meeting sucn
as this which comes hither to advo-
cate, by its openly accredited agents,
views which it believes the meeting
should have in mind But / condemn
with equal readiness the appearance
.of a corporate agent before any CON
vention who does not declare himself.
*4s
It is our duty and our desire 10
make this land of ours a better home
for the race, but our duty does not
stop there. We must also work for
better nation to live in this bette:
land. The development and conserva.
ton OF our national character and our
free institutions must so hand in hand
with the development and conservation
of our natural resources, Which tA9
Governors Conference so well called
the foundations of our prosperity
Whatever progress we may make as
nation, whatever wealth. We may ac~
cumu}ate however far we may push
mechanical development and produce
ton We shall never reach point
where our welfare can depend in the
last analysis on anything but honesty,
courage, loyalty and good citizenship.
The homely virtues are tie lastias
virtues, and the road which leads
them is the road to genuine and last
ing success.
What this country needs is what
every free country must set before It'll
as the great goal toward which it,
works-an equal opportunity for life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
I for every one of its citizens. To achieve.