The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-06-16
WE AS A NATION HAVE LOST
CONFIDENCE IN CONGRESS

| by Clifford Pinchot, former forester,
who was removed from office by
| President Taft because of his pro-
conservation policy, at "A banquet
given by the St. Paul, Mimi, RoOse-
welt Club last Saturday night. He
said that the people had lost conf
dence in Congress because that
body's leaders in many instances
were dominated by the special inter.
ests. His address was along the
| line Of conservation of our natural
I resources, and the burden Of his
theme was that politics and business
| as conducted by the interests. should
| be divorced. There is much truth
and matter for thought in what he
says. He said in part:
The conservation issue is Il moral
| issue, and the heart OF ii is this:
| For whose benefit shall our natural
| resources be conservation the
/ be nefit OF It's all, or for til. use and
profit OF the few? This truth is SO
obvious and the question itself so
simple that the attitude toward con.
| servation of any man in public or
| private life indicates lis stand in
the fight for public rights.
All monopoly rests on the unregu.
lated control Of natural resources
and natural advantages, and such
control by the special interests is
impossible without the help of poll
tics. The alliance between business
| and politics is the most dangerous
thing in our political life. II is the
snake that we must kill. The special
interest must get out of politics, or
the American people will put them
out of business. There is no third
course
Because the special interests are
in politics, we as u nation have lost
\coufldence In Congress. This is "A
, serious statement to make, but IL Is
true. II does not apply, of course,
to the men who really represent their
constituents and who are making 50
fine fight for the conservation Of
s"ligovernment. As soon as these
men have won their battle and con-
solidatcd their victory, confidence
in Congress will return.
But in the meantime the people Of
the United States believe that, as a
whole, the Senate and the House no
longer represent the voters by whom
they were elected, but the special in
terests by whom they are controlled.
They believe SO because they have
SO often seen Congress reject what
the pee pie desire, aud do instead
what the interests demand.
This loss Of confidence in Congress
Is matter for deep concern to every
thinking American. II has not come
quickly or without good reason.
Every man who knows Congress
well knows the names Of Senators
and members who betray the people
they were elected to represent, and
knows also the names of the mas.
tiers whom they obey. A representa-
tive of the people who wears the col
lar of the special interests has
touched bottom. He can sink no
further.
Who is to blame because repro
sentatiyes of the people are so com |
monty led to betray their trust? We
all arc-we who have not taken the |
trouble to resent and put an end to |
the knavcry We knew was going on. |
The brand of politics served out to |
us by the professional politician has
long been composed largely of hot |
meals for the interests and hot air |
for the people, aud we have all
known il.
Many Of the old-style leaders re-
gard the political truths which alone
insure the progress Of the nation,
and will hereafter completely dom
mate 1t, as the mere meaningless
babble of political infants. They
have grown old in the belief that
money has the right to rule, and
they can never understand the point |
of view of the men who recognize in
the corrupt political activity OF n |
railroad or trust most dangerous
Kind of treason to government by
the people.
When party leaders 20 wrong II
requires high sense of public duty,
true courage, and strong belief In |
the people for a man in politics to |
take his future in his hands and
stand against them.