Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-09-02

ana byHpdtueliC anu Oltcu cutuuS-
iastic audience when he spoke on con-
servation this afternoon in the Audi
torium. The address was delivered
under the auspices of the Colorado
Live Stock association, and the repre-
sentatives Of that body met the Col
onel at the station. together with a
committee of officials and the Spanish
War Veterans. After a parade and a
dkboy luncheon given by the Den
yer Press Club. the main meeting Of
the day was held. Later Mr.. Roose-
welt was the chief guest at a round
up dinner.
Favors Federal Control.
Colonel Roosevelt's address was
largely an argument for federal con-
troll of natural resources. He said:
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-
tion question has three sides. In the flrst
place. the needless waste Of the natural
resources must be stopped. 1t 10 rapidly
becoming n well-settled 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 a good citi-
zen II he leaves his farm improved and not
impaired for his children. and . bad citi-
zen II he skins the land In his own selfish
interest. 80 the Nation behaves well II II
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 II II 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 II
not conservation to leave the natural re-
sources undeveloped. Development II an
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 tho
next. mss 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 It means IL that we of this
tosu<prive those who come after US of
IN natural rights in their turn.
IA the third place. no 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 unwiseiy diminishing the reward
for that enterprise. On the contrary. We
believe that the men OF exceptional abiu-
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 a. . whole. We
are for the liberty of the individual up To
comes Inconsistent with the welfare OF
the community. Thus our consistent aim
Is to favor the actual settier-the man
who takes a. much of the public domain
ns 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 monopoiize 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-
vidunI secured and encouraged long
consistent with this welfare. and curbed
when II becomes Inconsistent Herewith. II
Is necessary to invoke the aid of the
government. There are points In which
this governmental aid can best be rem
dered by the states. that IL. 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
the rights of the people: and where this is
the cnse I am . convinced and n thor
ouEh- going believer in the rights Of the
National government. Big business. for
instance. is no longer an affair of any one
state: big business has become NATIONAL
lied. and the only effective way Of con-
trolling and directing II. and preventing
nb - In connection with II. is by having
the 6eopie nationalist this control In order
to went their being exploited by the in
dividuais who have nationalixed the busi-
ness. All commerce on a scale sufficient
iy large to warrant any control over II by
the government IL nowadays Interstate or
foreign commerce and until this fact IL
heartily acknowledged and acted upon by
both courts and legislative bodies. Ma
tionai and state alike. the interest Of the
people will suffer.
In the matter Of conservation. heart
lily approve of state action where under
our form of government the state. and the
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
% get It to act in she most advanced
manner: and where the Nation could act.
] have done all could to get National
action In the same direction. Unfortun-
ately. in the east we have In this matter
paid the penalty of not having our forest
land under National control: and the PEN
atty has been severe. Most of the states
although they nre 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 IL the common concern OF all. ex-
perience has shown that II can only be
profitably undertaken by the National
government
As a result of the iInpossiblity OF get
ting such wise action by the several state
governments in the east. we are doing
49, - tnut 1fof fnp ND
which the National government. at the
expense of millions of dollars, shall under
take to do as regards the Appalachians
and White Mountains of the east what II
is now doing in the Rock Mountains hero
out west. II would be both a calamity
and an absurdity for the National govern
ment now to do in the west the very
thing that At a heavy pecuniary cost IL IL