The Tupelo journal., 1910-05-13

Clrely convince the COiOuei thai MA
Taft has been sincere and whole heart
ed in his endeavors to secure the fur.
therance OF the Roosevelt policies.
Taft's Friends Not Uneasy.
There are In Washington friends OF
Mr.. Taft, who also are friends Of Mi.
Roosevelt, who say that MI. Bryan
is utterly mistaken and that when the
colonel returns 1t will be found that
he Is still loyal to the man who sue.
ceeded him in the White House. Sena-
tor Root. as one has had occasion to
write before. was depended upon by
Mr.. Roosevelt when he was president
to give him advice from a strict con.
sentative point Of view. The colonel
has implicit confidence in his secre-
tary Of state, the man who now is a
senator from the state OF New York.
The friends of Mr.. Root say that moth
ing has happened to change the
colonel's opinion of the senator. and
that If any man can bring Mr.. Roose-
welt to the belief that Mr.. Taft is aD-
solutely sincere and is doing all that
be can along the lines of progressive
legislation, that man Is Elihu Root.
Most recent political gossip is to the
effect that when Colonel Roosevelt
comes back he will enter the field
against Chauncey M. Depew for United
States senatorial honors in New York
state. Republicans, insurgents" and
regulars alike. and the Democrats also.
say that II Mr.. Roosevelt should make
up his mind to be a senator OF the
United States there would be no con-
test between him and Mr.. Depew
worthy of name. The feeling is that
the colonel would sweep everything
before him, as least as far as the Re-
publicans are concerned, and that his
only fear of defeat would come from
Democratic victory in the state. a vic
tory which would elect a Democratic
legislature.
James River Dam Bill.
Will President Taft veto the James
river dam bill?
On the answer to this question IN
tense interest is hanging. The con-
servationists of the country believe
that President Taft will see his a
clear to forbid the enactment into law
of the bill, but the friends of the meas
ure insist that the president, being
judicial minded will find that it is
drawn in strict accordance with law.
and that he cannot fail consistently to
affix his signature.
Ii the president makes up his mind
to sign this bill when it comes before
him, he will nullify one of the acts O:
Theodore Roosevelt which the friends
of conservation say showed more
c~onclusively than anything else tho
real heartfelt interest of the colonel OF
Rough Riders in measures to safeguard
the peoples heritage of natural re-
sources.
Issue Closely Drawn.
This matter in the minds of many re-
solves itself into this: "A sharp-drawn
issue, with conservation as it's basis,
between the resource-saying policies of
Theodore Roosevelt n those of Will
liam H. Taft" 1t has been charged
by some of the extreme conservation
lists that President Taft is not wholly
in sympathy with their movement. II
he signs the James river dam bill they
will say that the fact has been proved.
On the other hand, there are those who
say that Mr.. Roosevelt went to an ex-
treme in vetoing the measure and that
the grounds which he gave for his veto
were outside of the field of reason.
This particular James river is in
Missouri, and the purpose of the bill Is
to permit certain specific persons to
! construct a dam across it in Stone
county and to divert a portion OF its
| waters through a channel into the
river again to create electric power.
The James river is a navigable stream,
at least it is so held to be in part. and
for this reason Mr.. Roosevelt felt that
the federal government had complete
jurisdiction, and the fact that congress
sional legislation is necessary for the
construction of the dam in a large
measure proves the contention.
The bill, which is a counterpart OF
the vetoed measure, legalizing the dam
| construction, again has been reported
to the senate and it seems likely that
it will pass.
Why Roosevelt Vetoed It.
In order that it may be understood
just how sharp the issue will be made
between MI. Taft and Mr.. Roosevelt, ii
the former signs the bill, it is worth
while to quote from the Roosevelt veto
message:
TO give away, withou. conditions,
this. one of the greatest of our re-
| sources, would be an act OF folly. II
we are guilty of it, our children will be
forced to pay an annual return upon a
| capitalization based upon the highest
prices which the traffic will bear
| They will ind themselves face to face
with powerful interests intrenched
behind the doctrine of vested rights
and strengthened by every defense
which money can buy and the ingenu-
ity Of able corporation lawyers can
devise"
In Mr.. Roosevelt's veto OF the meas
ure he spoke of the great combinations
formed to control water power for the
| development of electric currents. he
sal that an astonishing consolidation OF
the interests has taken place within
| the last five years, and that, while the
movement Is still In its infancy. I'M
less it is controlled, the history OF the
oil industry (meaning the Standard Oil
operations), will be repeated III the
hydro-electric power industry, n that
the results would be far more oppres'
sive and disastrous for the people"