Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-09-08
the resources for the people 10 fun of
hope for US all.
State and Federal Control

nope Tor us all.
State and Federal Control.
But while we of the United States are
anxious. as I believe we are able, to 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
to the control OF water power monopoly
In the public interest. There is apparent
TO the judicious observer distinct ten
dency on the part of our opponents to
cloud the issue by raising the question OF
state as against federal jurisdiction We
are ready TO meet that issue IL II Is forced
upon us. But there is no hope for the
plain people in such conflicts of jurisdc-
ton. The essential question Is not one
OF hair-splitting legal technicalites. II Is
simply this: Who can best regulate the
special interests for the public goodr
Most of the predatory corporations are
interstate or have interstate affiliations
Therefore they are largely out OF reach or
effective state control, and fall OF neces-
sity within the federal Jurisdiction. One
OF the prime objects of those among them
that are grasping and greedy Is to avoid
any effective control either by state or
nation: and they advocate at this time
state control simply because they believe
II to be the least effective. In the great
fight OF the people to drive the speciai
| interests from the domination OF our gov
eminent, the nation is stronger and Its
| Jurisdiction is more effective than that OF
any state. The most effective weapon
against these great corporations, most OF
| which are financed and owned on the At
lantic coast will be federal laws and the
| federal executive. That Is why / so
| strongly oppose the demand to turn these
| matters over to the states. IL 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
practise the conservation idea is that the
| field to which II applies Is constantly
! growing In the public mind. It has been
| no slight task to bring before 100000 peo-
| Pile q great conception like that of con-
| servation. and convince them that II Is
| right. This much we have accom-
| plished. But there remains much to be
| cleared up, and many misunderstanding
| to be removed. These misunderstanding
| are due in part at least to direct mis-
| representation by the men to whose
interest II is that conservation should not
prosper. For example. we ind 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 to development under conditions
Just alike to the public and to the men
| who will do the developing. II there 10
delay the responsibility for II rests, not
on the men who made the Withdrawals to
| protect the public interest, but on those
| who prevent congress from passing wise
| legislation, and so putting an end to the
need for Withdrawals.
| Abuses committed in the name Of Just
cause are familiar TO all OF us. Many
| unwise things are done and many unwise
measures are advocated in the name OF
conservation. either through ignorance,
| or by those whose interest lies not In pro!
| noting the movement, but In retardins IL.
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 ana
believers in its general principles, TO as
| sumo that its practical application Is nec-
essarily a check upon progress. Nothing
| could be more mistaken. The idea, widely
| circulated Of late, that conservation means
| locking UP Of the natural resources for the
| exclusive use Of future generations. IL
| wholly mistaken. Our purpose Is to make
| full use OF these resources, but to consid-
| er our sons and daughters as well as our
| selves; Just az a farmer uses his farm
| In ways to preserve its future usefulness.
| Conservation is the road to national eff
fciency and It 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
| N1t,c
| 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 IL 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
| Their understood u, nor saw that TX IL won
| they must lose. But with the progress or
| 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 the need for caution and watch
| fulness Open opposition we can over
come but I warn you especially against
| the men who come TO congresses such az
| this ostensibly az disinterested citizens,
| but actually az the paid agents OF the
| special interests. I heartily approve the
| the deliberations Of meeting such M
| this which comes hither to advocate. by
| its onenly accredited agents views which
II 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 q direct appeal to the
| patriotism Of our whole people. The
| nation wisely looks TO such gatherings
| for counsel and leadership. Let that
| leadership be sound. definite, practical
and on the side Of all the people.
| 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.
It Is our duty and our desire to make
| this land Of ours a better home for the
| race but our duty does not stop there.
| We must also work for q better nation TO
| live in this better land. The development
| and conservation Of our national charac-
acter and our free institutions must 60
| hand in hand with the development and
| conservation Of our natural resources.
which the governors conference so well
| called the foundations of our prosperity.
| Whatever progress we may make as
nation whatever wealth we may accu-
mulate however far we may push me-
| chanical development and production. we
| shall never reach a point where our well
fare can depend in the last ANALYSIS on
anything but honesty, courage. loyalty.
| and good citizenship. The homely viz
| tues are the lasting virtues. and the road
which leads TO them is the road to gem
| uine and lasting success.
| What this country needs Is what every
| free country must set before II as tho
great goal toward which II works-an
| equal opportunity for life. liberty and the
pursuit of happiness for every one OF its
| citizens. To achieve this end we must
| put a stop to the improper political do
| minion, no less than to the improper eco