Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-03-19

Asf1tabuIa. Ohio, March 13.-
Presldent TAFT made brief stop
here this morning. Tho president
eagerly read the morning papers,
but would not comment In any
way upon the situation at Wash
inpton.
Buffalo, N. n, March 1e.-Presl.
dent TAFT arrived here at 1855 and
left at 2:o6 p M, for Rochester.
Chicago, March 1S.-St Patrtcks
day was notably remembered IN chi
cago yesterday but the brunt OF 1t fell
upon President Taft, and he was 2
thoroughly tired man when his train
left last night for Rochester, N. Y.
President Taft in his banquet speech
before the Irish Fellowship club last
night. touched upon the history OF Ire
land and the part St. Patrick took IN
the development OF the island. me
president also spoke upon the present
situation Of Ireland with regard 10
England and the wrong done the lr1sn
people by the dominant race. He high
" praised the part which the irish
have played in the development OF
America.
Applaud Mention Of Roosevelt.
.The conservation movement" said
Mr. Taft In his speech at the mass
meeting in the Chicago auditorium last
night, "owes its beginning to Theodore
Roosevelt. (prolonger appiause). 20 IL
again. You don't enjoy 1t any more
than do. Who was 1t inspired clifford
Pinchot that wonderful activity OF
mind and body with reference to the
conservation movement? (Applause.). }.
i am in favor Of giving credit where
credit belongs, (applause), and or
withholding it where it does not be-
long.
~There are people in congress and IN
the senate, conscientious. hard Work
ing. prominent statesman, who look AT
the question Of conservation as u
might have been looked at twenty or
thirty years ago. They are still IN
favor Of letting out the land and get
ting the settlers on 1t, not In favor OF
Ia careful method Of conservation and
preservation. am not criticising them.
They say that / don't understand ana
that we in the east don't understand
the situation because we don't breathe
the atmosphere Of the west. Well, !
think we are convincing good many
of them that we are In the right and
they are in the wrong, but there are
some Of them who are perfect Ajaxes
in debate and who say they VIII con-
tinue to debate this question and Will
stand against the conservation pro-
gramme as long as the shoe leather on
their soles will last.
"What 1 want to get Is an act of
congress that shall validate all Of the
with drawals Of land that have been
made and shall give me power to make
such further withdrawals as ought to
be made until congress has determined
on the proper disposition Of those
lands.
The president said that he was
meeting opposition both from those
who wish an immediate disposal OF
land and from those who question the
constitutional power Of the president
to make Withdrawals. Speaking Of his
withdrawal Of 100000 acres of oil
land in California, the president con-
tinued
Wants Power Of Withdrawal.
"I want to enable congress to make
proper rules with reference to the ac-
auisition Of titles to these lands, and
with reference to prospecting over
them to find out where the oil was.
Now some gentlemen, and they are
always the gentlemen with the long
purses, who can do that sort of thing
because they can stand litigation, are
locating on that oil land. although
have withdrawn it. The little fellow
does not do so because he does not
want to face a lawsuit.
"We are apt to get into litigation
with respect to all lands that have
been withdrawn and II 1t is decided
that the withdrawal power does not
exist you can, see where the embarass-
ment will be, because II the power
doas not exist and the suuatters have
the right to fix the title Of the land we
will wake up to find great deal Of
that land gone. when now by an act of
congress we can keep it in the public