The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-09-10

ourselves and to them to afvs the Anses1-
can republics all the help ve can. The
cases In which ws have tailed should b
no less instructive than the cases In
which We have succeeded With prompt
action and good win the task Of saving
the resources for the people 70 full o9
hope for Us ALL
State and Federal Control.
But while We Of the United States are
anxious. as believe we are able. to b
Of assistance to others. there are prob
lens OF our own which we must not over
look. One of tho 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 1udicious observer q 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 II II Is forced
upon US. But there Is hope for the
plain people in such conflicts OF jurisdic-
ton. The essential question IL not one
OF hair splitting legal technicalities. 1t IL
simply this Who can best regulate the
special interests for the public goodf
Most OF the predatory corporations are
interstate or have interstate Affiliations.
Therefore they are largely out of reach Of
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
nation: and they advocate at this time
state control simply because they believe
| II to be the least effective. In the great
night OF the people to drive the special
interests from the domination OF our gov
ernment. the nation is stronger and its
Jurisdiction is more effective than that OF
any state. Tho 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
feHePQl NyecutfyA That IL why / 20
strongly oppose the demand to turn these
matters over to the states. IT is funda-
mentally a demand against tho interest
of the plain people, of the people Of small
means against the interest OF our chill
dren and our children's children; and II
| Is primarily in the interest Of the great
corporations which desire to escape AL
| government control.
The Conservation Flight.
| On Of the difficulties in putting into
| practise the conservation idea IL that the
field to which IT applies is constantly
| growing in the public mind. II has been
| no slight task to bring before 1oo.o 600 peo-
pie a great conception like that of con-
| servation. and convince them that 1t 10
| right. This much we have accom-
| plished. But there remains much to be
| cleared up. and manv 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 hnd 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
| M purpose except to prevent the coal
| la nds from passing into private owner
| -rin until ~onVress can pass laws to omen
| them 70 development under conditions
| 1u.t alike TO the public and to the men
| who will do the develooinR
Abuses committed IN tn" name of fuse
csus~ are familiar to all Of US. Mauv
| unwise things are done and many unwfse
| measure. are advocated in the name OF
| conservation, either through ignorance.
| OF hv those whose interest lies not In pro-
| noting the movement. but in retard'ng II.
| For exarple. to stop water power devel-
| opuent by needless refusal to issue per-
| init. for water power or private irrigation
| works on the pubWc lands inevitably leads
| many men, friendlv to conservation and
| believers in Its general principles. to as
| surre that It's practical appl'cation Is nec-
| esssrtlv a check upon progress. Nothing
| could be more mistaken. The idea. widely
| circulated of late. that conservation means
| looking up Of the natural resources for the
| exclusive use of future generations. Is
| wholly mtstaken. Our purpose Is to mako
| f,ll u.e Of these resources but to consid-
| er our SONS and daughters as we'll as our
| Eelves: just farmer uses his Farm
in wevs to preserve its future usefulness,
| Conservation Is the road to national ef-
| rc,ercv ard It stands for ample and wiso
! de-elooment.
| But in spite Of these dihicultfes. most
| of which are doubtless inevitable in any
| movement of this kind, conservation has
| made marvellous PROGRESS. have been
| as%ourded and delighted on nv return
| from, abroad at the progress made while
| WIS awav We have 4 right TO congratu-
| late ourselves on this marvellous progress:
| hut there II reason for believing that
| the foht IL won In the beginning tho
| snecial interests. who are our CHIEF oooo-
| rer+s IN tNe conservation h=ht. paid Hftle
| heed tn the movement. because Try nell
| +her understood ~. nor saw that II n won
| they r,u.t lose. Rut with the progress of
| consarvation In the minds OF our people
| the feht Is getting sharper. The nearer
| We an,roach to victory the bitterer the
| onnos'tion that we must meet. and tho
o-aator the need for caution and watch-
| ful-ess Open opposition We can over
| come but I warn you espeofally against
| tha men who come tn eon~resses such as
| +hI.. c-+~-stblv as dis'rt~rested cit'zers.
but artra'lv the paid agents Of tho
| sre-'ai ir+arests I heartily approve tho
| ettitvdn NJ anv corporation. interested in
| the ee'fbnrations ef A. meeting such as
| ths, wN'~h comes h'ther 10 advocate. nv
| It's coo-,v accredited accents Views which
| II believes the meeting should have IN
| mind But condemn with equal readi-
| re=s the appearance Of a corporate agent
| he'ore anv convention who does not de-
| clare himself frankly As such.
| THIS congress IL a direct apeal to mo
| patriotism Of our whole people. The
| nation wisely looks to such GATHERINGS
| FOR co-,,sel and leadership Let that
| lea eadership be sound, definite practir"l
| and on the side of all the peopIe. Tt
would he NJ small misfortune y meeting
| such as this should ever fsll into the
| hands Of the open enemies or false friends
| - ~ vu,hlr
| sents.
| IT Is our duty and our desire to ma,,e
| this la,d Of OUTS better home for tho
| racc. but duty does not stop there.
| We must also work for a better nation to
| I've in this better land. The development
| nd tlnr of national charac.