Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-06
TIE. STATES AND cohsERvAT ION:

s53 some OF Luo 8OVOA hoAo !,
the conference in Kentucky polhteu
out the danger Of the trends toward
nationalism as it affects the conser-
walton OF our natural resources. one
OF the governors espresso the OPINION
that the east had become Interested
In this theory because 1t mad wasted
its own natural resources and wanted
to reap the benefits of what the west
still had. This may or may not pc
true. hut this is not the real objection
10 the theory O. nationalism. The
greatest. objection to this theory IS
that the government cannot direct the
attention to the individual states that
would he required we're the govern
ment to attempt to direct all leglsla-
tion pertaining to resources within the
states. Each state is deeply interested
IN its own resources, out Is not par
ticnlarly interested in the resources OF
neiehboring states. The state then,
through its legislature, may be ex-
pected to give moe lntelhgenH con-
sideration to conserving it's resources
than the national government would
rive because what would be OF the
utmost Importance to the state. might
easily be considered matter OF small
NJ.
Importance to. the nation.
We do not believe in the govern
ment taking UP any conservation work
that can be done by the state. 1t is
not good for the government to deprive
the state legislatures Of any power
that they should ha. In the early
history OF the country, congress took
charge of everything. In 1906, the
government made an appropriation to
huild a road from Potomac river out
vest for several hundred miles. Later
congress made appropriations to build
canals in different states. While prob
ably. the states at that time We're not
in position to take up and push mat
tiers Of that kind, they are now, and
the states are the institutions that
ought to do It, The different states
should take charge of their water
power. They are interested ia the
developme =: OF the resources within
the state; the government is not,
What does some. congressman VINO
lives In southern Florida, care about
the damsises in Montana, and vice
versa
To centralize everything in the ma
tional government, is to go ba~k to- the
time OF Alexander Hamilton. He had,
time has roved, some excellcnt ana
practical ideas of government, but
some Of his plans we're at that time
and are still more at this time, oppo-
site to what free people staId for.
Hamilton's ideas contemplated, at an.
rate at times, government that would
rule the people, instead Of being
government of and by the people. he
was the first American exponent OF
.Nationalism,' and It was wrong.
However, there was more excuse for IT
then than there is now. At that time
the states were poor and unorganized;
they had few officers and uncertain
boundary lines; they were undecided
in. any position they took. Now 1t is
different. A state now is just as
stable as the government was then.
It is great deal more so.
iowa is able to and should take up
and develope her own water power
propositions. The city OF OttumWa
has just bought the water power site
In this city. 1t does not need gov
eminent Intervention. If the state
owned developed water power sites
with plants along the streams. it could
sell power to factories at just as low
q price as would keep up the plants
That would encourage factories to
locate in Iowa. The government is
not interested in Iowa any more than
It is in any other state.
The government should not take on
any jobs that the states can handle in
4 better way than they can be handled
by congress. The proper solution OF
these problems by the states. only in
wolves the election to the legislature
OF business men: of men who have
practical ideas of business propositions
and who have had successful business
experience.