The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-20

shoals-second only in power to Niagara In the interest of navigation the govern ment could construct dams, and in the maintenance of their claims of power ownership could lease the power to con sumers and could. no doubt, secure ir- terest on a larger sum than was ex- pended in the power-construction and in the end would multiply consumers, citizens and wealth. All the way from Gadsden to Wetumpka, on the Coosa river, there is an immense undeveioped waterpower, which could be used in the same way. This plan would apply 10 only such waterpower as has not been disposed of by the government.
 Of course such measures belong 10 a centralized government, In which l do not believe. I was reared on farm N Alabama and am thoroughly inlbued with the idea of the right of state to con trol and dominate it's own affairs, ana steadfastly believe that this integrity or 2 state is the best and only WAY of maln- tainng the integrity of our general gov ernment. If. however, we must become centralized and the government power is to be extended, and the government own the undeveloped waterpower in ad- dtion to the navigable easement, why should not the government develop ana rent this power? This Is certainly as tenable and is more Secure against trust combinations and control than 10 leave the development of power to the lessor
 Control of lntrastate offairs.
 l view with alarm the suppression or state courts. of state control ol lntra- state affairs. and the evident tendency to make interstate business Of whatever description a matter of national charter and control. By such a policy the states would be stripped of authority and the national government would be put in more intimate relation with our larger properties and separated to great ex- tent from the smaller properties me breach between the trusts, whether pup lie service or commercial, and the wage earners would be widened and their pres ent strained relations accentuated. Orol- nary business claims against the larger properties would be practically unen- forcea ble. almost as much 80 as if agalnst a citizen of a foreign country. Ihe TIC ton between property and people would become belligerent and we would nave cause to begin to fear Cromwell or Robespierre
 In a large measure these resources were discussed at our former meeting, bur the greatest of all our resources. to my mind. was not touched upon-and that IS agriculture and the agricultural popula- tion and how it should be-smalntalned, developed and protected to the best pos sible advantage.
 Mir. James J. Hill, president of the Northern Pacific railroad, has bugled the alarm that the agricultural interest In comparison with other interests is on the wane. and that there is a great tendency of inc rural population to migrate to the cities. We all know that when the coun- try youth develops talent he does not re- main on the farm, but goes to the city, showing that supreme opportunity IS not afforded by agricultural pursuits. but by professional and commercial life. Of you, my hearers, how many have gone from the country to the city? It ie true that the poet sings and the press recites the "glories of the country
 "Tityre. tu patulae recubans sub tagmine
 fagi
 silvestrem tenui musam meditarie avens, Nos patriae fines ct dulcia linquinus
 arva,"
 was sung by Virgil more than POGO years ago, and 1t looks as if there is true philosophy in 1t. The exodus should be from the cities to the country. and yet while we all sing the praises of the coun- try. when we leave it we never go back there to live.
 An American Agriculture.
 Since the vigor of the nation and the ne- cessities of life depend upon agricultural and not commercial nor professional pur- suits, the aphorism of all time is that agricultural decadence Is national decad- cnce. The countryman has ever been the driving force as well as the calance wheel in our government He Is the electricity in the air that Marcpni must find. He is the organized battalion, unseen, it is true, because we do not see and appre- ciate the friendly, tremendous forces such as Elisha at Dothan showed his servant.
 For years and years our laws have been extended further and further around our infant commercial industries, protecting them and taking other industries for them, building them up until they have become giants. But here in the country is the hitherto unfavored industry of safe, sane citizenship and I direct your atten- ton to it and urge you to give this in- dustry your special care and protection. and let 1t become the infant industry of the future.