The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-09-09
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-. s..9 puUHS INTEREST, 1nere u apparent
70 the judicious observer q distinct ten
dency on the part Of our opponents to
cloyd the issue by raising the question Of
state as against federal Jurisdiction We
are ready to meet that issue II 1t 10 forced
upon us. But there is no hope for the
plain people in such conflicts Of jurisdic-
ton. The essential question Is not one
Ct hatr-spiitting legal technicalities. 1t is
simply this: Who can best regulate the
special interests for the public good7
Most Of the predatory corporations are
interstate or have interstate Affiliations.
Therefore they are largely out Of reach Of
enective 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
1t to be the least effective. In the great
fight OF the people to drive the special
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. It is funda-
mentally 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 1t
Is primarily in the interest Of the great
corporations which desire to escape all
government control.
The Conservation Fight.
practise the conservation idea IS that the
field to which it applies is constantly
growing in the public mind. 1t has been
no slight task to bring before 100000 peo-
pie great conception like that of con-
servation. and convince them that 1t 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 1t Is that conservation should not
prosper. For example, we find It 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. If there is
dclav, the responsibility for It 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
att OH, fono
| or by those whose interest lies not In pro-
| noting the movement, but in retarding 1t.
| 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 and
| believers in its general principles, to as
sumo that its practical application is nee
essarily 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 we'll as our
| selves; Just as farmer uses his farm
| In ways to preserve it's future usefulness.
| Conservation Is the road to national eff
| ficiency. and 1t 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
made marvellous progress. have been
astounded and delighted on my return
from abroad at the progress made while
was away. We have right to congratu-
late ourselves on this marvellous progress:
but there is no reason for believing that
the fight Is 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 1t. nor saw that If 1t won
they must lose. But with the progress of
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 as
this, ostensibly as disInterested citizens.
but actually as the paid agents of the
special interests. I heartily approve the
attitude Of any corporation. interested in
the deliberations If a meeting such as
this. which comes hither to advocate by
its openly accredited agents. views which
1t believes the meeting should have in
mind But I condemn with equal readi-
ness the appearance Of corporate agent
before any convention who does not de-
clare himself frankly as such.
This congress is 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. It
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 It repre-
sents.
It is our duty and our desire to make
this land Of ours better home for the
race. but our duty does not stop there.
We must also work for a better nation to
live in this better land The development
and conservation Of our national charac-
acter and our free institutions must go
hand in hand with the development and
conservation Of our natural resources.
which the governors conference so we'll
called the foundations of our prosperity.
Whatever progress we may make as q
nation, whatever wealth we may accu-
mulate, however far we may push me-
chanical development and production, we
shall never reach point where our well
fare can depend in the last analysis on
anything but honesty. COURAGE. loyalty.
70