The Arvada enterprise., 1910-09-09

tTsot1o duty Gals upon -. We sWs = -
ourselves and to them to gfve thS ADeees
can republics all the hsip We caa. 9ne
cases In which We have tailed shoaM -
no less instructive than tbs caSes =
action and good viii the task Of ssxing
the resources for the people Il fuli e
hope for Us all.
State and Federal Control.
But while we Of the United States ase
anxious. as I believe we arc able. 70 b
OF assistance to others, there are prob
lens OF our own which we must not over
look One of the 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 5udicious observer 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 It Is forced
upon u.s. But there is no hope for the
plain people in such conflicts of jurisdic-
ton. The essential question is not ono
or hair-spltting legal technicalities. It u
simply this: Who can best regulate the
special interests for the public goodr
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
any effective control either by state or
nation; and they advocate at this time
state control simply because they believe
II to be the least effective. 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
federal executive. That is why %
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 tho 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 all
government control.
The Conservation Flight.
On Of the difficulties In putting into
practise the conservation idea Is that the
field to which 1t applies is constantly
growing in the public mind 1t has been
no slight task to bring before 100 900 peo-
pie great conception like that of con-
servation. and convince them that 1t II
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 It is that conservation should not
prosper. For example. we find II con-
stantly said by men who should know
better that temporary Withdrawals.
L.
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
rhip until congress- can pass laws to open
them to development under conditions
Just allie to the public and to the men
who will do the developing.
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
conservation, either through Ignorance,
or nv those whose interest lies not in pro-
noting the movement but in retarding it
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 ana
believers in Ito general principles to as-
sumo that its practical application is nec-
essariIv a 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. Is
wholly mistaken. Our purpose is to make
fnll use of these resources, but to consid-
er our sons and daughters as we'll as our
selves: just as a farmer uses his farm
In WAYS tn preserve Its future usefulness.
Conservation is the road to national eff
rciercy. 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. I have been
astounded and delighted on my return
from abroad at the progress made while
was away. We have a right to congratu-
late ourselves on this marvellous progress:
hut there Is no reason for believing that
the 1eht is won. In the beginning tho
special interests. who are our chief opoo-
rents In the conservation fieht. paid little
heed to the movement, because th"v nell
ther understood II. nor saw that II It won
they must lose. But with the progress of
conserva ton In the minds OF our people
the fight Is getting sharper. The nearer
we apnroach to victory. the bitterer tho
opposition that we must meet and the
preater the need for caution and watch
fulness. Open opposition we ran over
the men who come tn congresses such rs
this, o-tera'bly as dsinterested citizens.
but act,iallv rs the paid agents of the
spec'ai interests. heartily approve the
attitude Of any. corporation. interested in
the deliberations Of meeting such as
tbs which comes h'ther to advocate. hv
It's onoplv accredited agents. views which
II believes the meeting should have IN
mind, But condemn with equal readi-
ness the appearance of corporate agent
before anv convention who does not de-
clare himself frankly rs such.
This congress is a direct appeal to tho
patriotism of our whole people. Tho
nation wisely looks to such GATHERINGS
for counsel and leadership. Let that
leadership be sound. definite, practic"l.
and the side of all the peoole. It
would he No small misfortune n a mee''7S
such as this should ever fall into the
bands of the omen enemies or false friends
OF the great movement which It repre-
sents
It Is our duty and our desire to mako
this lpnd of ours a better home for tho
race. but our duty does not stop there.
We nust also work for a better nation to
1--we 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 rovernor's conference so we'll
ca'led the foundations OF our prosperity.
4. 49,