Ripley County democrat., 1910-09-30

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ton that might render important ser
vice in creating body Of public SEN
timent that would force a ratification
Of the amendment has fzzled.
II 1t is ratified, 1t will be due to
the efforts Of leaders and members Of
the party which enacted the income
tax of 1894. Their efforts to that end
in states in which they constitute the
minority party will have q large i'm
portance as well as in those states In
which they are in the majority.
Conservation.
The natural resources still belong
ing to the Government should be
guarded with a jealous eye, and pre-
served and protected for the benefit
of all the people. Charges made
against the present Secretary Of the
Interior, Mr.. Ballinger, to the effect
that he has administered his trust In
the interest of those who are endeav-
oring to procure valuable portions OF
the public domain are serious indeed.
The accusation that this Secretary
has Intentionally deceived and misled
the President, which has been sus-
tained by a very considerable minority
Of the committee appointed to investi-
gate the charge, shows to what ends
selfish benefciaries of special privi-
lege will go to enrich themselves at
tho axnansa nf the neonle
l can not understand how a mem
ber of the Presidents official family,
a man who has the honor Of the ad-
ministration in his keeping, man
whose ambition should be to strength
en- and preserve beyond reproach the
administration of which he Is a part,
can be guilty of such conduct. Wheth-
or the charges can be substantiated or
not the public sentiment on the sub
ject shows how careful high public
official should be in the discharge OF
his trust.
My interest in conservation Is In
tense because Of my personal official
connection Herewith in the beginning
of the movement on a comprehensive
scale. During the time was a mem
ber OF Mr.. Cleveland's cabinet, re-
port was made to me as Secretary OF
the Interior by commission appoint
ed Tor the purpose of inspecting the
public domain with the view to set
ting aside certain portions thereof as
forest reservations.
OF the above mentioned commits
sion appointed by the Cleveland ad'
ministration, Professor Sargent OF
Harvard Arboretum was chairman
and Clifford Pinchot the secretary. Its
report recommended the withdrawal
of 21,379, $40 acres. l approved Of the
report and recommended its adoption
| to the President, whereupon he issued
under date of February %, 1897,
proclamation in compliance herewith.
Under the second Cleveland admin
istration the area Of the forest reserve
rose from 13,416,710 acres to 39.307.'
90 acres. The proclamation of Feb
mary 20, 1897, aroused a violent pro-
test and aggressive opposition from
certain members OF both houses of
Congress. Appeals were made to the
Secretary Of the Interior and the Pres
ident to change the limits Of the new
reservations and when the same
proved unavailing those who had been
cutting timber from the public domain
and appropriating the peoples proper
ty without compensation sought to ac-
complish their end and pursue their
lawless practices by inducing the Con-
gress to put rider on the sundry civil
appropriation bill, making q certain
item Of that bill unavailable until the
Presidents proclamation Of February
20, 1897, should be revoked. That was
a high-handed move at the close Of
a Democratic administration which
was in few hours to be succeeded by
a Republican President and cabinet.
The sundry civil bill carried appropria-
tions for defraying expenses Of the
government from July 1st, 1897, to
June 30th, 1898. and failure to approve
1t necessitated the calling Of an extra
session OF Congress. Mr.. Cleveland
was iInmovable. He declined to ap-
prove the bill. My sympathies In this
controversy are with Mr.. Pinchot; we
began the study Of the conservation of
the natural resources Of the country
at the same time and up to the end
Of my official connection with the Fed
eral Government were In thorough &C
cord. l gladly testify to his purity of
motive and his exalted ideals.
Central Bank Plan.
There is another issue of 1910 on
which 1 desire at this point to make
my position known with clearness. II
IL an issue on which the same Senator
who gave his name to- the tariff reyis-
ion has been very active. | am In
clined to believe that the man who re-
fused to give US a square deal tariff
legislation will also refuse to give us
a square deal currency legislation. I
know that not few of our Missouri
bankers are fayorably impressed with
Mr.. Aldrich's Central Bank plan. In
my judgment the plan has so many
possibilities Of evil that 1t ought to
be looked on with distrust.
A reform Of the currency Il needed,
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