Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-01-07
1,ET us BE RATIONAL.

With unouestioned zeal and nom
oatv of nurnose we believe Hon.
Clifford Pinchot, Chief Forester mas
nroceeded with the great work ne
has in hand. Conservation IS d
great question and the safeguarding
~ the nations natural wealth for the
henefit of all-the greatest good 10
the greatest number, looking to 1he
future-is of the most supreme I'M
nortance. It is possible, however,
that the Impotence OF enthusiasts
of one-sided men, may sometimes
lead to Just such condition as no"
pxists. Both Ballinger and Pinchot
have for many years been commit
ted to the policy of the conservation
of our natural resources. Plncnot
may be more earnest, more demon
stratiye than Ballinger. He proDao-
" is. His mind is on little else
while Ballinger has a multiplicity
of other matters to look after-to
think about 1t is just possible that
Pinchot, in his dream of a most de-
sirable condition, IS somewhat un
mindful of legal processes. There
must be law and authority back OF
every enterprise. 1t is Impossible
for instance, to proceed with great
engineering feats, the building of
great reservoirs for the accumula-
ton of water and the extension OF
irrigation canals through desert
lands without first having the au-
thority and means to accomplish the
undertaking. We all know that it
frequently happens that the greatest
theorists, the most sincere and the
most useful men in the scheme of
life and blessings of mankind, need
the cooperation and assistance of the
practical, the power OF organization
and of law to accomplish real and
lasting beneficial results.
The tone of the eastern press is
conservative on this controversy. In
speaking of the matter the New York !
Sun recently took occasion to point !!
to the fact that no one had testified !
more warmly to the integrity of Mr.. |
Pinchot than President Taft. No
one has made it more plain that he i
is in entire accord with the policy |
of conservation of natural resources.
Unless the president is deluding Mr..
Pinchot, the president will give the
chief forester his whole hearted and
practical support to prevent the
monopolization of water power on
the public lands by "enemies of the
people" In September Mr.. Taft
wrote a letter on the subject to Mr..
Pinchot, who gave out for publica-
ton the words of approval and the
pledge which the letter contained:
Il wish you to know that I have
the utmost confidence in your con-
scientious desire to serve the gov
eminent and the public, in the in
tensity of your purpose to achieve
success in the matter of conservation
of natural resources, and in the i'm
mense value of what you have done
and propose to do with reference to
forestry and kindred methods of
conservation, and that 1 am strongly !
in sympathy with all Of those policies
and propose to do everything that /
can to maintain them, insisting only i
that the action for which l become ;
responsible, or for which my admin
istration becomes responsible, shall
be within the law"
SO President Taft is on Mir. Pin !
chot's side and he should be of stout ;
heart and good cheer. No question =
but one of legality can arise between
them, and in his recent speech to the )
University Club in New York City
the chief forester declared that 1.-The
service has had warrant of law for
everything it has done," and he
maintained that the frst duty of a !
public Office is Ito obey the law"
So there can be no difference be-
tween President Taft and Chief For
ester Pinchot on this important
question either as regards the pol