Gilpin observer., 1910-09-08

ts1otie DUTY cails upon a. We ews Il q
| Ourselves and to them to givs ths AmeF1-
can republics all the help We can. Ths
no less instructive than the cases in
| which we have succeeded With prompt
action and good will the task Of saving
the resources for the people II full Of
hope for W all.
State and Federal Control.
But while we OF the United States are
anxious. as believe We are able. to b
| OF assistance to others. there are prob
lens OF our own which we must not over
look. One of the most important con-
Eervation questions OF the moment relates
to the control of water power monopoly
In the public interest. There is apparent
to the Judicious observer a distinct ten
dency on the part of 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 US. But there Is no hope for tho
plain people in such conflicts of turisdic-
ton. The essential question Is not ono
OF hair-spltting legal techn!calties. 1t II
simply this: Who can best regulate the
special interests for the public goodf
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 In 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. The most effective weapon
against these great corporations. most OF
which are financed and owned on the At
1antic coast. will be federal laws and the
federal executive. That is why I SO
strongly oppose the demand to turn these
matters over to the states. 1t Is funda-
mentally a demand against the interest
of the plain people. of the people of small
means. against the interest of our chill
dren and our chfldren's children: and IL
II primarily in the interest Of the great
corporations which desire to escape all
government control
Tho Conservation Flight.
practise the conservation idea is that the
field to which II applies Is constantly
growing in the public mind. It has been
no slight task TO bring before 100000 peo-
pie great conception like that Of con-
servation and convince them that II 10
plished. But there remains much IN be
cleared up and many misunderstandtn<s
to be removed. These misunderstandines
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 md II 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
purpose except to prevent the coal
lands from passing into private owner
-Nio until conVress can pass laws to open
them N development under conditions
Just allie to the public and to the men
who will do the deveiooinH
Abuses committed in the name of a fust
ravr~ are familiar TO ELL ~ us. Menv
unw.e things are done and many unwtse
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 retard'ng It
For exewple. to stop water power devel-
opment hv needless refusal to issue per-
NIT. for water power or private irrigation
works on the nubNc lands inevitably leads
many men. friendly 10 conservation and
believers In its general principles. to as
surne that Its practical application Is nee
es.,r'ly 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 tho
exclusive use of future generations Is
wholly mistaken. Our purpose Is to mako
fulI use ot these resources. hut to consid-
er our sons and dauehters as well our
selves: Just as a farmer uses his farm
IN wavs n preserve ITS future usefulness.
Con--rvat!o, Is the road to national ef-
fc'-rcv. and II stands for ample and wise
de-elonment
But in spite Of these difficulties. most
of which are doubtless inevitable in any
movement of this kind. conservation has
made marvellous rroxre-s. I have been
a.tour@ed and delighted on nv return
from abroad at the progress made while I
va. awsv We have q right TO congratu-
late ourselves on this marvellous progress:
hut there Is no reas son for believing that.
the N~ht Ia won. In the beginning the
snec,a, interests, who are our chief opoo-
rer.s IN tNe conservation hSht. poid little
he~d to the movement. because tN@v nell
thor understood ~ nor saw that II II won
they must lose Put with the progress of
~or-ervation in The minds of our people
the hcht Ia getting sharper. The nearer
We er,roach TO victory. the bitterer rho
opoo-'tior thnt we must meet. and tho
--aater tho need for caution and watch-
f,,I,e~. Open opposition We ran over
come but warn YOU especially against
tho men who com~ tn coneresses such as
this ost~rs'blv as dis'rterrsted citizens.
hut actually as the paid agents of mo
.oe~'n' interests 7 heartily approve tho
attitude NJ anv cornoration. interested in
tNe collaboration. ~ meeting such as
this which comes h'ther To advocate. bv
,.s orc-iv accredited AGENTS. views which
II believes the meeting should have m
rn,rd But 7 condemn with EQUAL rradi-
noes the appearance" Of a corporate agent
before anv convention who does not de-
clare himself frankly as such.
Th'. congress is direct appeal to the
patriotism NJ our whole people Tho
nation wisely looks ~ such GATHERINGS
for counsel and LEADERSHIP Let that
| leader-h'r be sound. defnite. practir"l.
and IN the sid. of all the people. 't
world he No small misfortune ~ meeting
such ms 'his should ever fall into tho
hands OF the omen enemies or false friends
~ the great movement which It repre-
serts
II "a our dutv and our desire to make
this lrrd Of ours n better home for tho
race hut our duty does not stop there.