The Detroit times., 1910-01-13
Former Secretary of the Interior
Says Dismissal of Forester Pin
chot Will Not Stop Great
Fight for Peoples Rights.
Roosevelts Policies He'll Up As Con-
structive and Suited To Present
Day Needs.
BY JAS. r. GARFIELD,
Former Secretary OF the Interior De-
partment.
"a JAMES u. GARFIELD.

II Is because one OF the men who have
stood nearest Roosevelt In the work
Ing out OF thos policies has only re-
Gently left public life. | refer to Gif-
ford Pinchot.
There Is no man in our country to-
day who has done more for equallty
of opportunity, for the rights OF the
great masses Of the people OF this
country, for the fight against special
privilege; and his separation from the
public service Is one OF the u eatest
losses that we have suffered.
But. fcrtunatly. IL does not mean
that his work for every one OF these
policies will cease In any particular.
IL merely means that II will be done
I'm another way: that he and the rest
OF the people who have Joined I'm the
fight for carrying on the Roosevelt
policies are engaged in fight which
Is not for today. or one year or two
years. but for generations TO come.
The policies that were initiated are
the policies that must control IL we
are 10 he what this nation ought TO
be In the future.
II means that all right-minded men
and women must recognize that tn"
things that are worth while are the
things that look TO the future, that
look to the individual betterment OF
the people of our country that they
cannot be gained in a short time, by
q short fight. by weak-heartedness.
Roosevelt Policies"
Tn the last year OF his adm .nistra-
tion President Roosevelt al different
times announced through his mes
sages and speeches some of the prin-
rinaI fhiuue for vvbinh 10 had unrl-
ed. some OF the things that rece lived
the name of the Roosevelt policies
l shall cite few quotations OF some
OF the things that he said, because his
own words explain. better than the
words OF anyone else. what he had In
mind when he initiated these pc,icies
He said
This administration has achieved
some things II has sought but has
not been able to achieve others; IL
has doubtless made mistakes; but all
IL has done or attempted has been In
the single. consistent effort to secure
and enlarge the rights and oppoftuni-
ties OF the men and women of the
United States"
"Our aim Is, so far as possible. to
provide such conditions that there
shall be equality of opportunity where
there is equality OF energy, hdelity
and intelligence: when there Is a reas-
enable equality OF opportunity. the dis
tribution OF rewards will take care of
itself"
THE unchecked existence of mon
opoly Is incompatible with equality OF
opportunity. The reason for the -sxer-
else Of government control over great
monopolies Is to equalize opportunity.
We are fighting against privilege"
"The man who serves the com.
munity greatly should be greatly re-
warded by the community as there is
q great inequality of service SO there
must be great inequality of reward;
but no man and no set OF men should
lie allowed to play the game of corr
petition with loaded dice"
While he recognized the great i'm
portence OF those questions that were
purely administrative or economic. yet
they did not appeal to him as did that
class Of questions which touched tho
human side of life and offered an op.
portunity To the individual citizens OF
this country: such questions as the
control OF corporations, the improved
condition of the farmer and working.
man.
When you study what was done by
that administration in dealing with
industrial questions. you will find that
In every measure suggested. In every
action brought in court. in every in.
vestigation made, the underlying pur.
pose was that already stated. II was
the desire TO enforce equality OF op-
portunity. decency of conduct, hon
esty OF purpose. uprightness Of life
In business. exactly as we demand
uprightness OF life in our private rela-
tions.
Conservation Problem Vital.
Conservation. as IL developed under
the policy OF Roosevelt. is the mcst
vital single problem that we as a ma.
tlon now have before us, because con-
servation means the efficiency OF the
nation, the efficiency of every indi.
vidual in the nation.
IL we fail to realize this we are in.
deed going down hill in our progress.
The underlying policy OF conserya.
tion is the improvement OF the life Of
the individual. and the increase of In.
divldual opportunity.
when dealing with coal. timber
water and land. the policy of the
Roosevelt administration was to pre.
vent monopoly of any one of these
great resources. To give to each indi-
vidual in this country an equal oppor-
tunity To use those resources, and to
develop them. OF course, for his private
gain, but at the same time for the
benefit of the people as n whole.
There Is no real conflict between
private gain and public benefit. pro-
vided w. always recognize that the
public welfare Ia OF the greater i'm.
portance and II there be any conflict
between them. then every single time
private interests must give way and
the predominating influence In the de-
termination OF any question.
We must see to II that wherever
wrong is found. whether IL be In busi-
ness, in politics or in private life. that
we combat that wrong. But at the
same time we must recognize that
the work is but half In the combating
unless We at the same time construct:
there is no need to tear down simply
for the purpose Of tearing down. The
Roosevelt policies have been construc.
tive policies from the very beginnihg.
They have assailed the wrong and