The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-09-01

II any matters of public policy and
welfare are outside the scope OF Theo-
dore Rooseyelt's interest, one In
which he has shown especial con
Germ is the conservation Of natural re-
sources. This was the subject OF his
address this afternoon al a great pub
lie meeting in the Auditorium under
the auspices Of the Colorado Live
Stock association, and he spoke with
the greatest earnestness.
Arriving In the morning, Colonel
Roosevelt was met by a reception
committee and the Spanish Wal Vet
Grams and escorted from the station.
At noon he was given a cowboy lunch
at Overland park by the Denver Press
club. Late in the afternoon he ad-
dressed the men who served against
Spain and then was present at a
roundup" dinner at Eljebel temple,
Saving Natural Resources.
In his address at the Auditorium,
Colonel Roosevelt said:
This country has shown defnite signs
OF waking up TO the absolute necessity OF
handling It's natural resources with fore
sight and common sense. The conserva-
ton question has three sides. In the first
place, the needless waste of the natural
resources must d. stopped. II is rapidly
becoming a well-settled policy Of this peo-
pie hat we of this generation hold the
land in part for the next generation, and
not exclusively for our own selfish enjoy
ment. Just as tho farmer Is a good Citi-
zen II he leaves his farm improved and not
impaired for his children, and a bad citi-
zen II he skins the land In his own selfish
interest, 80 the Nation behaves well II IT
treats the natural resources rs assets
which II must turn over to the next gen
Grafton Increased and not impaired in
value, and behaves badly II 1t leaves the
land poorer to those who come after US.
In the second place, the natural re-
sources must be developed promptly,
completely, and In orderly fashion. 1t is
not conservation to leave the natural re-
sources undeveloped. Development is an
Indispensable part OF the conservation
plan. The forests, the mines, the water
powers, and the land itself, must all be
put to use. Those who assert that con-
%servation proposes to tie them up, depriv-
ing this generation of their benefits in
order to hand them on untouched to the
next, miss the whole point Of the con-
servation idea. Conservation does not
mean depriving the men Of today OF their
natural rights in the natural OF
the land. All 1t means Is that we Of this
generation shall 80 use our rights as not
TO deprive those who como after us OF
their natural rights in their turn.
In the third place, so far as possible
these resources must be kept for the
whole people and not handed over for
exploitation TO single individuals. We do
not intend TO discourage individual enter
prise by ~unwisely diminishing the reward
for that enterprise. on the contrary, we
believe that the men OF exceptional abili-
ties should have exceptional rewards up
to a point where the reward becomes dis
proportionate to the service. up 10 the
point where the abilities are used to the
detriment OF the people as a whole. We
are for the liberty OF the individual up TO
and not beyond the point where 1t be-
comes inconsistent with the welfare OF
the community. thus our consistent aim
IL to favor the actual settler--the man
who takes az much Of the public domain
as he himself can cultivate, and there
makes q permanent home for his children
who come after him; but we are against
the man, no matter what his ability, who
tries to m~onopolize large masses of public
land.
State and Federal Control.
Af'f'T " pa sfl VIC tie SttttIdl "tiIhTe,
TO see to II that the rights Of the public
are protected, and the liberty OF the indi-
vidual secured and encouraged as lonC as
consistent with this welfare. and curbed
when II becomes inconsistent Herewith. IL
Is necessary TO invoke tho aid of the
government. There are points In which
this governmental aid can best be rem
dered by the states. that Is, where the
exercise OF states rights helps to secure
nnnl1nr Wichita md. ~, - tlA-a IL
In states rights. But there are large
classes of cases where only authority
OF the National government will secure
the lights of the people; and where this Is
the case I am a convinced and n thor
ough-going believer In the rights of the
National government. Pg business, for
instance. is no longer an affair OF any one
state; big business has become NATIONAL
lied, and the only effective way of con-
trolling and directing II. and preventing
abuses I'm connection with 1t. is by having
the people Nationalist this control in order
to prevent their being exploited by the in
dividuals who have nationalized the bust
ness. All on a scale sufficient
ly large to warrant any control over II by
the government Is nowadays Interstate or
foreign ommerce. and until this fact is
heartily acknowledged and acted upon by
both courts and legislative bodies, Ma
tional and state alike. the interest of the
people will suffer.
In the matter OF conservation, I heart
lily approve of state action where under
our form of government the state. and the
state only. has the power to act. I cor
daily Join with those who desire to see
the state. within it's own sphere, take the
most advanced position in regard to the
whole matter of conservation. I have
taken exactly this attitude In my own
state of New York. Where the state alone
to get IL to act In the most advanced
I have done all I could to get National
action In the same direction. Unfortun-
ately, In the east we have In this matter
paid the penalty of not having our fores,
land under National control; and the pen
atty has been severe Most of the states
although they are old s~tates-have no,
protected their forests. each failing tc
act by itself. because the action was real
ly the common concern OF all: and where
action Is the common concern OF all, ex.
pericaae has shown that II can only bs
prortabiy undertaken by ths- Naeiona'
government.
As a result of the impossibility of get.
ting such wise action by the several state
.eoyarnments in the east. we are dcins
our best to get Natioffa7r iggrsEayTvd ST.
which the National government. at thu
expense of millions of dollars, shall under
take to do as regards the Appalachian.
and White Mountains of the east what 4
Is now doing I'm the Rock Mountains her,
out west. II would ne both a caiamit,
and an absurdity for the National govern,