The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-20
Pays Tribute to Roosevelt
 Administration
FAVORs DIRECT VOTE
Holds Up Lorimer Case and New York Senatorial Deadlock as Ex-
 amples of Need of Direct Elections

New Rochelle. N. Y.. February 1S.-- Clifford Pinchot, president of the National Conservation association, whom President Taft removed from the office of chief for ester of the United States, today before the Peoples forum of New Rochelle de- livered what he entitled "A Report of Progress" He summarized the achieve ments in the conservation of natural re- sources which hs attributed to the "pror gi cssive movement paid tribute to the Roosevelt administration, crediting 1t with enormous influence In awakening the peo- pie to their rights and opportunities, and declared the Payne -Aldrich tariff to have been the most powerful single factor in breeding popular distrust of the old-llne politicians and their methods. That more than all else, he said, was responsible for making the last two years the most fo rmatiye since the civil war
 Ip his summary of achievements, MT. Pinchot placed first ''The great doctrine of the conservation of natural resources" |" which. he said, "has been adopted by the people of the United States once and for all as their rule of Judgment and action.
 We have checked the Guggenheims m their efforts to absorb Alaska and have opened the way for the use of the vast re- sources of that territory mainly for the benefit Of the people of Alaska and the United States.''
 Lauds Glavis
 In that connection, the speaker lauded the services of that soldier of the com mon good, young Glavis.
 Within the last two years" MT. Pin chot continued, "an effort of the water power mopopolists to turn the water pow CTS Of the nation over to the states, whence they might more easily pass into tlle hands of the men who always know exactly what they want, was born, four ished and disappeared. It's death blow was accomplished from the White House because federal water power policy had been adopted by the administration. The position thus taken by the President along the lines already laid down by Garfield and Roosevelt deserves and, doubt not, will receive the indorsement and support of every friend of conservation and every enemy of monopoly.
 There are nearly 20o,oO0,o00 acres of natural forests in the west, but none in the east. The recent passage of the JAl which will establish such public forests | il the southern Appaiachians and White mountains concludes in victory an effort which has lasted 10 years and furnishes one of the best of all illustrations of value of persistence in good cause Conserve Industries
 Side by side with the conservation of our natural resources and material wei fare stands the conservation of our In dustrial and political liberties. At least we have come to realize the fundamental proposition that equality of opportunity no longer exists among us. It is not the construction of capital in itself that has brought this about, but rather the use of money in politics by the great combina- tions. Thus the political value of the individual voter has been reduced or de- stroyed
 At last we understand that the con- trol of politics for profit has reached a point where the life of free institutions is at stake and when a people like ours come to realize a fact like that they act. Our keople know today that. however de- voted to the public interests individual congressman and senators may be (and | there are many such). congressman as a whole no longer represents the people," | MT Pinchot described the closing hours of the present Congress as beset by a swarm of hungry lobbyists" to get from Congress what they ought not to have.
 He declared that playing with loaded pol- tics was not better than playing with loaded dice, and added: The fact that a relatively small number of gentlemen. all unusually well of, have set out to relieve the American people of the task of governing themselves hnd are carrying out their intention with success and in telligence Is useful information for voters,
 for it is out of such things as these that the progressive movement has grown. The progressive movement is nothing more than the crystaIized determination of the American people to take their own affairs back into their own hands and manage | their own business themselves"
 Need Direct Elections
 Auuding to the election of Senator Lorimer In Illinois. and the thus far
 unsuccessful candidacy of William F Sheehan for the senatorship in New York as illustration of the need oi some form of direct election" MT Pinchot expressed his faith in the peo. ple's ability to govern themselves and he dwelt at length upon what he thought direct election system would do In New York state.
 
 faith In the honesty, fairness and right mindedness of the people. Mir. Pinchot
 said Already the people of ma jority of our states nominate us sen ators in direct primaries. Governor VII. sons recent victory over the ma oh ine which was also the victory of the peo. pie of New Jersey, holds strong en. couragement for every advocate fol | popular rule. Already the initiative ex. let In Alveady rof srerdum and the recall are in operation | in states enough to show their worth "The desire to rule themselves lives deep in the hearts of our people, Once already 1t has given us liberty. Todd, | In the light of what we know about boss rule, in the knowledge of the DO l litical power of the special interests | the spirit of self-Eovernment Is spread ing with a rapidity no man foresaw | And neither boss nor machine, nor al
 the power of privilege can stop it." ---------~es-------