Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-03-28
MRS. HARRISON
ON ONCIVICBETTERMENT
Absent President Of TalsW.Il HOMan's Club
Sends Ably Written Pap. Touching On
Needs Of Our Town and Community.

absent president, Mrs. w. G.. Harris
son, was read by one of the members.
The paper is of such general interest to
this community. and the truth of civic
oetterment so ably set forth, that We
publish it this week for the information
Of our own and neighboring communi-
ties 1t is one of the best papers on the
subject that has ever come to our at
tention, and is well worthy of the pc
rusal of every reader. The paper by
Mrs. HARRISON follows:
"In the hurry and confusion Of hew-
ing out path for the march of a great
civilization and in providing for the ab-
solute necessities of the pioneer, the
early American forgot many of the
safeguards thrown about the old home
country he had left, or deemed such
safeguards unnecessary in the new land
of promise. He was fleeing from 30
much that had hampered him, it was
easy for him to conclude the new coun-
try would be better built if the old
world ideas were left behind, and It
took years for him to realize that in
thus trying to get away from evils from
which he had suffered, he had also for
gotten much that was of great value.
He was like the child who cannot see
the good of a requirement made by 4
father, until years have gone by and
the eye has taken on a broader vision
or like the young man, who, in the first
excitement of handling the patrimony
left him, fancies it can have no limit.
when the great American forests
first resounded with the noise of the
axe, if a note of warning had been
sounded,-a plea for the protection Of
the woodland,-it would have been
laughed to scorn. What need was there
for any such caution in a land whose
forests seemed never ending, whose
streams were powerful, and where un-
bounded riches beckoned the man who
would go ahead in his march of con-
quest? The vast wealth and possibili-
ties on every hand, brought about a
spirit of waste, which spread into every
department of our social and political
life, and which is today, in its various
phases, one of the weakest points of
our civilization. The busy American
two centuries ago, said Germany might
protect the forests, streams, fishes,
birds and animals by law, if she chose,
but here any such attempt would be an
infringement on the rights of the citi-
zen of republic, and he would have
none Of it. When the game was ex-
hausted in one section, the trapper
could move on west-when one valley
became impoverished from destruction
of the forests on the hillsides nearly
the farmer would have to seek another
valley further on-and so the tearing
down process went on with no thought
of the future.
1--WE, who refuse to admit we are old.
can remember the cry of halt" when
it rang out from the government, and
now that calm survey has been made,
we wonder how men were ever so blind,
and how our fathers ever permitted our
inheritance to be so handicapped The
call came none too soon, for much dam
age had been done. some of which can
never be remedied-but those in author
ity say that as far as it is possible, the
American citizen, as be labors for him
self and his own today, shall be made
to remember the boy who shall follow
him tomorrow.
Vast sections of forests are marked
out where no axe dares intrude, for
forests are to a country what shade
trees are to home. The river which
winds its way among verdant fields, af-
fording power for the world of business
in many ways is counted a very real as
set, deserving most careful supervision.
Its banks and channel are studied and
nothing is permitted to stand in the way
of that stream doing the best service
possible for the country through which
it flows. 1t shall carry life instead of
disease, and be blessing rather than q
curse. Any man who tries to monopo-
ize any of natures forces about him is
branded an enemy to his country and a
traitor, for that country says: Thou
shall not
''This is the day of conservation, and
the much needed lesson of taking care
of what we have is being taught in the
school, the pulpit. the platform and
through the press.
"lslands are being turned over to the
colonization of birds, for already we
have lost some species and but a few
remain of others. The fish and wild an
imels are being protected by law, and
at last we are going back to the wis
dopaof the olden countries, and ac-
know wledging that today is the time to
look out for tomorrow. The wealth Of
state must be husbanded, and no Sec
tion, however inexhaustible its possi-
bilities may seem, can afford to play
fast and loose with these God given
blessings.
"a country's greatest asset is its cit
liens. Imagine a state, if you can,