Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-01-29
FEDERAL AND STATE RIGHTS
coNsERvATloNIsT LINED
UP FOR BATTLE.
BRYAN CLAssED WITH FORMER
Strength Of the Opposing Forces May
Be Revealed First in the Matter Of
the coosa River Dam In Ala
bana.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

| eSLry the other day It mas become
! sharply apparent that a hard fight Is
to begin between the federal conserva-
| tionists and the state right conserva-
tionists as soon as the Wilson admin
| lstration begins. The representatives
of the federal idea are making prepa-
rations to combat the representatives
of the state rights idea and already
the representatives of both have de-
scended on the capital to prepare for
the coming conflict.
| In these dispatches month ago 1t
was said when Woodrow Wilson
| takes Office he will find conservation
added to the tariff and the trusts to
complete trio of administration wor-
ries." Mr.. Wilson Is said to incline
to the state rights view Of the con
servation matter but his friends say
he does not believe in letting go Of
anything over which the government
has control until it is known definite
ly that the individual state intends
/ to make proper use of 1t.
| The instant that the name of GER
/ tain governor of northwestern state
was mentioned to the president-elect
as a proper man for the position of
secretary of the interior Mr.. Wilson
| paid high compliment to the general
character of the man proposed. This
man is known as state rights con-
servationist and the federal conser-
vationists say this means that he rs
bitter opponent of any federal plan
for saving to the people their natural
Inheritance" One of the most promi-
nent conservationists in the country
said of this possible choice of the
northwesterner for the cabinet posi-
ton: His appointment would be
ideally evil" These things show how
wide is the difference between the
leaders of the two forces.
Bryan FederaIist In This.
The conservationists hope that
William Jennings Bryan will be made
a member of the next cabinet AS to
the methods of saving the country's
natural resources, Mr.. Bryan and Mr..
Wilson do not agree. III this matter
Mr.. Bryan may be called a federalist
and it is the one chief matter Of gov
eminent policy in which, so far as is
known at present, his views differ
greatly from those of the incoming
president. The conservationists be-
lieve that Mr.. Bryan would use his
influence to keep the water power,
the mines and the forests out of the
hands of private corporations to be
exploited largely for their own bene-
fit
Protests are coming into Washing
ton daily from individuals and from
societies all over the United States
against the granting of the right to a
! private Alabama corporation to build
q water power dam on the Coosa river
IN Alabama to be used, it is claimed,
without proper federal regulation.
The Coosa dam matter promises to
be as prominent in the conservation
fight as was the proposed James riv-
er, Mo-, dam of some years ago In
| the Missouri matter President Roose-
velt interviewed with veto.
The Democratic leaders who own
Alabama as a home, 1t is said, are in
favor Of giving the private corpora
ton what 1t asks in the state This
means that the fight Of the conserva-
tionists must be directed against
concern which has with 1t the infiu-
ence of men high in the Democratic
party's councils, who will be chiefly
instrumental in framing Democratic
legislation in the house of representa-
tives, and who hold they are absolute
ly right in the matter In hand.
May Buy Out Express Companies.
Preparations are being made by
friends of the parcel post sys-
tenn to attempt through congress
sional action to secure legislation for
the purchase of the express companies
and to give Uncle Sam virtual mo-
nopoly of the package carrying busl-
ness. This plan has thousands of op-
ponents, and it may never come to
the fruition. but those opposed to
the scheme may as well know definite
ly now that the friends of the pro-
posaI are going to work persistently
to secure the end which they have
in view.
1t is even possible that the present
administration of the postoffice de-
partment may urge what can be call
ed government ownership Of the ex-
press business. The attempt which is
to be made to extend the parcel post
business is only to a degree party
measure. It is possible that more
Democrats than Republicans favor 1t.
but some of the strongest advocates of
the proposal are Republicans who on
other matters have been called con-
servatiyes
One wonders if the public generally
realizes that without any additional
legislation 1t is within the power OF
Uncle Sam to enlarge the parcel post
operations to an almost unlimited ex-
tent under the authority which the
law gives to the postmaster general
acting with the interstate commerce
commission.
Hitchcock Has the Power.
The law provides that If the pres