Ofthefightofthewater-powermenforStatesRightsattheSt。PaulConservationCongressinSeptember，1909，CommissionerSmithsays：
“ItwasthefirstopensignoftheshiftofthespecialintereststotheDemocraticpartyforalogicalpoliticalreason，namely，becauseoftheavailabilityoftheStatesRightsideaforthepurposesofthelargecorporations。Itmarkedopenlytheturnofthetide。”
Mr。SmithbroughttotheattentionoftheInlandWaterwaysCommissiontheovershadowingimportancetowaterwaysoftheirrelationwithrailroadlines，thefactthatthebulkofthetrafficislongdistancetraffic，thatitcannotpassoverthewholedistancebywater，whileitcangoanywherebyrail，andthatthereforethepoweroftheraillinestopro-rateornottopro-rate，withwaterlinesreallydeterminesthepracticalvalueofariverchannel。Thecontrollingvalueofterminalsandthefactthatoutoffiftyofourleadingports，overhalftheactivewaterfrontageintwenty-oneportswascontrolledbytherailroads，wasalsobroughttotheCommission’sattention，andreportsofgreatvaluewerepreparedbothfortheInlandWaterwaysCommissionandfortheNationalConservationCommission。Inadditiontodevelopingthebasicfactsabouttheavailabletimbersupply，aboutwaterways，waterpower，andironore，Mr。Smithhelpedtodevelopanddriveintothepublicconsciencetheideathatthepeopleoughttoretaintitletoournaturalresourcesandhandlethembytheleasingsystem。
Thethingsaccomplishedthathavebeenenumeratedabovewereofimmediateconsequencetotheeconomicwell-beingofourpeople。Inadditioncertainthingsweredoneofwhichtheeconomicbearingwasmoreremote，butwhichboredirectlyuponourwelfare，becausetheyaddtothebeautyoflivingandthereforetothejoyoflife。Securingagreatartist，Saint-Gaudens，togiveusthemostbeautifulcoinagesincethedecayofHellenisticGreecewasonesuchact。InthiscaseI
hadpowermyselftodirecttheMinttoemploySaint-Gaudens。Thefirst，andmostbeautiful，ofhiscoinswereissuedinthousandsbeforeCongressassembledorcouldintervene；andagreatandpermanentimprovementwasmadeinthebeautyofthecoinage。Inthesameway，ontheadviceandsuggestionofFrankMillet，wegotsomereallycapitalmedalsbysculptorsofthefirstrank。Similarly，thenewbuildingsinWashingtonwereerectedandplacedinproperrelationtooneanother，onplansprovidedbythebestarchitectsandlandscapearchitects。IalsoappointedaFineArtsCouncil，anunpaidbodyofthebestarchitects，painters，andsculptorsinthecountry，toadvisetheGovernmentastotheerectionanddecorationofallnewbuildings。
The“pork-barrel“SenatorsandCongressmenfeltforthisbodyaninstinctive，andperhapsfromtheirstandpointanatural，hostility；
andmysuccessoracoupleofmonthsaftertakingofficerevokedtheappointmentanddisbandedtheCouncil。
Evenmoreimportantwasthetakingofstepstopreservefromdestructionbeautifulandwonderfulwildcreatureswhoseexistencewasthreatenedbygreedandwantonness。DuringthesevenandahalfyearsclosingonMarch4，1909，morewasaccomplishedfortheprotectionofwildlifeintheUnitedStatesthanduringallthepreviousyears，exceptingonlythecreationoftheYellowstoneNationalPark。TherecordincludesthecreationoffiveNationalParks——CraterLake，Oregon；WindCave，SouthDakota；Platt，Oklahoma；SullyHill，NorthDakota，andMesaVerde，Colorado；fourbiggamerefugesinOklahoma，Arizona，Montana，andWashington；fifty-onebirdreservations；andtheenactmentoflawsfortheprotectionofwildlifeinAlaska，theDistrictofColumbia，andonNationalbirdreserves。Thesemeasuresmaybebrieflyenumeratedasfollows：
TheenactmentofthefirstgamelawsfortheTerritoryofAlaskain1902and1908，resultingintheregulationoftheexportofheadsandtrophiesofbiggameandputtinganendtotheslaughterofdeerforhidesalongthesoutherncoastoftheTerritory。
Thesecuringin1902ofthefirstappropriationforthepreservationofbuffaloandtheestablishmentintheYellowstoneNationalParkofthefirstandnowthelargestherdofbuffalobelongingtotheGovernment。
ThepassageoftheActofJanuary24，1905，creatingtheWichitaGamePreserves，thefirstoftheNationalgamepreserves。In1907，12，000
acresofthispreservewereinclosedwithawovenwirefenceforthereceptionoftheherdoffifteenbuffalodonatedbytheNewYorkZoologicalSociety。
ThepassageoftheActofJune29，1906，providingfortheestablishmentoftheGrandCanyonGamePreserveofArizona，nowcomprising1，492，928acres。
ThepassageoftheNationalMonumentsActofJune8，1906，underwhichanumberofobjectsofscientificinteresthavebeenpreservedforalltime。AmongtheMonumentscreatedareMuirWoods，PinnaclesNationalMonumentinCalifornia，andtheMountOlympusNationalMonument，Washington，whichformimportantrefugesforgame。
ThepassageoftheActofJune30，1906，regulatingshootingintheDistrictofColumbiaandmakingthree-fourthsoftheenvironsoftheNationalCapitalwithintheDistrictineffectaNationalRefuge。
ThepassageoftheActofMay23，1908，providingfortheestablishmentoftheNationalBisonRangeinMontana。Thisrangecomprisesabout18，000acresoflandformerlyintheFlatheadIndianReservation，onwhichisnowestablishedaherdofeightybuffalo，anucleusofwhichwasdonatedtotheGovernmentbytheAmericanBisonSociety。
TheissueoftheOrderprotectingbirdsontheNiobraraMilitaryReservation，Nebraska，in1908，makingthisentirereservationineffectabirdreservation。
TheestablishmentbyExecutiveOrderbetweenMarch14，1903，andMarch4，1909，offifty-oneNationalBirdReservationsdistributedinseventeenStatesandTerritoriesfromPortoRicotoHawaiiandAlaska。
ThecreationofthesereservationsatonceplacedtheUnitedStatesinthefrontrankintheworldworkofbirdprotection。AmongthesereservationsarethecelebratedPelicanIslandrookeryinIndianRiver，Florida；theMosquitoInletReservation，Florida，thenorthernmosthomeofthemanatee；theextensivemarshesborderingKlamathandMalhuerLakesinOregon，formerlythesceneofslaughterofducksformarketandruthlessdestructionofplumebirdsforthemillinerytrade；theTortugasKey，Florida，where，inconnectionwiththeCarnegieInstitute，experimentshavebeenmadeonthehominginstinctofbirds；andthegreatbirdcoloniesonLaysanandsisterisletsinHawaii，someofthegreatestcoloniesofseabirdsintheworld。
OneofthevitalquestionswithwhichasPresidentIhadtodealwastheattitudeoftheNationtowardthegreatcorporations。MenwhounderstandandpracticethedeepunderlyingphilosophyoftheLincolnschoolofAmericanpoliticalthoughtarenecessarilyHamiltonianintheirbeliefinastrongandefficientNationalGovernmentandJeffersonianintheirbeliefinthepeopleastheultimateauthority，andinthewelfareofthepeopleastheendofGovernment。ThemenwhofirstappliedtheextremeDemocratictheoryinAmericanlifewere，likeJefferson，ultraindividualists，foratthattimewhatwasdemandedbyourpeoplewasthelargestlibertyfortheindividual。
DuringthecenturythathadelapsedsinceJeffersonbecamePresidenttheneedhadbeenexactlyreversed。Therehadbeeninourcountryariotofindividualisticmaterialism，underwhichcompletefreedomfortheindividual——thatancientlicensewhichPresidentWilsonacenturyafterthetermwasexcusablehascalledthe“New“Freedom——turnedoutinpracticetomeanperfectfreedomforthestrongtowrongtheweak。
Thetotalabsenceofgovernmentalcontrolhadledtoaportentousgrowthinthefinancialandindustrialworldbothofnaturalindividualsandofartificialindividuals——thatis，corporations。Innoothercountryintheworldhadsuchenormousfortunesbeengained。
Innoothercountryintheworldwassuchpowerheldbythemenwhohadgainedthesefortunes；andthesemenalmostalwaysworkedthrough，andbymeansof，thegiantcorporationswhichtheycontrolled。Thepowerofthemightyindustrialoverlordsofthecountryhadincreasedwithgiantstrides，whilethemethodsofcontrollingthem，orcheckingabusesbythem，onthepartofthepeople，throughtheGovernment，remainedarchaicandthereforepracticallyimpotent。Thecourts，notunnaturally，butmostregrettably，andtothegravedetrimentofthepeopleandoftheirownstanding，hadforaquarterofacenturybeenonthewholetheagentsofreaction，andbyconflictingdecisionswhich，however，intheirsumwerehostiletotheinterestsofthepeople，hadleftboththenationandtheseveralStateswell-nighimpotenttodealwiththegreatbusinesscombinations。SometimestheyforbadetheNationtointerfere，becausesuchinterferencetrespassedontherightsoftheStates；sometimestheyforbadetheStatestointerfereandoftentheywerewiseinthis，becausetodosowouldtrespassontherightsoftheNation；butalways，orwell-nighalways，theiractionwasnegativeactionagainsttheinterestsofthepeople，ingeniouslydevisedtolimittheirpoweragainstwrong，insteadofaffirmativeactiongivingtothepeoplepowertorightwrong。Theyhadrenderedthesedecisionssometimesasupholdersofpropertyrightsagainsthumanrights，beingespeciallyzealousinsecuringtherightsoftheverymenwhoweremostcompetenttotakecareofthemselves；
andsometimesinthenameofliberty，inthenameoftheso-called“newfreedom。”inrealitytheold，old“freedom。”whichsecuredtothepowerfulthefreedomtopreyonthepoorandthehelpless。
Oneofthemaintroubleswasthefactthatthemenwhosawtheevilsandwhotriedtoremedythemattemptedtoworkintwowhollydifferentways，andthegreatmajorityoftheminawaythatofferedlittlepromiseofrealbetterment。TheytriedbytheShermanlawmethodtobolsterupanindividualismalreadyprovedtobebothfutileandmischievous；toremedybymoreindividualismtheconcentrationthatwastheinevitableresultofthealreadyexistingindividualism。Theysawtheevildonebythebigcombinations，andsoughttoremedyitbydestroyingthemandrestoringthecountrytotheeconomicconditionsofthemiddleofthenineteenthcentury。Thiswasahopelesseffort，andthosewhowentintoit，althoughtheyregardedthemselvesasradicalprogressives，reallyrepresentedaformofsincereruraltoryism。Theyconfoundedmonopolieswithbigbusinesscombinations，andintheefforttoprohibitbothalike，insteadofwherepossibleprohibitingoneanddrasticallycontrollingtheother，theysucceededmerelyinpreventinganyeffectivecontrolofeither。
Ontheotherhand，afewmenrecognizedthatcorporationsandcombinationshadbecomeindispensableinthebusinessworld，thatitwasfollytotrytoprohibitthem，butthatitwasalsofollytoleavethemwithoutthoroughgoingcontrol。Thesemenrealizedthatthedoctrinesoftheoldlaissezfaireeconomists，ofthebelieversinunlimitedcompetition，unlimitedindividualism，wereintheactualstateofaffairsfalseandmischievous。TheyrealizedthattheGovernmentmustnowinterferetoprotectlabor，tosubordinatethebigcorporationtothepublicwelfare，andtoshacklecunningandfraudexactlyascenturiesbeforeithadinterferedtoshacklethephysicalforcewhichdoeswrongbyviolence。
Thebigreactionariesofthebusinessworldandtheiralliesandinstrumentsamongpoliticiansandnewspapereditorstookadvantageofthisdivisionofopinion，andespeciallyofthefactthatmostoftheiropponentswereonthewrongpath；andfoughttokeepmattersabsolutelyunchanged。Thesemendemandedforthemselvesanimmunityfromgovernmentalcontrolwhich，ifgranted，wouldhavebeenaswickedandasfoolishasimmunitytothebaronsofthetwelfthcentury。Manyofthemwereevilmen。Manyotherswerejustasgoodmenasweresomeofthesesamebarons；buttheywereasutterlyunableasanymedievalcastle-ownertounderstandwhatthepublicinterestreallywas。Therehavebeenaristocracieswhichhaveplayedagreatandbeneficentpartatstagesinthegrowthofmankind；butwehadcometothestagewhereforourpeoplewhatwasneededwasarealdemocracy；andofallformsoftyrannytheleastattractiveandthemostvulgaristhetyrannyofmerewealth，thetyrannyofaplutocracy。
WhenIbecamePresident，thequestionastothemethodbywhichtheUnitedStatesGovernmentwastocontrolthecorporationswasnotyetimportant。TheabsolutelyvitalquestionwaswhethertheGovernmenthadpowertocontrolthematall。ThisquestionhadnotyetbeendecidedinfavoroftheUnitedStatesGovernment。ItwasuselesstodiscussmethodsofcontrollingbigbusinessbytheNationalGovernmentuntilitwasdefinitelysettledthattheNationalGovernmenthadthepowertocontrolit。AdecisionoftheSupremeCourthad，withseemingdefiniteness，settledthattheNationalGovernmenthadnotthepower。