Fifty years is long enough for the certainty of profitable investment in water power, and to fix on the amount of return that will be fair to the public and the corporation is not impossible.

What city does not regret some ill-considered franchise?
And why should not the Nation profit by the experience of its citizens?
There is no reason why the water-power interests should be given the people's property freely and forever except that they would like to have it that way.

I suspect that the mere wishes of the special interests, although they have been the mainspring of much public action for many years, have begun to lose their compelling power.

A good way to begin to regulate corporations would be to stop them from regulating us.
The sober fact is that here is the imminent battle-ground in the endless contest for the rights of the people.

Nothing that can be said or done will suffice to postpone longer the active phases of this fight; and that is why I attach so great importance to the attitude of administrative officers in protecting the public welfare in the enforcement of the law.
From time to time a few strong leaders have tried to unite the people in the fight of the many for the equal opportunities to which they are entitled.