HISTORICAL AND OTHERWISE 93 



Naturally, speculators soon saw the possi- 

 bilities of profit in it, as they had seen it earlier 

 at Niagara. But for Langford they might have 

 succeeded. Congress made no appropriations. 

 But Langford and his allies, among whom was the 

 late Senator Vest of Missouri, fought the grafters 

 in and out of office, until, finally, the public awoke 

 to the value of this great heritage of theirs, to the 

 work that these unselfish men were doing for them 

 without price; and, at last, the Park was estab- 

 lished on a fair basis. Rules were made for its 

 government, for the protection of its animal life, 

 for its policing and the preservation to the public 

 of its beauties. Like too many things that oar 

 Government does, it is only half-done. The 

 scheme is wrong, but, at least, the Park is there 

 free — open to you and to me and to our children. 

 It has been saved from exploitation by grafters 

 and parasites, and, sooner or later, it will be gov- 

 erned properly. The oftener you and I go there, 

 and the more we talk about it, the nearer that 

 desirable day will be. 



