The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-22


The Unsatisfactory Commission. when
recently closed its session In New forK'
has a most iaudabie object In view
81. % bring about uniformity In state
a fecting matters that are necessarily
,.,,o,,,.a in interstate commerce. and In
transactions between the states Inc
Nom York Commercial Bulletin, the high-
ost and most conservative authority OH
al s,b,ects OF interstate commerce, ex-
rresses the opinion that the commssioh'
=, =, accomnlished nothing more than at
tracing attention TO the needless anu
Troublesome diversity OF State laws ils
efforts would not be I'm vain, Tor IL pup
lie attention were directed to TINS SUBJECT
something would be done. Few people
have any idea OF the extent OF the diver
sity OF State laws in regard to the most
ordinary transactions; or OF the INFINITE
number and variety Of perplexities ana
combinations that constantly arise from
this source. with attendant delays and ex-
pense and even more serious conse-
ouences. and which are entirely unneees-
sary and could be corrected with little
difficulty and without injury to any inter-
est
There is a great deal Of complaint about
the interference by Federal legislation
With many matters which properly belong
TO the States, and with a greater degree OF
uniformity In State laws governing many
l. Ill Lad0Tql
reference in many instances would be
removed. The Republican party, with It's
dangerous principle that the Federal
power Is supreme, and with its constant
seeking TO subordinate the States to the
central Government is ready TO seize
upon any excuse for Federal legislation,
and II the States would, as this commits
sion desires. turn their attention to har-
monizing .heir laws regarding matters Of
intimate connection between sister SOW
ereignties. these excuses for centraliz-
ing the Government will, naturally be
reduced to a minimum.
We read from the Bulletin that the
commission has already given its atten-
ton to the diversity Of the provisions OF
State laws on a variety Of subjects many
of which are of direct Importance to busi-
ness interests. Among these are the exc
cution of deeds, bills, notes and CONNER
cial paper generally; the regulation or
days Of grace and maturity, standards
of weight and measure, and other mat
ho ordinary
ness transactions between citizens Of diff
ferent States and in all OF which the
provisions Of existing laws are aosurdiy
divergent. and for no other apparent rea-
son than that no pains have ever been
taken to secure uniformity even in re-
gard to matters that should for the most
obvious reasons be uniform throughout
the States. The meeting just held was
attended by commissioners from the
States Of New York. Pennsylvania,
Massachusetts,. New Jersey and Georgia,
and II is obvious that If interest In the
work Of harmonizing State laws could
be aroused in these five States Its In
huence would be likely to extend much
direction even If extending only to the
States mentioned would be Of very great
Importance.
This is a subject to which the Legisla-
lures Of all the States might well give
their most careful attention, and 1t Is
hard to see how the Legislatures OF De-
mocratic States can ignore it. The basis
principle of the Democratic party Is
State sovereignty. as that of the Repubi-
can party is Capitalization. Anything
which can strengthen the former and
weaken the latter, is therefore most
desirable. There is nothing which VIII
tend TO this more than the harmonizing
of State laws as far as possible, so as
to give no opportunity for centralization-
lists to interfere, under the guise OF re-
gulating commerce, with the legitimate
powers of the sovereign members Of the