The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-07-11
TUESDAY. JULY j, 1899.
THE BARRIERS TO BE BROKEN
DOWN

In his speech OF the dollar dinner IN
Columbus. Ohio. last Friday, Mr. VIII
liam J. Bryan said:
"The trust question Is not new one.
and Yet 81 has grown in interest and
importance because the trusts nave
grown I'm number Attorney-Geneih
Criggs is reported as saying: ~ anything
Is done to control the trusts it must DEE
done by the states No one who has
examined this subject viii believe that
state legislation is sufficient The Fede-
s.ai Government must deal with the trust
as soon as fits pernicious influences eN-
rends beyond the limits of the State In
which 81 IS organized.
And so II seems, an entirely new revo-
lutionary issue is TO Doe introduced into
the next Presidential campaign. In the
last one the Chicago platform declared for
debasing one standard of value and for
exempting mobs from the control Of the
courts-both radically revolutionary meas
ures-and now We are TO have added TO
that. the proposition that the well-dehned
Barriers between State authority and
Federal authority are TO De broken down,
and control is to be given the Federal
Government over all the domestic affairs
Of the people
Vain is IL FOR Mr. Bryan TO preach
against imperialism II DE Is IN favor
OF this radical departure from the essen-
tial idea upon which the niUon is con-
structed This is imperialism with q Ven-
geance 1t is converting the central gov-
eminent at washington into the dicia-
toIial arbiter OF the whole conduct of che
citizen. in all the ordinary affairs of life
and II the future monarch of America
who would be evolved from that principle
once conceded. would ask for more ih-
perlalistic authority than that he would
be a cormorant OF authority indeed.
The very. cornerstone upon which our
Union of States was constructed was
that the Federal Government should have
control over those matters which inter
ested all the people Of am the States IN
exactly the same way. That is 81 there
were war with France or Spain The Fed
eral Government should have exclusive
control over the operations OF that war
because every citizen Of the United States
whether residing in Maine or in California,
had exactly the same interest On the way
that war was conducted that any other
citizen Of the United States had wherever
he might reside And so It was Of such
other things as an were interested I'm in
the same way. such as regulation OF COM
merce between the States. the regulation
Of weights and measures and the Ike
But the ordinary affairs OF the people
such as marriage and divorce, recording
OF deeds. working the roads. chartcrlng
corporations sc. were To- Doe under the
control OF tho States so that local desires
and prejudiccs might shape the rule I'm
whatever concerned local interests only
This was the great and the essential idea
Of our Federal Union OF States, and under
It we have had an ideal republic that has
given the citizen more real liberty than
was ever dreamed Of by even Sir Thomas
Moore when idoalizing his Utopia.
But. says Mr. Bryan, as the States are
not 70 be relied upon to act with sufii-
Gent energy in pulling down whatever
has been constructed. We must abandon
that old fossilzod idea OF a division OF
authority between state and Federal gov
ernment, and place IN the hands OF Con
gress the authority 70 NEEDLE with tho
local affairs Of all the people and make
che people OF Colorado eat red pepper IN
their soup. while the people Of Louisiana
shall De forbidden 10 use any such diet
Well Mr.. Bryan's whole philosophy IS
the philosophy OF revolution, but we
thank God he win no MOTE overthrow
our ancient institutions at this point than
a. any OF the others where he has at
tackled them.