The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-04-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

WASHINGTON, D. c.. April 1st.
Mr.. ED1ToR:-The gravest problem
which has confronted the Congress of the
United States sir &C the question of seces-
sion was disposed of will be uppermost
in the deliberations and debates Of the
Fifty ninth Congress which, the President
has recently announced, he will assemble
in extraordinary session on October IS,
next. If the coming Congress does its
duty it will largely determine for many
future decades the extent to which the
federal government shall 60 in its inter
probation of that clause in the constitu-
ton which reads, THE Congress shall
have power e : regulate Commerce
among the several States" Simple as
this statement appears it has been con-
strued with increasing latitude until the
Anti Rebate law and the Interstate Com
MERGE Act have been declared to come
within its scope AID the most important
question which the next Congress will
have to- decide is whether or not this
clause contains sufficient warrant to en-
able Congress to declare what shall and
what shall not be considered a just rate
to be charged by railroads for transporta-
ton. The federal government has the
power to compel all corporations trans
acting an interstate business to take out
federal license is also based on this
clause as is the same officials proposition
that the federal government has the pow
er to regulate the transaction of insur-
ance business
To those legislators who, with strict re-
gard for their oath to support the consti-
tuition, adopt conservative view regard
ing its Interpretation, the radicalism of
the present administration, the general
disposition to maintain that the provis-
ions of the constitution must be broaden
ed in proportion to the growth and in
creasing completely of the nation and thu
insistence in some quarters that a strict
interpret alton Of the constitution is old
fashioned and out of date, seems danger
GUS and adhorrent. In a policy which
would stretch the constitution beyond the
evident meaning Of its trainers, they can
detect nothing but potents Of disaster, the
small beginning of what, once adopted,
will mean in time radical departure from
the constitution itself and ultimately the
adoption of every form of radicalism de.
handed by popular clamor. In support
of this view they contend that it is mani
fest that the trainers of the constitution,
by. the clause quoted, intended only to
empower the federal government so to
regulate commerce bet ween the States as
to insure the absence of all discrimination
and the additions Of those customs, du-
ties and other forms of embargo which,
during the days of Federation, contribut-
ed so seriously to the ills which attended
the nation in its infancy If the consti-
tuition in its present form is not suitable
t. existing conditions, they argue, then
let it be amended, but under no circum-
stances permit the slightest deviation from
the true intent of the trainers Of that in
strument.
Those who oppose this view declare,
however, that such narrow view of the
constitution itself, so close an adherence
to the doctrine that the rights Of the Sow
ereign States must not be violated, will
necessarily place the people at the mercy
of those corporate interests which by the
lavish use of money can always corrupt a
sufficient number of State legislatures to
prevent the success of any proposed
amendment of the constitution, however
meritorious, which would even tend to
curtail liberties or the license Of corpo-
rate wealth. The problem is too deep for
extensive di. cussion in a news letter but
the foregoing assertions may serve in a
measure to indicate to the thinkers of the
nation the gravity and completely Of the
pro biem with which the next Congress
will be called upon to deal.
TIL " !,