The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-04-07
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eral Topics from
the Capital.
April l, 1905.

The gravest problem which has
confronted the Congress of the
United States since the question
of secession was disposed of will
he uppermost in the deliberations
aud debates of the Fiity-ninth
Congress, which the President
has recently announced, he will
assemble in extraordinary session
on October l6, next, it the coming
Congress does its duty it will large
" determine for many future de-
cades the extent to which the Fed
eral Government shall go in its in
depreciation of that clause i'll the
Constitution which reads, "the
Congress shall have power to
regulate Commerce among
the several States" Simple as
this statement appears it has been
construed with increasing lati-
tude until the Anti Rebate Law
and the Interstate Commerce Act
have been declared to come within
its scope and the most important
question which the next Congress
will have to decide is whether or
not this clause contains sufficient
warrant 20 enable Congress TO de,
clare what shall and what shall
not he considered a just rate to be
charged by railroads for tranSpor-
tation. The proposition advanced
by Commissioner of Corporations
Garfield, that the Federal Govern
ment has the power to compel all
corporation transacting an inter.
state business to take out federal
license is also based on this clause
as is the same officials prop1si
tion that the Federal Government
has the power to regulate the
transaction of insurance business.
To those legislators who, with
strict regard for their oath to sup
port the Constitution, adopt CON
sentative view regarding its in
depreciation, the radicalism of the
present administration. the gen
eral disposition to maintain that
the provisions of the Constitution
must be broadened in proportion
to the growth and increasing com
plexily of the nation and the in
sistence in some quarters that
strict Interpretation of the Con
StitutiOn is old fashioned and out
of date. seems dangerous and alb
horrent. In policy which would
stretch the Constitution beyond
the evident meaning of its trainers,
they can detect nothing but pro
tents of disaster, the small begin
ming of what, once adopted. will
mean in time radical departure
from the Constitution itself and
ultimately the adoption of every
form of radicaliSm demanded bv
popular clamOr. In support of
this view they contend that it is
manifest that the trainers of the
Constitution. by the clause quoted.
intended only to empower the
Federal Government so to regu
late commerce between the States
as to insure the absence of all dis.
elimination and the additions of
those customs, duties and other
forms of embargo which, during
the days of Federation, contrihut.
ed so seriously to the ills which
attended the nation in its infancy.
If the Constitution in it's present
form is not suitable to existing
conditions, they argue. then let it
be amended, but under no circum-
stances permit the slightest devi.
alton from the true intent of the
trainers of that instrument.
Those who oppose this view de
clare, however, that such a narrow
view of the Constitution itself. so
close an adherence to the doctrine
that the rights of the Sovereign
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 propos
ed Amendment the Constitution.
however meritOriOus, which would
even tend to curtail liberties or
the license of corporate wealth.
The problem is too deep for ex-
tensive discussion in a news letter
,, but the foregoing assertions may
serve In a measure to indicate to
the thinkers of the nation the
gravity and cOmplexity of the
problem with which the next Con
gress will be called upon to deal.
President Roosevelt, after con-
sulting with Senators German.
Spooner and Lodge, and the mem.
bers of his cabinet. has notified
SantO Domingo of his assent on
behalf of the United States to the
arrangement proposed by Presi
dent Morales as the only practic.
able means of so preserving exist
ing conditions in that distraught
Republic as to make possible the
execution of the provisions of the
i