The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-23
The. New Democratic Slogan.

the Japanese issue in San Francisco
and the recent utterances Of Secretary
Root with regard to the powers of the
federal government have suggested to
the democrats the possible revival of
state rights as an issue for the next
presidential campaign. Senator Ray
ner has led in the expression of demo-
cratic sentiment and challenged the ad-
ADMINISTRATION to a contest on these lines.
The insistence by members of the in
terstate commerce commission that
measures for the relief of the public
from the evils Of railroad management,
such as we are experiencing in the
northwest and in other parts of the
country, shall be accomplished by the
federal government acting thru the in
terstate commerce commission, rather
than by the states adopting such meas
ures as reciprocal demurrage, has en-
phasized the thought of enlarged fed
eral supervision Of internal commerce.
All these things tend to intensity the
conflict between the policy of the ad-
ministration and the democratic concep-
ton of what would constitute sue
cessful national issue. Men calling
themselves Jeffersonian democrats in
weigh against the tendencies toward
Capitalization of power in the federal
government, forgetting that the man
with whose name they conjnre took$ a
larger view Of the functions of the feds
eral government and contemplated a.
wider exercise Of those powers than
anything advocated by the administra-
ton either in connection with the San
francisco incident, or in the remarks
Of the secretary Of state, or in the pro-
posals of the Interstate commerce COM
mission. In his annual message to con-
gress Dec. 2, 1906, just 100 years ago,
President Jefferson said: ss..... !.
The question, therefore, now comes forward:
To what other objects shall these surpluses be
appropriated, and the whole surplus Of imposts,
after the entire discharge of the public debt,
and during those intervals when the purposes
of war shall not call for them? Shall we sup
press the impost and give that advantage to
foreign over domestic manufactures? On &
few articles Of more general and necessary use
the suppression in due season will doubtless be
right, but the great mass of articles which
impost is paid are foreign luxuries, purchased
by those only who are rich enough to afford
themselves the use Of them. Their patriotism
would certainly prefer its continuance and ap-
plication to the great purposes of the public
education, roads, rivers, canals and such other
objects of public Improvement it may be
thought proper to add to the constitutional
enumeration of federal powers. BY these opera
lions new channels of communication will be
opened between the states, the lines Of separa-
Tvvi11 1Yo
identified and their union cemented by new and
indissoluble ties. a.> o.. e
Here we have the great leader Of
democratic thought not simply propos-
ing the regulation Of means of trans
portation, but proposing the application
Of federal revenues to the construction
Of such means Of transportation in the
form Of roads and canals; proposing
also that they. be employed in promot-
ing public education, and, opening the
door still wider, he would apply them
to "such other objects of public i'm
provement as may be thought proper. -
He justifies this on the ground that
efby these operations new channels Of
commerce will be opened between the
states, the lines of separation will dis
appear, their interests will be identified
and their union cemented by new and
indissoluble ties.'
Nor must we go back 100 years to
find the most eminent democratic au-
thority in support of measures imply
ing larger exercise Of federal power
than anything contemplated by the
present administration or any of it's
parts. It is no part of the scheme Of
President Roosevelt to bring. the trans
portation system Of the country under
government ownership. That remains
for Mr.. Bryan to promulgate and adyo-
cate.
While it may be true that President
Jefferson s suggestion contemplates an
amendment to the constitution, he
seems to have been quite ready to un-
dertake these things, as he was willing
to construe literally his powers in the
acquisition of the Louisiana purchase.
It is interesting to contemplate how the
issue Of state IS rights on Jeffersonian
platform can be made to harmonize
with these deliverances Of the great
founder OF the party or with the
scheme Of federal ownership promul-
gated blythe peerless leader Of
today. s..s B. B
Some test may be made Of the real
att tude spf the demo cratic poll ticians
on this question when they are asked