The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-13
Secretary Roots speech.

states" he SAID; |
Secretary Roots speech.
This gathering peculiarly represents two
ancient commonwealth. each looking BACK
to a century and a half OF colonial history.
the formation OF the American Union.
each possessed OF strong Individuality de-
rived from the long practice Of self-govern-
ment. and both conspicuous among all tne
states for leadership in population and wealth.
for and manufacture. for art ana
science, and for the priceless traditions oil
great citizens in former generations. IL
seems appropriate TO make here some ooser-
vations upon a subject which Is much IN the
minds Of thoughtful Americans in these days.
What is to be the future Of the states OF the
Union under our dual system OF constitutional
government?
The conditions under which the clauses OF
the Constitution distributing powers to the
national and State governments are now
and henceforth to be applied are widely
different from the conditions which were or
could have been within the contemplation OF
the trainers OF the Constitution, and widely
different from those which obtained during
the early years OF the republic. When the
authors OF the Federdiist argued and ex-
pounded the reasons for union and the utility
Of the provisions contained In the Constitu-
ton, each separate colony transformed INTO
a State was complete In itself and sunicient
to itself except as to q few exceedingly simple
external relations OF State to State and to
foreign nations; from the origin OF produc-
ton to the final consumption OF the
product, from the birth OF a citizen to
his death, the business. the sociaH and the
political life OF each separate community
began and ended for the most part WITHIN
the limits Of the State itself, the long time re-
ouired for travel and communication be-
tween the different centres Of population. the
l;ep onlt Ice ND ha rIahipa Of lon q and labOrlOuS
Journeys, the slowness of the mails, and the
enormous cost Of transporting goods, kept
the people of each State tributary to their
own separate colonial centre OF trade ana IN
fuence, and kept their activities within the
ample and sufficient jurisdiction OF the local
laws OF their States.
The fear of the fathers OF the Republic was
that these separate and self-suricient COM
munities would fall apart. that the Union
would resolve into its constituent elements
or that. as it grew in population and area, II
would split up into q number OF separate con-
federacies. Few of the men OF 1877 would
have deemed il possible that the Union they
were forming could be maintained among
Sc, 200, 900 people, spread over the vast ex-
panse from the Atlantic TO the Pacific and
from the Lakes to the Gulf.
FORCES THAT MADE UNION POSSIBLE.
Three principal causes have made this
possible. The first has been the growth OF a
national sentiment, which was at first almost
imperceptibl The very difficulties and
hardships to which our nation was subjected
in it's early years, the injuries to our COM
merCe and the insults and indignities to our
flag on the part of both Of the contestants in
the great Napoleonic wars. served to keep the
nation and national interests and national
dignity constantly before the minds ana IN
the feeling s OF the people.
As the tide of emigration swept westward
new States were formed of citizens who looked
back to the older States as the homes Of their
childhood and their affection and the origin
Of their laws and customs, and who never
had the peculiar and special separate political
life of the colonies. The civil war settled the
supremacy of the nation throughout the
territory Of the union. and its sacrifices sane
titled and made enduring that national senti-
ment.
our country as a whole. the noble and be-
loved land Of every citizen of every state.
has become the object of pride and devotion
among all our people, North and South. within
the limits Of the proud old colonial common
weaIths. throu ghoty that vast region where
Burr once dreamed Of a separate empire
| dominating the valley Of the Mississippi. ano
| upon the far dista Mt shores Of the Pacific, and
by the side OF this strong and glowing loyalty
to the nation. sent iment for the separate
States has become dim and faint in COM
parison.
FREE TRADE AMONG THE STATES.
The second great influence has been the
knitting together in ties OF common interest
| of the peope forming the once separate COM
! munities through the working Of free trade
among the States. Never was a concession
dictated by enlightened Judgment for the
common benefit more richly repaid than
that by which the States surrendered In the
Federal Constitution the right TO lay imposts
or duties on imports or exports without the
consent OF Congress. To 1t we owe the do
nestle market for the products OF our farms
and forests and mines and factories without
parallel in history, and an internal trade
which already exceeds the entire foreign
trade Of all the rest Of the world, and to IL
we owe in a high degree the constant drawing
together Of all parts of our vast and diversl-
fed country in the bands OF common interest
and in the improving good understanding
and kindly feeling Of frequent intercourse.
The third great cause Of change is the mar
vellous development Of facilities for traveI
and communication caused by the inventions
and discoveries Of the past century. Tit
witt trains that pass over our 220.00O miles oil
railroad, the 10000, 900 messages that nash
over the more than 400. 900 miles OF telegraph
wires, the conversations across vast spaces
through our more than ~4,tOO.OOO telephone
instruments take no note OF state lines they
| nave broken GOWN N1e DdTTItIb cANVV nv
separate communities and they have led to a
reorganization Of the business and social hf'
of the people Of the United States along lines
which, for the most part, altogether ignore
the boundaries OF the States.
left the borders of Virginia this afternoon
and traversed Maryland. Delaware. Penn
sylvania and New Jersey to the State OF New
York and. barring accident, shall breakfast
again tomorrow morning on the shore oil
the Potomac. The time required for this
Journey would hardly have sufficed for an
ordinary carriage drive from the adjoining
county Of Westchester a hundred years ago
Any one of us can 20 now into a neighborins
room in this hotel and talk with a friend In
Boston or Chicago and recognize his voice anS
transact business which formerly would hav'
required months TO accomplish II IL coul
have been done AT all.
NO STATE DISTINCTIONS IN TRADE.
The lines Of trade. Of financial operation, o
social intercourse. Of thought and opiniol
that radiate from the great centres OF IN
in our country, such rs Boston and New iorI
and Philadelphia and Baltimore and Chicag
and st. Louis and New Orleans and San Fran
cisco and many another great city, are per
fectly regardless Of State distinctions. Gu
who'll. life has swung away from the old stat
centres and is crystalliZinR about natIona