The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-04

action upon the words and deeds Of
one OF Pennsylvania Is greatest sons,
Justice James Wilson. = He was a ign
Ell of the Declaration of Independence.
Z He was one of the men who saw that
the revolution, ! in which he had, served
as a soldier: would be utterly fruitlesse
unlesssik was followed by a close and
Permansssnf ssllni at Of the atates,and =in
securing tIssss adoption of the constita-
tion and expounding what it meant, he
rendered seryieesteyen greater than he,
rendered as mem Der of the continental
congress, which cleared our indepena-
ence; for twas the success of the
makers and preservers of the union
which justified our. independence.
"In a remarkable letterin which he
advocated setting forth in early and
clear fashion the powers of the nation
al government, he laid down the propo7
sition that it should be made clear that
there were neither vacancies nor inter-
ferenees between the limits of state and
national jurisdiction, and that both jur-
isdictions together composed only one
uniform and comprehensive system OF
government and laws; that is, when
ever the states can not act, because
the need to be met is not one of mere
Iva single locality, then the national
government, representing all the peo-
pie, should have complete power to act.
It was in the spirit of Wilson that
Washington and Washington s lieu
tenant, Hamilton, acted; and it was
in the same spirit that Marshall con-
strued the law.
Limits Now Exist.
tsIt is only by acting in this spirit
that the national judges, legislators and
executives can give a satisfactory solu-
tion of the great question of the pres
emit day-the question of providing on
behalf Of the sovereign people the
means which will enable the people in
effective form to assert their sover-
eighty over the immense corporations
Of the day. Certain judicial decisions
have done just what Wilson feared
they have, as matter Of fact, left
vacancies, left blanks between the lin
Its Of possible state jurisdiction and
the limits of actual national jurisdic
tion over the control of the great. bust
ness corporations. It is the narrow con
struction of the powers OF the natlona
government which in our democracy has
proved the chief means of limiting the
national power to cut out abuses, ant
which is now the chief bulwark of those
great moneyed interests which oppose
and dread any attempt to place, then
unaer efficient mental con eo1tTo
judicial decisions which am confident
time will show to have been erroneou!
and a damage to the country, would
have been avoided if our legislator
and jurists had approached the matter
Of enacting and constituting the laws Of
the land in the spirit Of your grea
Pennsylvania. Justice Wilson-in thu
spirit of Marshall and Of Washington
Such decisions put us at a great dis
advantage in the battle for industrial
order as against the present industrial
chaos. If we interpret the constitu
tion in narrow instead Of broad fash
ion, if we forsake the princi Piles o:
Washington, Marshall, Wilson and Ham
ilton, we as a people will render our
selves impotent to deal with any abuse
which may be committed by the me,
who have accumulated the enormou
fortunes Of today, and who use thes
fortunes in still vaster corporate form
In business.
States Powerless.
s'The legislative or judicial actions
and decisions Of which I complain, b.
it remembered, do not really leave t.
the states power to deal with corporate
wealth in business. Actual, experience
has shown that the states are, who'll.
powerless to deal with this subject
and any action or decision that de
prives the nation of the power to dea
with it, simply results in leaving tn
corporations absolutely free to wor]
without any effective supervision what
ever; and such course is fraught wit
untold danger to the future Of on
whole system Of government, and, in
deed, to our whole civilization.
."All honest men must abhor an
reprobate any effort to excite hostillt
to men of wealth as such. We Shout
do all we can to encourage thrift an
business energy, to put premium, upo
the conduct of the man who honestl
earns his livelihood and more tina
his livelihood, and who honestly use
the money he has earned.
~ Rut Il il n,1r clear dntr ia Goa