The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-02
A NECESSARY TENDENCY.

In a recent address before the Union
League Club OF Philadelphia Speaker
Cannon OF the House OF Representa-
tives Is quoted as saying:
In my judgment the danger now to us
is not the weakening OF the Federal Gov
crnment but rather the fnilure OF the
forty-fVe sovereign States to exercise. re
epectivcly. their function, their jurisdlc-
ton touching all matters not granted TO
the Federal Government. This danger
does not come from the desire OF the Fed
eral Government to grasp power not con
ferrcd by the Constitution. but rather
from the desire OF the citizens of the re-
speCtlve States to cast upon the Federal
Government the responsibility and duty
that thy should perform. If the Federal
Government continues to Ccntrlllzc we
Will soon find that we Will have a vast
bureaucratic government. which Will
prove inefficient IL not corrupt.
The desirabllity or the reverse, of Ma
tional control in the matter of great
corporations and combinations, which
pay no regard 10 State lines in their
business, thus making It Interstate or
National, win depend upon the point of
view. But We should hardly consider
that the transfer of control 10 the Ma
tlon which alone can make that con-
troll effectual. is In the least a source of
danger, least of all to the people,
though the combinations and huge cor
porations might perhaps scent danger
from It. as promising a control that in
fact would control
The failure of the forty-nve SOW
ereign States to exercise, respectively,
tnrISl1Ttior,
arises from two causes; first, their Inn
potence, and second. their complaI-
sance
They are unable TO control the cor
porations, even those of their own crea-
ton. Those corporations, I'm many
cases, have but a perfunctory existence
In the States that give them their char
tcrs. their activities being chiefly or al
together In other States; In the case OF
the larger corporations, the business is
in many States, none OF which can In
fact exercise any control. as interstate
business is outside of their jurisdiction.
and can be supervised by Congress
alone. Under these circumstances, IT Is
Idle to complain that the States do not
exercise Jurisdiction for they have no
jurisdiction TO exercise. The Southern
Pacific Railroad company is chartered
by Kentucky. but what possible con-
troll can Kentucky exercise over the
Southern Pacific? And il 1t undertook
to have any say in that compnny's al
fairs. the utmost 1t could do would be
to repeal the charter, upon which the
company would at once incorporate In
some other State. The Northern Sc
curities company-the great Merger
was Incorporated in New Jersey: yet
New Jersey could do nothing to thwart
its purpose, the Federal courts had TO
be appealed TO. under q Federal statute,
In order to crush that merger.
Second. the States are too COM
plaisant They allow on too easy terms,
often without sufficient care. the en-
trance OF corporations or companies
chartered in other States. and permit
them to do business unquestioned Even
such slight restrictions or requirements
as u State nominally sets up are too
often waived. and de facto status Is
obtained, practically without formallty.