Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15
PRESS ON ROOTS TALK
INTEREST IN sPEECi. AT PENN
sYLvANIA SOCIETY Timer.
Not Destructive of Rights Of States
Duties of a State to Gen.
trail Government
From the New York Tribune.


The cause of state righis-those legiu-
nate and constitutional rights of the
states which no thoughtful American
wishes to see impaired-has had no more
valuable champion than Secretary ROOT.
His address on Wednesday evening IN this
CITY was hastily interpreted by some as
demand for or a threat of increased red
eraI power at the expense Of the states.
II was not 1t was in part, no DOUBT, an
exploitation of the essential development OF
federal power But 1t was no less a plea
for the confirmation and perpetuation Oh
state rights through the coordination with
them of state duties AS such 1t is In an
exceptional degree worthy OF the attentlon
of those who have been seeing portentous
visions of centralized power and federal
usurpation. For Mr.. Root made 1t clear
that IL such visions were ever realized II
would be the fault of the states them
selves and that it is not those who are
seeking extension of federal authority, but
those who cling to an extreme lnterpreia-
ton of the state rights doctrine who are
the chief menace to the states.
Will of the People.
From the New York Times.
There has been much ado already in the
press regarding Mr.. Roots treatment OF the
subject of state rights, and there has been
more or less misconception of the purpose
as we'll as of the effect of Judge Browns
6Deech, following Immediately after him.
Neither one nor the other. the secretary OF
State or the judge, really dealt with the
question of rights as directly or as lorclDly
as they did with the question of duty. This
was particularly true of M. Roots utter
ances. Having pointed out the enormous
changes in the conditions OF organized hu-
man life upon this continent since the
adoption of the Constitution, having noted
of haT
the national spirit, the sub-ia and pervad-
ing influence of free trade among the
states the unima gnable quickening of in
accommodation between all parts OF the
vast domain-he proceeded to point out the
tendencies that these changes had awak-
ened in the Interpretation OF the Consutu-
ton of the United States. But it was not
a question of rights privileges, it was a
question of how the states and the ma
then. respectively or together were working
out the will of the people, mat will itself
being shaped by forces far beyond political,
legislative or judicial contrI.
State Rights Saved.
FROM the New York World
Mr.. Roots remarks at the Pennsylvania
Society dinner on the extension of national
t0thcrity against the old theories of
'kate rights, unless the states pay more at
tention to the general welfare. drew noisy
dissent from certain distinguished guests.
been regarded frantic revolutionary by
the property interests of the country. In
fact, he was merely presenting in his own
words the familiar views advanced by
President Roosevelt at the dedication of
the state capitol at Harrisburg and in his
message to Congress.
To his credit the Secretary proved him
self entirely worthy of that high confidence
which President Roosevelt five years ago
In private letter to Mr.. Belamy Storer
expressed in Root who" alone in the hi
net, can appear before the country with
the prestige of a great political leader to
explain and champion my administration
But whatever Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr..
Root do, the great charter of American
liberties will never lack defender so long
as George F. Baer draws the breat of life.
1t was Mr.. Baer who hoped Mr.. Nor
gan with the state rights applause when
John Hay Brown answered the Secretary
-t State AS president of the Reading Mr..
Baer would shed his last drop of ink for
the Constitution of the United States. al
though he is not so devoted to the cCnsti-
tuition of Pennsylvania. which foroids rail
roads from mining coal.
Unity of the People.
From the New York Journal of Commerce.
The speech of Secretary Root at the din
ner of the Pennsylvania Society has a deep
significance for the people of this country
1t touches the question of maintaining the
balance between the states and the ma
ton in our system of federal government
the question of the integrity of the Union
with the power of its separate members
unimpaired and the function OF its central
organ working normally. Upon this the
vitality and vigor of the system depends
There is truth in Mr.. Roots statement OF
the tendency to centraliza ton and of the
reasons for it. The beneficient operation