New-York tribune., 1906-12-17
A DANGEROUS ISSUE.

Ii was proclaimed with some jubilatiOn few
days ago that the Democratic party had an
Issue Mr.. Roots speech before the Pennsyl-
vania Society haG furnished IT. The elation
natural, for we know Of nothing else, uD-
Jess il be Offices the possession of which would
rejoice the Democracy as an issue Noah,
when after long and weary voyage the dove
brought him an olive branch, can hardly have
felt happier at beholding it. Columbus, after
being out of sight Of land for weeks cannot
have been more cheered by the view OF San
Salvador: nor can keener joy have been
vouchsafed to
stout Cortez. when with agile eyes
he stared at the Pacific-and all his men
Looked at each other with Wild surmise-
Silent, upon peak in Darien
None of these hardy adventurers across IN
known wastes cap have been more full Of
10y and thanksgiving at the fulilment of their
hopes than the Democratic party would be If
once more blessed with an issue We are sorry
10 see evidence that the Democracy questions
its first transports 1t is not but that after
all San Salvador is a mirage
II was only natural that the Democracy
should believe at first blush that It had an
issue. States rights are an ancient historic
and honored doctrine of the party. 1t is not
every man who can tell on the spur of the mo-
ment how far lie has got away from his old
cardinal principle Of the Democracy, out of
which many other minor doctrines sprang and
it WAS in harmony with the whole mass of
Democratic theory. But n careful examination
Of the subject leads THE New York Times and
The New York World which are as anxious
any other Democratic journals to see their
party reach the promised land of issues, to the
conclusion that there are 10 votes IN raising
the states rights cry under present conditions.
Says The Times:
The tendency TO Capitalization is one that
must be reckoned with. II cannot be elm
mated and IL ought not to be ignored II is the
expression OF the need Of the people for an IN
strumentaity suited 20 their wider activities
and to the wonderful solidarity that has grown
up in their relations of every sort. It corre-
spends TO a condition OF mind.
In a word you cannot turn the hand of time
back far enough 10 put new vitality into the
states rights issue.
"The World" finds another good reason why
the issue Will not do Unless the Democratic
party wishes to put Itself in the position of de-
Tending "the interests" II will let states rights
severely alone. The people have turned to the
federal government for protection against evils,
sheltering themselves behind the authority of
the states. In these circumstances, says "The
World" neither the Democratic party nor any
"other party is likely 10 burn It's fingers with
"the issue of states rights in respect to the
control of corporation crookedness." The issue
is dangerous well as out OF date. There is
dynamite in il. OF course. neither The Times"
nor The World" speaks for that large section
Of the Democracy Of which Mr. Bryan is the
honored leader. But unquestionably the force
Of the argument which THE World" advances
Will strike the Bryanite section of the Democ-
racy. \ believer in the federal ownership of
railroads has hardly a tender regard for states
rights"
The speech Of Mr.. Root and the discussion 1t
has provoked have been peculiarly illuminat-
ing. The incident has resulted in a sort OF TAX
ing account OF stock Of our ideas. A host of
persons who had not recently indulged In
mental inventory know where they stand
in regard to the position of the states and the
nation in the government of this country. We
have what "The Times calls the condition Of
mind" of the country, and it is such that the
Democracy turns discreetly away from its old
doctrine of states rights.