The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-31
TO EASE THE FRICTION
BETWEEN STATES RIGHTS
AND FEDERAL CONTROL


reckless, Illegal aGgregatIons OF wealth
lowered higher in their insolence. brib-
ing of Legislators grew more Hagrant,
patriotism and loyalty were continuous
| lY sacrificed on the altar of politics
/ these and dozen similar evils, sapping
/ the life of the Republic. were not met
I by the States when they had the op-
I portunIty In their hands.
4 \ few States really did show vitality
and virility and earnestly sought 10
meet the evils, failing 10 a degree in
their efforts by the largeuess of their
task and the lack Of cooperation from
their sister States, The situation grew
desperate. Then came a Federal ad,
minIstration with nerve, courage and
/ rcsoluteness, and sought seriously to be
gin 10 solve the problems-to save the
situation,
/ Ii the administration went beyond
its rights, if it for a time trcpasscd
on States rights, it was because the
States were culpably negligent and in
active. II there is 4 fire smoking IN
the hold of an ocean steamer and the
, captain and crew fold their arms IN
complaccnt inactivity, hoping the fire
Will die out, ii is the duty oI the pas
scngers or any Of them TO head and
organize bucket corps To stdc the
flames. But when 1t is all over and
the captain and crew awaken TO the
learn their lesson they would be foolish
10 let this emergency corps run the ship.
Have the States learned their lesson
and awakened to their duty or viii they
continue TO let Capitalization govern the
ship of States7
The trust for years had been grow
ing more colossal, aggressive and law
chTonicled the details, kept hammering
al the subject, seeking to arouse leg
islation. The people talked of 1T with
a sense of abjcct hopelessncss, as If
an earthquake were coming and they
saw no escape. There was amending
talk, as monotonous as phonograph.
with practically as little results. The
States as a whole did little or nothing.
Then the Government passed the anti
trust law, the thin edge of the wedge
Of broadening legislation.
The iniquitous rebates Of the rail
roads. that forced thousands of small
dealers into bankruptcy and restrained
commerce and the natural development
of individual interests, continued for
decades practically, if not actually, un-
touched by the hand of State law The
States could have met the evil. partial
ly at least. but they did nothing. Then
the Government passed the rate bill
Grasping capital, holding nothing
sacred. not even the food of babes, car
ried aduterstion and food poisoning TO
q point where it, seemed that the only
wa yto live was 10 give up eating. Tho
newspapers exposed II, the magazines
exploited it, scientists lecurred ii on
societies were formed TO fight it. but
the States waited-for the Federal Gov
ernment 10 pass the Pure Food law,
The President and the Secretary Of
State have declared repeatedly that
The States are not able TO unite in the
making of laws on questions Of Ma
tional importance. and that therefore
the power 10 make these laws must be
come vested i'm the Federal Govern
ment With all due Difference. how
ever. may it not he asked whether the
failure of the States TO make uniform
legislation has not been due TO the lack
of any method Of the States TO get to-
gether in conference as Statcs2
Were this provided wherein is il i'm.
possible for the States themselves TO
handle this legisatioul That there are
difficulties is self.evident; that these
difficulties are insurmountable is open
10 question. Should not any plan that
has within it germ Of hope be
tried, If the trying imply no danger
To the fullest safety Of the Union
before We hopelessly accept as
finalitv the imputation that the States
arc no longer fit for government?
Secretary Root not only says that
''tbese things the States no longer do
Adequately but also that "they (the
States) are no longer capable Of ade-
quately performing. The honorable
Secretary coniugates the impotence Of
the States in the present and future
tense
There does seem 10 be one simple.
practicable method yet untred which
the writer desires here TO propose
one that is in such perfect harmony
with the letter and the spirit of the
Constitution that IT would require no
constitutional amendment; one that
might not even require (for an initial
trial, at ieast) legislative action in any
State; one that upsets no established
order in the conduct of the Nation; one
that would bring the States into
closer unity and harmony without