The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-10-02
FOR "FATHER OF WATERS"
and A FIGHTING Navy

Now gentlemen, this leads me up to an
other matter for national consideration,
and that Is the navy. The navy Is not
primarily of Importance only TO the coast
regions. II is every bit as much the con-
cern of the farmer who dwells a thou-
sand miles from sea water as OF the nsh-
erman who makes his living on the ocean.
for Il Is the concern of every good Amer
lean who knows what the meaning OF
the word patriotism is This country IS
definitely committed to certain funda-
mental poicies-to the Monroe doctrine,
for instance and to the duty not only OF
building. but when IL Is built, OF policing
and defending the Panama canal. We
have definitely taken our place among the
great world powers, and 1t would De
sign OF ignoble weakness, having taken
sue ha place, to shirk its responsibilities.
Therefore unless we are willing to aban-
don this place, TO abandon our insistence
upon the Monroe doctrine to give up the
Panama canal, and to be content to ac-
knowledge ourselves a weak and umd
nation, we must steadily build up anu
maintain a great fighting navy.
CORPORATION CONTROL
In conclusion / wish to say a word TO
this body, containing as II does so many
business men, upon what is pre-eminently
& business proposition, and that is the
proper national supervision and control
of corporations.
Now that the questions OF government
are becoming so largely economic. the
majority of our so-called constitutional
cases really turn not upon the interpreta-
tion of tho instrument itself. but upon
the construction. the right apprehension
OF the living conditions TO which II is to
be applied The constitution is now and
must remain what II always has been:
but IL can only be interpreted as the in
terests OF the whole people demand. II in
terpreted as a living organism. designed
to meet the conditions OF life and not Of
death; in other words, II interpreted as
Marshall interpreted It, as Wilson declar-
ed IL should be interpreted.
The constitution Is unchanged and un-
chanDeable save by amendment In due
form. But the conditions TO which IL is
to be applied have undergone change
which is almost transformation, with
the result that Yany subjects formerly
under the control Of the states have come
under the control OF the nation.
The change as regards interstate cons
merce has been not In the Constitution,
but in the business of the people To which
IL Is TO be applied Our economic and So
cial future depends In very large part
upon how the Interstate commerce power
OF the nation Is Interpreted.
| believe that the nation has the whole
governmer tai power over interstate COM
ing with that subject; of course under
the express limits prescribed In the Con-
stitution for the exercise OF all powers,
such for instance as the condition that
due process of law" shall not be de-
MED.
There are difficulties arising from our
dual form of government. If they prove
TO be insuperable resort must be had to
the power of amendment. Let us first
try 60 m ct them by an exercise OF all
the powers OF the national government
which I'm the Marshall spirit OF broad in.
terpretation can be found in the Consti-
ttuion as Il Is.
NOT FOR GENERALIZATION.
I am not pleading for an extension Of
constitutional power. i am pleading that
constitutional power which already ex-
lists shall be applied to new conditions
which did not exist when the Constitu-
tion went Into being. I ask that me ma
tional powers already conferred upon the
national government by the Constitution
shall be so used as to bring national
commerce and industry effectively under
the authority OF the federal government
and thereby avert industrial chaos.
My plea Is not TO bring about a condi.
tion ~ Capitalization. IL is that the gov
eminent shall recognize a condition Of
Capitalization In a field where IL already
existA