The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-18
RooseveIfs Altitude of CentaI- izati0n is Severely
 Condemned
NOW IS THE TIME ID ACT
 TO PROTECT THE FUTURE
Former President cleveland Sends a Letter of Regret to the Meeting at JamestoWn-Conere
 Mccall Talks ForcibIy

Norfolk, Va, September 17.-Former Judge Alton B. Parker of New Yerk former democratic candidate for Presi- dent of the United States. and Samuel W. Mccall, member of congress from Massachusetts, made the principal ad- dresses at the constitutional day cele- bration at the Jamestown exposition to- day. The ceremonies were in commem- oration of the 120th anniversary of the adoption of the federal constitution by the constitutional convention over which George Washington presided The weather was ideal and the attendance at the exposition was large.
 Judge Parker was at his best and spoke with great force and earnestness.
 Judge Parker said, in part
 Tn the view of the present, the fed eral government needs an increase of power-needs power which is now and from the beginning has been not only exercised by the states, but deliberately retained by the states and the people whom the national government was ere ated.
 True, there is a way to transfer that power from the states to the federal government. if the people wish it. That would take time and labor. And again 1t may well be that no amount of labor would persuade the people of the states to surrender their home rule powers in sufficient measure to meet the views of the executive as to the national neces- sity. These considerations may have had weight in determining his present action. But be that as 1t may, his an nounced purpose is to obtain an in crease of the federal power now, not through the action of the people, but through the action of the three depart ments of government.
 Boundaries Fixed.
 "The states and the people undertook by the constitution to fix the boundar- les of each of the great departments of government, beyond which neither could pass. Upon the executive no leglsla- tive or judicial power was conferred but he was charged to take care that the laws be faithfully executed and to protect and defend the constitution of the United States. By what process or reasoning the executive has reached the conclusion that for the various depart ments of the federal government to selze power not granted and the peo- ple is to protect and defend the consti- tution.' I know not That he must have reached it by some route, his ad- yocacy attests He is not attempting To acquire power by deceiving the peo- nle With perfect frankness he states what he thinks ought to be done, and how he proposes 1t shall be done.
 "With equal frankness those of us who have widely different views, who love the constitution and revere not alone the memory but the wisdom of its framers, who believe that the powers were wise Iv distributed between the states and the federal government and deem that all past history proves 1t should speak
 of then there were no immediate dan ger of an effective seizure of powers, we should to protect the future, meet the assaults of the new federal acts with an equal vigor. So those opposed to their views should sacrifice any party feeling and interests, and enter the lists as open champions of our constitutional system in it's integrity. The time to do if is now. Some other year-aye, even next year-may be too late"
 Letter From Cleveland.
 A letter was read from Former Presi- aent Grover Cleveland conveying re- great at his inability to attend and parti- eipate in the exercises of the day in which he expressed great interest.
 Mir. Mccall spoke Of the federated char acter of the government and the rela- tion between the national and local au- thorities and with special reference to the centra alizat tion of power in the federal government he declared that this aspect of our constitutional question is important at a time when it seems not unlikely that the national government may at tempt to devour the states.
 There are of course" he said, "cer- tai great imperial powers that must be exercised by the national government. but the time honored functions of the states have as a whole been well ad- ministered and they should be permitted tn renaa in with the states =