Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-09-18
PARKER TALKS
STATE RIGHTS
DEMOCRAT AssAlLs RoosEvELT's
POLICY
DENouNcEs GENERALIZATION OF
POWER
Former Nominee for President Takes
Up Defense Against Federal Cow
ernment's control--urges
People to Act


BY Associated fEeSs.
NORFOLK. Va. Sept. 17.-Judge Altoi
n Parker of New York, former Demo
cratic candidate for president, and Sam
uel z. Mccall, member of congress iron
Massachusetts, made the principal ad
presses at the Constitutional day celebra
ton at the jamestown exposition
The ceremonies were in commemoratioi
Of the 10th anniversary of the adoption
of the federal constitution by the consti
tutional convention of 1877, over whici
George Washington presided
The weather was ideal and the attend
lance large.
Judge Parker was at his best ant
spoke with great force and earnestness
He said in part:
I'm the view of the president the fedora
government needs an increase of power
needs power which was deliberately de-
clined by states and the people when the
national government was created.
ssTrue, there is a way to transfer thai
power from the states to the federal gov
eminent, if the people wish it, but it may
well be said 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 national necessity.
ssThese considerations have had weight
in determining his announced purpose to
obtain an increase of the federal power
now. not through the action of the people
but through the action Of the departments
of the government. Q
'sThe people undertook by the constitu-
ZION to fix the boundaries of each of the
great departments of government, be-
yond which neither could pass. Upon the
executive, not on the legislative or ju-
dicial department, power was conferred,
but the executive was charged to take
care that the laws be faithfully exc
cuted' and to protect and defend the con-
stitution.
"By what process of reasoning the ex-
ecutive has reached the conclusion that
for the various departments of the fed
eral government to seize power not
granted by the states and the people, is
to protect and defend the constitution, /
know not. That he must have reached 1t
by some route, his character as a man,
his career as an official and the holiness
of his advocacy attests.
No Deception Practiced
<'He is not attempting to gain by at
tempting to deceive.
with perfect frankness he states what
he thinks ought to be done and how he
proposes to do it.
with equal frankness those of us who
live up to the constitution and revere
not alone the memory, but the wisdom of
its trainers, who believe that the pow
ers were wisely distributed between the
states and the federal government, and
deem that all past history proves it,
should speak. Many of the people have
not found time TO study the history and
the genesis of the constitution hence they
have no adequate conception of the per-
lis the trainers sought to avoid by keep
ing the powers of several branches of
government separate and distinct
"They are, therefore, naturally inclined
to be impressed with the suggestion that
the constitution did very well when it
was made, but that we have outgrown it,
and hence, the representatives of the gov
eminent, and not the people, may as well
change it at their pleasure.
IF then, there were no immediate
danger of an eective seizure of pow
ers, we should. to protect the future,
meet the assault from the federalists with
equal vigor. They are steadily at work
teaching and preaching the doctrines of
their sect. So those opposed to their
views should sacrifice any party feelings
and interests and go on the lists as open
champions of our constitutional system.
1.-The time to do it is now. Some other
year-aye, even next year-may be too
late"
Mr.. Mccall, who followed, discussed the
relation between federal and state of
ficials and declared: at seems not I'M
likely that the national government may
attempt to devour the states"