The Washington herald., 1907-06-29
CONSTITUTIONAL GROWTH.
Interesting Press Discussion of Cues
tIons Raised by Mr. Knox.


Interesting Press Discussion of Cues
lions Raised by Mr. Knox.
From the New YORK Globe.
Recently il has been fashionable for
railroad spokesman TO shout Justify
against the always dangerous tendency
toward Capitalization They have seemed
10 forget that If they fee the devil
Of national control they plunge them
selves In the deep, blue sea Of a state
control likely to be more capricious arbi-
trary and disturbing on sober second
thought they are likely 10 discontinue the
effort to reanimate the spirit Of Calhoun
ism. II there Is TO DE regulation Of the
great arteries Of commerce good many
more bruises are likely 10 be received
when running the gauntlet of forty-five
chastisers This. fact having been cogent-
ly pointed ont on many occasions by rail-
way presidents and attorneys, IL is little
difficult 10 aserbe perfect good faith
TO the recent extraordinary tenderness
for State rights.
From the indianapolis Star
Undoubtedly there is a tendency toward
concentrate - isolated State authority
and functions in Fcderal authority and
functions. Slavery was once q local ques-
ton; so was coinage of money; so was
issue Of paper currency. So was CONNER
cial banking, 80 was commerce. so was
the tariff. The colonies used 10 levy pro
tective tariffs against each other. The
States used TO authorize the issue OF bank
notes. These things have become national
I IN law. as they became national in fact
Some day perhaps we shall have ma
tioual insurance laws as We now have ma
tI0n5l banking laws II is not a question
Of theory but "a question Of fact. IL is
not whether the authority Of Congress
should be promoted at the expense Of the
States. II is whether a field OF activity
has developed 20 "A point where it ceases
90 be local and comes TO be national
From The Chicago Post
Fear Of decentralization is generally
wholesome, but it is sometimes exas-
soratsd and misplaced The nation. for
example has an interest in citizenship
as well as the State and the develop
ment Of our lie has shown that II should
possess and exercise a paramount super
vision over such conditions Of citizen
ship as plainly affect not only the local
communities, bgt the national welfare
itself. The conditions Of child and wom-
an labor are such conditions The nation
should deal with them with a strong
hand. II the Federal government has not
now the power. it should receive it forth
with.
From Che Ptrsburg Dispatch
II would be unfair 70 style Judge Gray
and Senator Knox as "reactiouaries" in
the matter OF coutro. OF predatory
wealth because they affirm the quality
/ Of a government composed Of many other
/ g0vernmeuts-sgyere States Judge
Gray's citations of eminent jurists of the
past beginning with the great Justice
John Marshall. suffice 20 show that his
attitude has been held by able men from
the beginning of our constitutional ex-
istence Il Is true that IN some aspects
/ he seems TO oppose the dicta OF President
Roosevelt but this is more seeming than
real
I From the New YORK Tribune.
II is harder 20 arouse -Federalist
/ apprehension nowadays. because the
States and. the nation have become one
and have no opposing interests. Federal
I ism IS not the weapon Of a section or a
faction and clashes over constitutional
construction no longer set two portions Of
the nation by the ears. We are all for
state rights and all for Federalism. and
/ the only practical problem for Us is 70
/ give such scope. under tho Constitution. 20
both elements IN our governmental scheme
as VIII insure the best results and make
Che nation most erUricnt most contented.
and most self-reiiant
From the Pr-vi5ance Journal
F Mr. Knox says that the power Of Con-
Eress has not expanded beyond It's def
milton by the Supreme Court when first
considered nearly one hundred years ago. d"
/ II this be true. then We are so rgidly
bound by our written Fundamental law
that political or social progress IS i'm
/ possible, and the Constitution Is no longer
/ tie servant Of the nation but its master.
I In other words we are reduced 20 the
/ assumption that the men of the eight
/ zenith century said the last word in
national development
/ From the Kansas City star
/ But the fact remains that this display
Of Coiors put an end to the Presidential
/ possibilities of Mr. Knox. e. such posi-
buIties existed. The bette bee pIoases the
interests that have opposed -rr regulation
of railroads and other operations the
/ less he pleases those who have stood by
Z the administration. And it may be taken
as a settled fact that the Republican
party Is not going 20 nominate a man 10
succeed Theodore Roosevelt who is Op-
posed TO the present administration
From The Springfield Union
We venture 20 say that the President
and Senator Knox are IN substantial
/ accord as 10 the limits 70 which the
government can 60 in its regulations
and prohibitions Of interstate commerce.
Several propositions have been advanced
/ by members Of Congress and by other
persons relative 20 the prohibition that
the government may exercise, but we are
not aware that the President has advo-
Gated anything at all revolutionary along
this line.
From tho Boston Herald
To say that tho power OF the Federal