Fair play., 1907-06-08
OLD FEDERAL IDEA
SENATOR RAYNER TAKES ISSUE
WITH BRYAN.
Debate Within the Party Must Settle
Its Future Position - Maryland
Statesman Sees Revival OF
Federalism.

The magazine debate between Mr.
Bryan and senator Beveridge on the
constitutional question of the re-
served rights of the states and Incl
dentally of the Beveridge bill to regu-
late labor in factories, known as the
child labor bill, has been generally
read To Democrats the discussion Is
of transcendent interest, for it fore.
shadows a much more important de.
bate within the Democratic party on
the issues of states rights and home
rule The first installment comes
from Senator Rayner of Maryland in
the Baltimore Sun of May Is, in which
he sumarizzes the policies advocated
by Mr.. Bryan as follows:
"First-Ulumate ownership by the
government of all the interstate rail
roads of the United States.
"Sccond-The initiative and referen.
dun.
"Third-Congress to have the right
to arbitrarily fix the total product of
all interstate corporations, quasi-pub-
lie and private, and to destroy their
business if they transgress the con
gresslonal limit.
"Fourth-The supreme power OF
congress to prescribe the terms upon
which all interstate commerce shall be
conducted and whenever congress
(Which of course, means the doml-
nant party) conceives it to be against
public policy, it shall have the right
absolutely to prohibit commercial in
tercourse between the states upon
the interdiCted article (as is fully eX'
emplifed in the provisions Of the child
labor bilD.
My own deliberate judgment is that
if we embody these doctrines In
Democratic platform the next step
that will be necessary to take will be
to change the name of the party and
revive the name of Federalist,' or take
some other title suitable to the occa-
sion and then, after we have done
this, the final step will be, with our
leaders in the van, in solemn process
sion to accompany the remains of De
moCraCy to their resting place; and
when we are engaged in performing
the last sad rites and 0bscquios, and
are commemorating her departed vir-
tues, do not let us forget to recount
the tragic manner of her death, so that
posterity shall know that In the hour
of her brightest hope and most allur-
ing prospects, determined to end her
great historic career she threw her
raI no tlAt-Anal ,tG pf fpI-
erai Capitalization, and died of self
inflicted wound"
Democratic voters will have to de-
eide these issues before they elect
and instruct delegates to the next ma
tional convention, and to do so must
investigate the arguments on both
sides to arrive at a just conclusion.
Mr.. Bryan has so clearly stated his
case that it is not necessary to repeat
it. Senator Rayner's summary has
/ led the Baltimore Sun to say:
| The discussion of all these theories
of government; the suggestion Of Sec.
retary Root that the constitution be
/ changed by construction so as to de.
prive the states of their reserved
rights; the Beyeridge bin and Mr.
I Bryan's doctrines-all these things
have tended to direct public attention
to questions of policy and constitutions
al law which have been dormant al.
most during this generation. Such a
mastery exposition as that of Sena
tor Rayuer by so profound student
of the constitution as he is, will dc