The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1907-02-15
TO CHANGE
GOVERNMENT
Review Of Issue Raised by Presi-
dent Roosevelt Through
Secretary Root

Hobarth Austin contributes to the cur
rent issue of Gunter's Magazine the fol-
lowing timely article under the caption,
Shall Statehood Die?"
Mr.. Secretary Root has declared that
Statehood should die in his extremely
Suggestive after-dinner speech which
ended with the sinister and Machiavel-
Ian suggestion that Constructions of
the Constitution 1VlI be found"
Probably the proposition that all the
more important powers of legislation be
taken from the commonwealth of the
American Union and centralized in the
federal government at Washington, will
be declared to be no attack on the life. of
Statehood, but statehood can hardly live
if so wounded as Mr.. Root would ap
parently wish it to be-a tree with all
its larger limbs and important leaves
cut from it soon ceases to exist.
Gradually more and more power
would be flched from them. The federal
government would require more lati-
tude-"C Constynctions of the Constitution
zUoald be found" Already congress has
under the Interstate Commerce act con-
ceived a law regulating child labor in
factories and formulated new statute
of torts regarding the employees of any
railroad that crosses a state line-and
very few of them don't.
Whether this Constructions of the
Constitution q0iH be found" idea is only
the suggestion of Mr.. Root or the fiat
of President Roosevelt is at present not
confirmed nor disavowed, so far as we
can learn, by the words of the execu-
tive of the United States.
Charles E. Hughes, the new governor
of New York, in his opening message
apparently opposes Roots doctrine of
the curtailment of the powers of state
hood, holding that the states can and
should take care of themselves.
In this view Governor Hughes is ar
IDENTIFY supported by many who have been
brought up to look upon their own COM
monwealths with patriotic eyes, South
erners who are proud of their Virginia
and Yankees who glory in their Massa-
chusetts, and do not wish them convert
ed into mere counties of the United
States, for that is what would be their
ultimate end under federal domination.
Also many who see an inherent menace
to national liberty in the concentration
at Washington of all the important pow
ers of government oppose centraliza-
ton; likewise-though the opinions of
these people should not count with US
the horde of politicians who in the aboli-
ton of state governments and leglsla-
lures would lose the many lucrative jobs,
sinecures and Offices that pertain to state
hood and the numerous opportunities
for graft, either financial or political, that
arise from forty-hve separate legislatures
and forty-hve state governments.
But before we analyze the contentious
of state and federal government, let us
see whence the sovereignty of the vari-
Gus commonwealth arises.
From early in the year t775, to the
British evacuation, the enactments of
the continental congress during the
struggle for independence were always
made in the name of the people of the
United States AS purely revolution
airy body, receiving its being by its sue
cess in war and the general support of
the people of the colonies, the eontiHeIi-