The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-15
NATION VS.. STATES RIGHTS
tcentInuea ttom eaae TMe.

Continued iron
~, y - q
pie owe. exclusely, TO the president.
For, again. great constitutional
lawyers" were convinced that the bill
was "uncdnstitational.- Again, the
sacred rights OF the states' were ain
vaded;' for The meat law sends the
nations agents into the packing hous.
es themselves; and heretofore It has
been conceded that the inspection OF
packing houses. like the inspection OF
any other factory. is the exclusive
business of the State in which the
packing house is located.
But when the hurricane of anger
that followed the report Of the Presi.
dents commission swept over the
land, these States rights" objections
suddenly ceased, and the bill passed.
To be sure, the packers stlll resisted
the bill, but their cause became too
unpopular to keep aloft the banner OF
the sacred rights of the states" And
so this assertion of nationality-by
far the greatest In our history--was
not thus longer resisted. This law
will not be repealed. And the beef
trust has not yet dared to question its
constitutionality." II there Is any
sincerity In the present hue and cry
about States rights. why is not the
meat law attacked? for It Is the most
daring invasion" of the sacred rights
Of the State" ever made In American
history.
The storm raised NY the beef trust
scandal caused the passage of the pure
fool Bit; and States rights, though
sorely wounded. made little outcry be.
cause 1t would have been most unpopu.
lar. You will observe that States
rights Is a very polite creature ana
seldom becomes excited for elderly
except when some financial interest
is endangered by the assertion of ma.
ttonafity. States rights is not often
heard Of, unless financial interests are
threatened; and not even then, II the
people happen to be sufficiently ARGUS.
ed against an evil which nationality
will end.
Child Labor and Other Evils.
An example Immediately at hand
Child slavery exists in the mining -.
gions and in the silk mills OF Pennsyl.
vania, the cotton factories OF the
South, the glass works of New Jersey
and West Virginia and. indeed, at
numerous points throughout the whole
republic. Scores of thousands of little
children from five to rourteen years
OF age, are compelled to work from ten
to twelve hours a day to their physi.
cal, mental and moral ruin and the de-
generacy OF the race.
The States do not and can not stop
It. The interests that thrive on child
murder are so powerful in the States
where IL is worst that they prevent
the passage OF thorough laws, or, If
passed, prevent their thorough execu.
tlon. Nothing can end this national
evil but a national law. SO intr,
duced bill in congress to prohibit
interstate railroads from carrying the
products Of factories and mines that
are working little children to death.
It carefully avoids technical "State's
rights" for wanted every vote OF
honest elievers in that theory: other.
wise, I would have made It as direct
as the meat bill.
Yet 1t Is resisted upon the grounds
that such law Is beyond the power
of the nation: that the States have ex-
elusive control over industries within
their own borders; that the States
alone gre the guardians of the health
aud Morals Of their citizens-{of
course citizens OF State are also
citizens OF the republic: but that vital
tnct seems 10 make no difference).
Precisely the same argument in the
same words was made in defense OF
lotteries and obscene literature. In
all thr cases the interests whose in.
famies nationality attacked, c!oakiny
themselves with States rights" in
sisted that the nation had no power to
prohibit Interstate commerce in these
things; that this was an indirect way
of reaching an evil witch the nation
could not reach directly: and which
Tue States alone, acting separately,
have the right" TO DEAF with.
OF course congress has done this
very thing, and without question, in
numerour other cases; but in each of
these cases, when congress asserted
this national power without question.
no financial interests were Injured.
For example. congress passed law
| RA 0U - ru1ru p-mr