The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-05-24
Constitutional Debate--State Rights
and Home Rule Under Discussion.

The magazine debate between Mr.. Bryan
and Senator Beveridge on the constitution
al question of the reserved rights of the
States and incidentally of the Beverage
bill to regulate labor in factories, known as
the child labor bill, has been generally
read. TO Democrats the discussion is Of
transcendent interest, for it foreshadows a
much more important debate within the
Democratic party on the issues Of State
Rights and Home Rule The first install
ment comes from Senator Raynor of Mary
land, in the Baltimore Sun of May ID, in
which he summarizes the policies advocated
by Mr.. Bryan as follows
"First-Ultimate ownership by the
government of all the interstate railroads
of the United States.
"Second- initiative and referendum.
s'Third- Congress to have the right to
arbitrarily fix the total product of all in
terstate corporations, quasi public and prl-
vate, and to destroy their business if they
transgress the congressional limit
''Fourth--The supreme power OF Con-
gress to prescribe the terms upon which all
interstate commerce shall be conducted,
and whenever Congress (Which, of course,
means the dominant party) conceives it to
be against public policy, it shall have the
right absolutely to prohibit commercial in
tercourse between the States upon the in
terdicted article Gas is fully exemplifed in
the provisions of the Child Labor bill).
'My own deliberate judgment is that
if we embody these doctrines in Demo
cratic platform the next step that it 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 occasion; and then, after we have
done this, the final step will be, with our
leaders in the van, in solemn procession to
accompany the remains of Democracy to
their resting place; and when we are en-
gagged in performing the last sad rites and
obsequies, and are concentrating her
departed virtues, 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 hopes and most alluring
prospects, determined to end her great
historic career, she threw herself upon the
poisoned weapon of Federal Capitalization,
and died of self inflicted wound. "
Democratic voters will have to decide
these issues before they elect and instruct
delegates to the next national convention
and to do so must investigate the argu-
ments on both sides to arrive at just
conclusion. Mr.. Bryan has so clear y stated
his case that it is not necessary to repeat
it. Senator Rayners summary has led
the Baltimore Sun to say:
nThe discussion of all these theories OF
government; the suggestion Of Secretary
Root that the Constitution be changed by
construction so as to deprive the States OF
their reserved rights; the Beverage bill
and Mr.. Bryan doctrines-all these things
have tended to direct public attention to
question:, Of policy and constitutional law
which have been dormant almost during
this generation. Such mastery exposi-
ton as that Of Senator Rayner, by so pro-
found student Of the Constitution as he
is, will do mach to bring people back to
the old paths