The independent., 1907-04-04
MR.. BRYAN's REPLY.

magazine. says: There can be no |
danger from the national government
except the danger that comes from the
American people themselves, acting |
in common; and, of course, the people |
are not going to injure themselves or
their own interests.
This is a very plausible argument, |
and it would be sound but for the
fact that 1t entirely overlooks the
reasons which are urged in the defense
Of local self government.
Yes, the people of the states are the
same people who act together as parts
of the union, but when the people Of
state act together on a local mat
ter they are nearer to the subject
under discussion and, therefore. can
act more intelligenty. If the argu-
ments in defense of local self-govern-
ment are unsound, then the whole
theory Of self government is defect
i've. 1t must be assumed that the peo
pie want to do what is right-upon
other theory can we have self
government 1t must also be assumed
that the people can act most intelli-
gently upon that which they best un-
derstand. That they can best under
stand thing with which they deal
daily is automatic; and it is equally
true that they will study most those
things in which they are individually
interested"
Mr.. Bryan here refers to the negro
problem of the south and the oriental
problem OF the Pacific coast, assert
ing that these may best be handled
by the people of those localities with
out the interference of the national
government. He continues:
Senator Beyeridge does not men
pf
and yet, according to the doctrine
which he laid down, the American
people themselves acting in common
could deal with the subject as we'll as
the American people acting independ
entity in the several states.
The second proposition advanced
by Senator Beveridge in the Reader
last month is that the powerful in
terests which exploit the people and
the nations resources can more easily
handle a smaller portion of the Amer
lean people for their purposes than
they can handle the entire eighty mil
lions of the people for their purposes
He should have said that the repre-
sentatives of predatory wealth are ad-
yocates OF states rights when prose-
cuted by the national government and
advocates of Capitalization whenever
they are attacked by any state II
he will review the history of the last
twenty-five years, he will find that
the very corporations which he now
charges with being friendly 10 state S
rights have constantly defieu the
states and sought shelter in the fed
eral courts. Whenever a state has at
tempted the regulation of rates, the
railroads have at once invoked the
power of the federal courts to enjoin
and to suspend. The United States
courts are now filed with suits that
ought to be tried In The state courts
but which are dragged into the fed
eral courts for two reasons-first, to
get them so far away from the plain
tiffs as TO make litigation expensive
and second, to secure trial before
judges who are appointed for life BY
federal authorities and often upon the
recommendation of corporate repre-
sentatiVes
After asserting that Senator Reyer.
idge.s position on the states rights
question involved in the Chicago strike,
of 1898 to be directly opposed to tn,
platform upon which Lincoln wa,
elected, Mr. Bryan takes up the sub
ject of the national bank charter. az
serting that il was not urged by tn,
people for the purpose of restraints
large moneyed interests IL was OF
the other hand. advocated by moneyee
interests and has ever since been de
Tended by moneyed interests Ever
nov tho national bankers, not satisfied
with the advantage OF being banks o
deposit. not content even with the prof
is OF bank currency based on bonds
are urging such an extension OF tn
system as to include the so-called cmer
gcncy notes which are In fact part o
the asset currency scheme, for whicl
national banker have been working
for Years. MIR Rryan continues:
Most OF the Illustrations given b
senator Beveridgc arc entirely outsid
az the discussion. | wili mention fou
az thene. First. the Law forbidding IN
sending of obscene literature throug
the malla The mails are under fedora
enntrol. The authority that II respon
slhle gor the carrying of the malls Ger
talnly il responsible for the morals q
the service az wel as for the actua
trannportatlon Of The letters and "a
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