The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-10-01
TILLMAN on The ISSUES.
Thinks it Important to Combat Fed
eral Usurpation-State Rights
are Sacred d-Corporations
Must be Curbed With
out Federal Inter-
ference.

New York, September 23.-A dis
patch published in the American
from San Francisco says: Senator
Benjamin R. Tillman, after visiting
5hirty states since the adjournment
of Congress and meeting thousands
of people, gives his observations on
the vital questions Of the hour and
tne issues that will predominant in
the coming campaign.
He does not discuss candidates, nor
politicians, because, he says, he does
not know anything about what they
are doing in the way Of political COM
5inations and tickets. He says:
<1The one significant transaction
sor fact that has come to the front
since the adjournment Of congress
EAST March is the apparent clash or
threatened clash between state and
national authority in the effort to
contY@ corporations and railroads.
:7sseeretary Root; who has been con-
Siidered the brain Of the Administra-
f5ion, land to a large degree its mouth
plece,) whose intellectual grasp Of
5hings is recognized by people who
know him. declared in substance in
his New Lork speech that the peo-
pie of this country would see to it
that the reforms and protection de-
manded in dealing wita trusts and
railroads are granted, that the Ma
tional Government would be called
upon to act if the state did not move
to correct the evils.
Immediately there came strong
protests from high Republican sour
ees against the tendency to centrahze
power in the Administration. Justice
Harlan, Of the supreme court, utter
ed vigorous protest, and more re-
Gently Samuel Mccall, Of Massachu-
sets, one Of tie big Republicans of
the House Of Representatives, pro-
uounced against the Root doctrine.
Took Root at his Word.
"But the striking fact that follow
ed the statement by Root was that
She legislatures in the middle west
and some of the Southern states set
about doing just what Root said they
must do to preserve their own powers
and authority intact.
x1Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Nebras-
Ka, New York, Pennsylvania, North
CaroIna and Alabama passed 2-cent
fare bills and took other prompt ac-
sion in the direction Of regulating
charges for freight and passenger
transportation. Governor Hughes
vetoed the New York bill. The Penn
:sylvania Railroad, which owns Penn
sy}yznia, set about annulling the 2
cent fare bill in that state. ICorpor-
ations Of other states feel grateful.
"In North Carolina and Alabama,
7ow>ver, United States Circuit Judge
Pritchard and District Judge Jones
issued sweeping injunctions restrain
ing the state officials from enforcing
the laws.
"The situation in Alabama is not
as interesting as in North Carolina.
Judge Pritcnard went further in usur-
patton Of power than the Roosevelt
administration seemed willing to fol-
low him. This Judge undertook, by
decree, to annual statute Of North
Carolina by requiring the railroads
TO attach coupon to every ticket re-
presenting the difference between the
old and the new rate and which the
passenger was to hold till litigation
determined whether the law was valid,
when it would be redeemed if the
courts sustained it.
"TEe constltutlonallty OF the law
was not attacked. It could not be at
Gaeked except upon the plea of con-
Hhscation.
Southern was Brought Under.
"Governor Glenn caused the arrest
of railroad officials, including Presid-
ent Finley, of the Southern, and
Judge Pritchard's interference set
-5hem free. But when Finley was ar
rested and the Governor disregarded
The Federal court, the Southern rail-
gay decided to obey the law and iti-
:gate afterward.
~1While the matter was in the pub
Zie mind, the plutocratic press tenn
ed with editorials and cartoons, all