The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-13
A HARD TASK.

- nAnD IASA.
 We have on more than one occasion referred to the difficulty The Kansas City Journal has in keeping It's robe of Republican loyalty on straight. It may be that its location in the good old Democratic State of Missouri has some- thing to do with its efforts to defend the rights of the States. but whatever the cause may be 1t often finds it im- of its President. In a recent issue 1t quotes this paragraph from the Presi- dents Indianapolis, speecnt
 Today I wish to say a word to you about the first and most important fea- ture of this task, the control of com mon carriers doing an interstate busi- ness--a control absolutely vested in the nation. while in so far as the common carriers also transport the mails 1t is in my opinion probable that whether their business is or Is not interstate 1t is to the same extent subjecN to fed eral control under that clause of the constitution granting to the national government power to establish post roads. and, therefore, by necessary i'm. plication, power to take all action nec- essary ip orderpto to keep them at the highest point of efficiency.
 Never until now" comments The Journal, has President Roosevelt gone so far in preaching political revolution, and no other President has ever come within hailing distance of 1t. To the indifferent or the minimizing no special significance is attached to the proposi- tion for making an excuse of the seven words of the eighth section of the first article of the constitution for doing away with State governments as they were contemplated by the framers of that document. Yet MT. Roosevelt says seriously that the words to establish postofflces and post roads in the fun damental law of the land means that the federal government may invade the over absolutely the~regulation of the railroads, public highways. city streets, and street car systems that carry mail, without so much as asking the consent of the States, counties or cities"
 Our contemporary then refers to some recent utterances by Secretary Root, coupled with others from Roosevelt. and adds:
 Did it not seem wholly preposterous, we might believe that we have here the exposition of plot of gigantic i'm portance in which the President him. self Is a prime factor, the purpose of which is to centraliZe all government fin the executive and. his advisers and ,~oh hn Gtnt nf mo vidual rights and privileges. If this Is not what President Roosevelt and Sec retary Root mean, what do they mean? considered preposterous? and why ask what Roosevelt and Root mean? It ought to be plain to every intelligent observer that Roosevelt is determined, if he can possibly accomplish 1t, to con- centrate all the powers into one strong central government of which he and his successors will be the head. No need to ask what he means, for he Is making his designs and purposes too plain to leave any room for doubt. The Journal ought to know that Roosevelt dees not hesitate to set aside or disregard both the laws and the Federal Constitution in order to serve his own policies. for he is continually making his meaning so plain that ''he that runs. may read" ito spsssan, old d4expression.-
 Our Kansas City contemporary had better shake the dust of Republicanism or the slime, rather-from its feet and join the Democrats Bad as they are represented by their enemies to be they do not wish to nullify the Consti- tuition. subvert State governments and concentrate all power in one man. There may be an occasional centraliza- tionist calling himself a Democrat, but they are few. The main body of the party. and most of the recognized lead CTS of the party, are for a strict con- struction of the Constitution and a gov ernment by the people. Roosevelt Is for neither. and those who cling to the old ideas of government can find little encouragement in the Republican party as it now stands.