The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-07
DEMOCRATS GAN
 BEAT ROOSEVELT Says Richardson, Making States
 Rights the Issue GRAY INSTEAD OF BRYAN Alabama Representative Thinks Third Term Effort Easiest to Defeat.
 No Secession Idea Now
 in States Rights.
GRAY INSTEAD OF BRYAN

Washington. June 6--(Speclal )-States rights as an issue and some candidate other than ". J. Bryan will, in the opn- ion of Representative William Richard son of Alabama, place the democratic party in tho next campaign in position offering every prospect of victory at the polls
 'In my judgment" said Judge Richard son tonight, 'the indications all point to the renomination of President Roosevelt, and truly believe that with well found ed democrat for president and with the issue of states rights, as made by MT. Roosevelt, we have better chance to defeat him with the third term in- cubus than any other republican.
 ''In order to be successful we must name man whose life, character and record is absolutely In accord with the maintenance of the reserved rights of the states. T know that years ago there was great prejudice against states rights because the term was associated with secession. That time has passed. The best states rights speech made in Con gress since the war, in my judgment, was
 
 Mccall I suggest Judge George Gray of Delaware as an admirable candide for the presideney- and Senator Daniel of vir- ginia is certainly a suitable man for the vice presidency.
 T am not committed to either, for there are other able and distinguished dem- ocrats, such as Mf. Harmon of Ohio. But it is time for democrats not to hesitate to speak of their sentiments I am no advocate of the government ownership of railroads, present or ultimately, and be- lieve that such a doctrine is absolutely undemocratic from every standpoint, and southern democrats will never follow the leadership of any man on that subject. For that reason MT. Bryan would be heavily handicapped were he made the nominee of the party.
 'lt is mistake to assume" continued Judge Richardson, that the state of Alabama. for instance, Is committed to MT. Bryan or any other candidate. We are all great admirers of Mr.eBryan, but conditions arc such that our democrats are thinking seriously of the future of our party. We realize that a frenzy of socialism is spreading throughout our country, and that it will require positive action on the part of the conservative element to check 1t. I believe conditions are such that if the leaders of the demo- cratic party will act according to real convictions, good judgment and com mon sense, we have the best opportunity to win since the civil war.
 You take for example the proceedings instituted through the federal court of the middle district of Alabama to sus- pend the enforcement of the act of the legislature of the state fixing the rail- road passenger rate at 2h cents mile, l1 1t. kl.x Itxx.str -r ton is not whether the legislature was right in fixing this passenger rate. It appears to me to be an assault from the federal courts upon the sovereignty of the state.
 No opportunity had been given to the state to enforce the law or any ascer- tainment whether the rate was so small that the railroads could not earn a profit upon the capital invested. A federal judge merely upon the assumption that it was unjust and unconstitutional suspended the entire machinery of the state. set in operation by the legislature and the governor. l do not say the rate is right, but I do say Alabama has the right to regulate traffic within the limits of the state. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts , and a number of other states took the same action except that they put the rate at 2 cents a mile. This presents to the American people a most vital, far reaching and serious question. If the fed eral government can say the state has no right to regulate railroad traffic with in the state limits then 1t can just as well say we have no right to regulate schools or form police regulations, etc. My opinion Is that this will be the prevailing question: The President is clearly shaping his course so as to lead the railroads along the line that the federal government alone has the right to regulate commerce not merely intra- state commerce, but interstate commerce which means consolidation and control of the power at Washington.
 It means the elimination of state lines.
 That Is why I say that If the demo- cratic party will firmly stand upon we'll established democratic doctrine of local eelf-government and home rule we will win next year"