New-York tribune., 1907-10-01
DEFEND STATE COURTS.
attorneys General in Meeting Ask
Curb on Federal Judges.

St Louis Sept 30-A strong desire to 10 away
with the conflict of jurisdiction between state and
federal courts and OF the phases OF that,
TO restrict the power Of federal courts I'm their
dealings with affairs pertaining wholly 10 p state.
seemed TO prevail 1T n convention Of attorneys
general assistants from thirteen states AT the
Southern Hotel to-day
of the trouble traced to the Fourteenth
Amendment to the Constitution by Attorney Cen
eral r. V. Fletcher of Mississippi. who said he
did not why 1t should not be repealed. #
did good for the negroes. for whom it
originally passed. and succeeded only in embar
RAISING state courts.
The following papers read and discussed
to-day: Antitrust Laws Jewel p. Lghtfoot'
Assistant Attorney General Of Texas: Railroad
Rate legislation Herbert s. Hadley, Attorney
General of Missouri. and Conflict Between State
and Federal Courts" Edward r. Young, Attorney
General of Minnesota.
Mr.. Lghtfoot maintained that the federal gov
ernment should amend it's laws on the following
points: Reduction OF tariff on all necessities; pro-
hbiton OF interstate transportation OF goods made
by trusts of the mails forbidden to trusts and
monopolies when convicted as such: more severe
punishment for rebates and preferential tariff
Attorney General Hadley then said. in part:
That 1t is the right of state end national govern
regulate freight and passenger charges
has ceased TO be question of controversy. rail-
of sovereignty as "A necessary incident to opera
ton, and as consequence 1t owes to the public an
impartial and fair discharge of all the powers con-
Men who associate themselves together to operate
railroads have neither legal "A moral right to
receive than reasonable their in
Vestment. The amount Of such is a question
that has not yet been thoroughly settled by the
decisions of of last resort. No definite Gi-
vision of passenger and freight expenses be
made. And yet for years. upon the basis of affi
davits of Interested parties, with such a manifest
lack of definite information concerning the earnings
and expenses of the different classes of railroad
traffic, United States district circuit judges
have exercised veto power the of state
legislatures and the decisions OF duly authorized
sdministrat tive boards.
ManifestIy railway freight rates made by state
legislatures in the hurry, excitement and inaccur-
acy attending the deliberations of such body
artificial. inelastc and oftentimes unfair both 70
the railways and 10 shippers. Such work be
better done by nonpartisan, non-elective admins
trative board, the members OF which have expert
knowledge Of the questions with which they deal
Peculiar interest given the paper on Con
hict Between State and Federal Courts" by At
torney General Young OF Minnesota, by the fact
that he expects 10 be arrested his return to
Minnesota in connection with ? contempt case aris-
ing out of conflict between courts Chairman Had
ley announced that Mr. Young had received a spe-
cial dispensation TO TO ST. Louis.
Murmurs OF approval greeted Mr.. Young's state
ment tina. the trouble from the
else b. federal courts OF powers which the founders