The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-23
STATES RIGHTS
 ARE |NYOL yED ! ]
 
North Carolina Cases Interest
 Washington Officials
ROOSEVELT MAY KEEP OUT
Clash of Federal and State Forces In North Carolina Might Cause the President to Take a Hand,
 But 1t Is Not Expected.

Washington. July 2G--(Special) )-Ofi- cials of the department of justice say today that the department has nothing to do with the clash between the state and United States courts in North Caro- lima and Virginia over railroad rates in those states. At the same time there Is interest in the department as 10 the out come. Charles W. Russell assistant at torney general, is the acting head of the department. He has not followed the judicial parrying, except through the newspapers, and has not received any official information on the subject. He says that the department of justice has nothing to do with the differences of legal interpretation and does not know whether it will be called upon to take a hand. If the department should be a ed by Judge Pritchard for a consulta- ton the request will be granted.
 No agents of the department have been sent te North Carolina to heep track of the proceedings in the federal and state courts. and MT. Russell knows of no reason why this should be done. It is supposed that as speedily as pos sibly one side or the other will appeal to the higher courts of the country, that the question may be settled
 History Will Be Made.
 In political circles, where the purely legal phases are not considered, it is freely predicted that political history of great importance Is to be made as result of this clash. Some go so far as
 to., hot -ta afg pieyht questions will be the issue of all issues in the next presidential campaign and that it Is likely to become the most inn portant issue fought out at the polls since the days of the civil war.
 With President Roosevelt and the rail- roads fighting against the right of states to legislate to suit themselves. in rail- road matters at least, and the democrats on the other side, the fight 1t is today declared, would be far less one-sided than one might now think
 Senator Foraker and many prominent republicans as well as democrats are speal<ing against centralzation of power in Washington. So far as President Roosevelt is concerned. it will not be necessary for him to get Into the mix I'D for a long time to come. unless there should be such clash of federal and state forces in North Carolina as to bring the Whoie Hdtter eo dii issue at an early date. It Is assumed that the differences will not go to the point of an actual conflict between the officers n. the United States and the state courts. If that should turn out to be the case, ! the President might be called in, but if IS assumed that there will be an or derly judicial procedure in the higher courts of the land.
 Federal Control.
 President Roosevelt has in a number | of sneeches voiced his opinion that the | control of railroads dcing an interstate 1 business should be entirely in federal | hanas. and in this attitude he has been ] heartily joined by the railroads them 1 selves. Leading members of the inter- state commerce commission have taken l a similar position and the view of the l President, which has caused much crit