Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-10
GUEST 0f ROOSEVELT.
Tom Watson Lunches With Pres
 ident at White House.
PRAISES CHIEF MAGISTRATE.
Visitor Speaks His Mind About "Judi- cial Accidents' and National Bank Currency-Impressed by Hosts Ear nestness and Human Sympathy"

nestness and Human Sympathy"
 Washington, Dec 10. =, Thomas F. Watson of Georgia, politician, student of public affairs, editor and historian, was a guest of President Roosevelt at 1 luncheon. What the president said to him he asked to be excused from say ing, as it would be violation of eth ics. But MT. Watson talked freely of what he said to the president.
 q told MT. Roosevelt" said MT. Watson, ''that the spectacle of federal judges enjoining state courts breeds condition not conducive to orderly gov ernment.
 q called his attention to the fact that Oliver Ellsworth of Massachu- setts in framing the original judiciary act of 17S9 introduced the clause that provides that the cOnstitutionality of the statute of any state must first be passed upon by state court and can reach the federal authorities only by writ of error from the state supreme court to the United States supreme court. In other words, no federal judge has jurisdiction over the cOnstf- tutionality of a state law except the judges .of the supreme court. This law never has been repealed.
 "JudiciaI Accidents"
 "Therefore such judicial accidents as Judge Jones of Alabama and Judge Pritchard of North Carolina have act ed in plain violation of the plain letter of the law in assuming jurisdiction over cases brought by private corpora tions to test the constitutionality of state laws.
 Corporation lawyers have pleaded that such laws as deprive public serv- ice corporations of net profits are con- fiscatory. No law can be cOntiscatOry which leaves the owner of property in full possession, with title unimpaired. That provision of the constitution which declares that a citizen shall not be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law means l down to us from Magma Charta. The vassals wanted to be secured from arbitrary seizure of person and prop erty by the lord. The lord wanted similar protection against the king. The fourteenth amendment was sim ply meant to protect recently enamel pated slaves from arbitrary seizure of person or property by their recent masters.
 Safeguarding Property.
 "There was no idea in the minds of either the barOns who wrung the char ter from King John or the framers of the fourteenth amendment of anything more than the safeguarding of person and property. Profits on business were not thought of. Those lawyers and judges who have confused security of title with the right to earn money have forgotten the historic origin of the legal maxim.
 "A system of laws which prevents me from making a profit out of my farm is unjust and ought to be chang ed. If the laws are so made that a railroad cannot make reasonable net profit on its actual invested capital, they are unjust and should be chang ed But in neither instance is the law confiscatory, because possession is not disturbed nor it's title impaired.
 q talked to MT. Roosevelt on these subjects, and then went over with him the financial situation. Lectured the President. But in addition to what I have said" Mir. Watson continued, "I told the president this:
 50 far as paper currency is con cerned it is a question of whether the government will use the national cred 1t for the benefit of all the people or whether 6OO0 national banks shall be allowed to use 1t for their own eXclu- sive profit
 National bank currency is based up- on government bonds. and the bonds of course rest upon the power and the wealth of the nation. Whoever buys the bonds becomes a national creditor, and when the bondholder is allowed to issue S1O0 in notes against every S1O0 of the bonds he is using the nations credit to support his own notes. The | bonds are untaxed. and the notes pay no tax, for. while the government col lects nominal one-half of 1 per cen tax. it is well understood that the pro ceeds of this tax do not cover the ac- tual expenses of maintaining the cur rency bureau. safekeeping the bonds, engraving notes and supervising the operations of the banks.
 ''The president is an ideal host. easy Hnd cordial in his manner. I should ray that what impressed me most is , President RoOseveIt's sincerity. ear testness and breadth of human sym pathy"
 , Noted Christian Scientist Dead. ! D,-.,r n., rn UOuorah Arp,cfrn-1