Mexico Missouri message., 1908-04-30

| can il be contended that the States can
enact valid LEGISLATION With respect 20 M
| valid laws as 90 all OF these individuals
grouped under the form aud fiction OF
for preserving the dignity OF tho states.
That is, for Congress 20 enact law tAk-
inE away from the inferior federal courts
| Jurisdiction in cases where corporations
| attempt by injunction 10 prevent the en-
| forcement Of state laws. These CORPORA
tons Of SouFs as Jss rlSs, Harlan ,nJ wa
| uals and domestic corporations, OF appeal
ing from the State Supreme Court 60 the
every right accorded 20 them that the
Constitution gives. But the decision IN
the Minnesota case goes further man
merely 70 sustain the inferior Federal
Courts In enjolning state officials IN en-
| forcing laws. and by Inference, AT least
denies the right OF the states 70 regulate
| tho theory that since these railroads are
engaged In interstate commerce the reGu-
M snion ns % rS5fh on areet interstate COM
| merce. The railroads are now contvnas
| lng for this construction Of the law The
States create these railroad corporatonRi
| the railroads secure the right OF eminent
domain from the States; they obtain their,
charters from the States; the states pro-
| tect their property through the police ana
militia. shall the States. the creators. be
denied control OF their creaturesT Know
there are many who believe the time mas
| come TO centrallEe all power In the Fed
eral Government except purely local reg
ulati0n. believe, however. that the
| strength OF this nation consists IN II hav-'
| ing been IAN indissoluble union Of inde-
pendent states" Capitalization means do
cay. There are two ships at sea, one
has water-tight compartments, tho other
| is all In one. II an accident happens to
/ the first, one compartment nils with wa
ter, while the rest Of the ship Is safe w
sinks This Republic OF states L. safe 80
| long as the States are independent. II
something goes wrong with one tne o.h-
| integrity OF the States be destroyed. the
| government centralized at Washington,
| and the Republic will be In constant dam
ger. This Is the greatest nation IN the
/ world but II II great because the States
| thnt compose II. united. arc great. It's
| decline win commence with the destTue-
| tion OF the Independence OF the Stateas
| the source OF its strength. The self-go
| ernment OF the States Is nsosHsary 20 tho
preservation Of the ideals OF governmon3
| that were crystallized in the formation OF
| tho Republic. II II IN necessary to have ~
Federal Constitutional amendment In or
| der to give the States power TO regulate
| railroad corporations within the Stnteayl
/ then such n constitutional amendment
Sh2u. sbo pG Ss reUSIa,ed both By The FED
| eral government and the State Royerns
| ment. The Federal government should
| regulnte interstate commerce, aud the
states the commerce wholly within the
| State. The Federal remedies should be
added TO- not substituted. for state renee
dies.
No Federal License In Dry Territory.
| fragrant violation OF the sovereignty
| Of the States II the practice OF the Fed.
| ernl Government In licensing the sale OF
| Intoxicating liquors where such sale "
| made Illegal by local enactment II " nos
easy ut best for the States 70 enforce
| their laws regulating and suppressing the
liquor traffic. The Federal Government
adds Immeasurably 60 the difficulties OF
the situation by licensing the doing OF a
legal The Federal Government should. by
an act Of Congress: be prohibited from
county or locality where the sale OF such
liquor II not permitted by local law This
interference with the authority OF the
States can not be defended upon any rea-
sonable grounds. Shipments OF liquor into
prohibition territory should also be pro-
hibited by law
Election OF Senators by the People.
Another needed reform is the election
| Of United States Senators by the people.
The demand fer the submission Of an
| amendment to the Federal Constitution to
this end, 1--WE times has been approved BY
the House of Representatives and as many
times defeated by the Senate. True DEM
| ocracy means the rule OF the people. ana
the election OF senators by the people ~ =
necessary step In placing the governments
in the hands Of the people. We have in
this state provided for party senntoriat
candidates by primary, and while !, SIN TN
nominee OF the primary. no legislator
could honorably fail TO carry out the peos
he nearest we can iawfuiiy approach az
The present 10 permitting the people to
select their senators, u Is far from being
people which Is their, due, OF voting de
rectly for their representatives In the up
per house OF Congress.
Income and inheritanee TAX.
} Instead OF placing all OF the burden Of
; taxation on want. az the tRrln does, the
government should receive more snpp0rt
Just income tax Is the fairest OF all forms
OF taxation. as It bears Eosst heavily on
most lightly on those, least able 20 bear
Il. The great fortunes OF the country,
: which have all been made out OF the peo-
! an Inheritance tax. graduated upon tair
basis.
The Improvement OF the waterways Of
! the Mississippi Valley is n subject Of
, | great Importance TO the people OF this
{ country. with good roads from the farm
{ portation 10 the open sea. the farmers OF
!, Missouri could supply foodstnffs for the
/, world. These waterways nelonE 70 the
! Federal government, and II y the duty Of
4 the Federal Government TO keep them in
: a condition that they can be used for CONS
an. Thsg hS Ss Gs ss PeSssa OF ns:
: ment has been derelict in ity OBLIGATIONS.
with the mississippi deepened; the Mis-
: | souri, improved. the commercial advan-
: taEes TO Missouri would be ,incalculable'
! favor the Government. a. soon as pos
J sible. by the issuance OF noncs, com.
: hiehways OF commerce where all may
= ship at will without trackaFe or Hwitch-
Ing charges and where all that r. necea-
anry u for the roadbed to be kept In re-
pair When the necessity for additional
: means OF transportation 10 handle the in-
. creaHins< traffic OF a growing country In "a
9 | great III seems almost criminal not "a
make use Of the advantages nature has
: placed IN our hands
|. Era Of Democracy.
. We are approaching the period IN which
4 the peoples rights are TO be defined and
. | observed as they never have been be-
d fore The next few years win he dis-
: tinguiEhed as the time in which indus
u trial problems are solved. unjust pFvi-
q ingca destroyed. and the doctrine Of equal
Q rights fixed In national policies and In the
]. | conscience OF mankind. In the dawn Of
. this new day when the moral law y be-