The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-09-09
Continued from page y

OuT COnStlCuLlOu cApTcSSiy re-
serves to the states and to the peo-
pie respectively all powers not
delegated to the federal govern
ment, and only by respecting this
division of powers can we hope to
keep the government within the
reach of the people and responsive
to the will of the people. Because
In all disputes as to the relative
spheres of the nation and the
states the final decision rests with
the federal courts, the tendency is
naturally toward Capitalization,
aid greater care is required to pre-
serve the reserved rights of the
states than to maintain the author
ity of the general government.
''In recent years another force
has been exerting an increasing in
Z fluence in extending the authority
of the central government. | re-
Y fer to the great corporations. They
prefer the federal courts to the
state courts and employ every pos
sible device to drag litigants before
United States judges. They also
prefer congressional regulation to
state regulation, and those inter-
ested in large corporations have
for years been seeking federal in
corporation. The democratic party
will resist every attempt to obliter-
ate state lines, whether the at
tempt is made through legislation
or through judicial Interpretation.
Amendment of the organic law
by judicial Interpretation would be
destructive of constitutional gov
eminent; our constitution can be
amended by the people in accord
ance with the terms of the docu-
ment itself, and no group of men,
however honorable or high minded,
can usurp this power without vio-
lating the fundamental principles
Of our government.
1T has been suggested that the
through non-use, and that congress
Is justified in usurping the author
ity of the state If the state fails to
make proper use of it. While this
doctrine has been advanced in the
pretended interest of the people, 1t
is as insidious and as dangerous an
assault as has ever been made on
our constitutional form of govern
ment. The people of the state can
act with more promptness than the
people of the nation, and IL they
the people of the state prefer in
action.
"The real purpose that those
have in view who complain of the
inactlon of the state, is not more
strict regulation of corporations,
but the relief of corporations from
state regulation.
"The democratic party favors the
Wall exercise of the powers of the
government for the protection Of
the rights of the people-each gov
eminent to act within it's constitu
tional sphere. Our platform de-
mands that federal legislation be
added to, not substituted for, state
legislation.
THE predatory corporations have
taken advantage of the dual char
acter of our government and have
tried to hide behind state rights
when prosecuted in the federal
courts and behind the interstate
commerce clause Of the constitu-
ton when prosecuted in the state
courts.
"There Is no twilight zone be-
tween the nation and the state in
which the exploiting interests can
take refuge from both. There is
no neutral ground where, beyond
the jurisdiction of either sover-
eighty, the plunderers of the public
can find a safe retreat. AS long
as corporation confines its activi-
ties to the state in which it was
created it is subject to state regula-
ton only; but as soon as it invades
interstate commerce 1t becomes
amenable to federal laws as well
as to the flaws of the state which
cerated 1t and the laws of the
states in which 1t does business.
How strict can these laws be?
Just as strict as may be necessary
for the protection Of the public.
"Our platform outlines the regu-
lation deemed necessary, and the
regulation is specifically set forth
In order that our opponents may
not be able to scare the public by
predicting hurtful legislation. Our
platform. unlike the republican
platform, says what it means and
means only what it says.
"a distinction is drawn between
the railroads and other corpora
lions. The railroad, being n quasi.
public corporation and, as such, be-
ling permitted to exercise a part of
the sovereignty of the state, is sub
ject to regulation at the hands of
both the nation and the state, but
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