Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1908-06-04

plete, 1t is but In its infancy. and the
surrender by the state OF all power
TO regulate means an enormous extern
sion OF the powers OF the federal gov
eminent, and a paralysis OF the power
OF the state. jefferson presented an
unanswerable argument in favor OF
the dual form of government and the
argument Is even stronger now than IT
was in his time for the dangers OF
Capitalization are even greater than
they were then.
Instead OF saying that efforts at
state control are sure to be nullified
In one way or another sooner or later"
the president should Join with the
Democrats In demanding the enact.
ment OF legislation which will protect
the states from the gradual extension
of the power OF the federal courts He
refers to the Minnesota and South
Carolina decisions as Illustrating how
impossible Is a dual control % national
commerce. The Democrats propose
a remedy. They say that the district
and circuit courts Of the federal gov
!
10 suspend state laws. Let the rail-
roads deal with the state courts first.
II the state courts deny justice they
can have their appeal from the highest
court in the state 10 the federal court
Il is not the attempt 10 separate the
control that results in grotesque alb
surdity." The absurdity Is In permit
ting federal Judge to suspend a state
law while he looks up the question II
its constitutionality Il is absurd that
the railroads should be given the pre-
sumption as against the people OF
state.
The Jurisdiction OF the federal court
has been extended on the theory that
1t was necessary to protect vested in
terests. but that is a false issue The
property rights Of the citizen are pro-
tected by the state courts. and no one
can complain that the protection Is not
complete. The corporations have
gone into the federal courts in order
10 secure an ADVANTAGE over the indi-
vidual. and the real question is
whether the man-made giant. called a
corporation. shall exercise rights de-
MED to the God-made man. II is not
hostility to corporations that leads the
Democratic party to oppose the de-
mands now made by railroad corpora
tions. The Democratic party believes
in the corporation as a legitimate or
ganiZation. The great majority Of the
corporations are advancing the public
interest and contributing to the public
welfare. but 4 few OF these corpora
tons have asserted rights that are in
imical to the public and these corpora Z
tons must be restricted. restrained
and controlled. Il is enough that the /
corporation-a creature OF law
should be equal TO the individual who /
makes the law: il should not claim /
superior rights. The presidents post |
ton is not only an untenable one. but /
IT is one that menaces the welfare Of I
the nation.
In submitting this criticism The /
CommOner does not reflect upon the /
good intention OF the president. but at I
tributes the presidents error TO his 4
-E1--AAe w. aus AA4r AAAlAAAAQHAdu AAfd
OF government Hamilton distrusted 1
the masses and favored a centralized I
The president is Hamil- I
tonian rather than Jefersonian in his /
ideas. He has never advocated the /
Of senators by the people al 1
though even the Republican, party in 1
congress has declared for it three |
times. He must know to what extent |
predatory wealth controls the United |
States senate through the present |
method Of election. and yet he has
never raised his voice in favor of the |
popular election Of senators Unless |
the rank and file Of the Republican
party is strangely blind TO the infiu-
ences which are at work. there will be
an overwhelming protest against the
presidents plan for the absorption OF
power by the federal government.