Mexico Missouri message., 1908-04-30


In point Of time ana Communication than
were the counties OF the average state
hundred years ago. As the nation in-
cronses In population and power ~ time
must our commerce broaden. Trade re-
strtctions abroad breed trade retaiations
special privileges TO protect it. II wants
only freedom Of opportunity TO exercise
its faculties and employ It's resources.
The tarin schedules were never higher
than they are now. During the civil war
the schedules were greatly advanced. IN
| order to compensate the manufacturers
tax they had TO pay. Although this In
| ternal revenue tax was taken Off years
$50. the manufacturers by combining.
enough TO control the congress. and have
been able to defeat any Just revision OF
, me .a5in an , attack npon any part Of
tire list OF protected monopolies. These
monopolles keep their paid .ngenta In
Washington, infesting the halls OF con-
gresS. in order to protect them against
| the people. Indeed. for many years con-
gresE has not legislated on the tarin but
has simply ratified the schedules handed
IN by the beneficlaries OF the tariFf. with
J out the use Of improper influences. direct
~ or indirectly, oppressive tarin prtvi-
expense OF the many. could not stand IN
the face Of the manifest welfare and
wish Of the people. The tarin schedules
protective tarn as now arranged IL un-
Just u can not be corrected too speedily.
and any postponement Of the correction is
| taxing the people without their consent,
and usually without their knowledge, ~
ever TO be remedied Il must be done not
| By those who think IL Ia right but by
those who know Il is wrong and who want
to right the wrong.
Trusts.
Until these tRrif privileges are eradi-
Gated the trust question can never be sat
| iEfactorily settled. II is well enough 70
prosecute the trusts and IL is better still
stripss FOR Violating the law. but il IL
| hardly practicable to suppress the trusts
with one hand while the other Is feeding
which the sY have grown eSS TAT and arrogant
| Those who enjoy special privileges con-
| ferrcd by law condemn governmental SUI
pcrvlston OF public service corporations as
| destructive Of individual effort. yet they
| inconsistently contend that they can not
stand alone and must have the support OF
| tariff privileges. IL Is not paternal for
the people 10 exercise wise regulation
/ OF corporate affairs. for the conduct OF
/ such affairs ~ not the sole concern OF the
private persons engaged In them. but the
concern Of the entire people. The rcgula-
| tion Of public utilities protects the people
| against monopolies; the tnrln protects
that some OF the greatest trusts In the
| world need protection against the poorly
equipped industries Of less favored coun-
| tries. is mRnifcstly unsound.
state Rights.
The democratic party should resolutely
| stand for the preservation OF the rights OF
the states that were guaranteed To them
| In the formation OF the republic. When
! the states came together In convention TO
| form a more perfect union each was as In
dependent and sovereign as Italy or GER
| many Is to-day. For the common good
| certain powers were delegated to the Fed
| eral Government. reserving. however. 10
the people Of the states ali powers not so
delegated. The Federal Government de-
rives Its authority wholly from the people
| Of the states. and beyond this express au-
thority and what necessarily IL implied
from Il, II can not Justly 40. The states
are limited only by their constitutions and
by the power conferred on the Federal
Government Many Instances have arisen
| OF late where the authority Of the states
| 60 make and enforce just and reasonable
laws has been limited or taken away.
| The rule has always been that the pre-
| sumption iE In favor OF the sovereign.
| Laws have always been presumed TO be
good until found TO be bad Under the
new doctrine n state statute II suspended
application Of some special interest. The
effect OF this practice is 20 place In the
hands Of special interests power TO defeat
any state legislation they do not Ike.
Instead OF laws being presumed TO be
valid until found to be invalid, the pre-
sumption is now reversed. and they are
virtually held TO be bad until determined
good This practice Of suspending state
statutes upon eN-partc application has
been defended by hlgh authority upon tho
|
found to be invalid there would be no one
20 make the loss good to the interests af-
fected. on the other hand. Il might be
while n statute OF n state IL suspended by
Injunction. II II determined that the stat
ute IL valid. who will make the loss good
each Individual could bring suit for the
| amount due him Is 90 afford virtually no
remedy at AL for the expenses r % i ,bar
any amount that could be recovered. The
state Is a partner in the railroads but the
ignore the partnership rights of the state
and consider only the welfare OF the spe'
cial interests involved. statute OF tbs
psssenger rates was recently held by tbs
Highest court invalid on the ground thai
the penalties provided were 80 great thai
. II virtually prevented n railroad from go
} ing into court to test its validity. II II b'
wrong TO keep railroad from going int
r court 20 determine its rights, IL Woult
) through it's ofHoers from going into eour
: 10 md out what its rights are. Thu
| rights OF special interests are becoming
; | state for tho special interests can not b.
! enjoIned from going into court, while tn
= sovereign state can be. The decision o
> the supreme court in the Minnesota case
I az Justice Harlan points out in his dis
: senting opinion. IN efect repeats the l1tl
c Amendment 20 the Federal Constitution
a the object OF which was to preserve tn
2 sovereignty OF the statee by proSioini
> they could not be sued. BY this decision
> the federal courts can enjoin me stat
4 offfcials from enforcing state laws an
y suspend the operation OF laws pending iit
+: iaation There r. now given railroads. 10
= Instance, n veto power Of any state ieRts
= iation All that u necessary TO overcom
: the win OF the people OF a state as ex
Q pressed IN their law " for some nnn-res
> ident stockholder 10 file an affidavit witt
q the federal court and an injunction Issue
; Against the state OFFICIALS practically nui
: iifying the law. II after years Of litiRa
4 ton the law IN the meantime being suH
Z pended, the court finally determines Il I
: Sc valid, the necessarily for II win hav
i passed away with the changed conditions
4 | The result IL unless the coneent Of a rail-
II | road can be obtained 10 pending lfgiela
Q lion the state is poweriSHn to control II
= No good citizen desires 20 be unjust
i | railroads. but they should be regulate
j. md the state should not be left as mer
q subjects OF their benevolence. Yet 20 thi