The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-04-24
FROM THE
COMMONER
MIR. BRYAN'S PAPER
THE SPHERE OF THE STATE.


The recent decision OF the supreme
court, sustaining the federal judges IN
North Carolina and Minnesota, focuses
public attention upon subject con
sideratlon OF which can not be much
longer DELAYED Shall the lower fed
eral courts have jurisdiction to sus-
pend the laws Of the various states be-
fore the state courts have had an OPP
portunity to pass upon those laws
The newspapers which take their IN
spiration from the large corporations
are congratulatinE the country that
property is made more secure by the
decision, and that vested interests are
rescued from peril How long Will
these papers be able to deceive the
public and to mislead their readers?
Property is IN no danger and vested
interests are not impeiled. The laws
of the states can be depended upon TO
protect property rights and vested
interests. The question is simply a
question OF dealing with corporations.
Shall the corporations be regarded as
superior to the natural man? That Is
the only question involved, II natnr.
al man locates In a state and engages
| In business he must rely upon the
| state courts for his protection. The
| state protects him In his life, In his
| liberty and in his property and be re.
sorts to the courts OF the state when
he seeks to enforce right, Under
| the present laws and decisions il is
| different with the corporation a rail
| road corporation can be organized in
the state OF New Jersey and proceed tC
engage in business In any OF the 40
states Of the union; II gets from the
state a license to build railroad; II
and condemns land the state laws
| protect its property and the lives OF
It's employees. but when a citizen sues
the railroad for more than 81 600 OF
the state attempts to regulate the rail
road, the railroad contemptuouslS
turns its back upon the state and tbs
courts OF the state and drags its ad
versary into the United States court
Why should a state be so impoten
when II deals with corporation
which owes so much to the state?
II the state passes rate law thu
railroad at once enioins the enforce
ment OF the law on the ground that I
is unconstitutional. While the court
are deciding this question the stat
stands helpless The law has not bee
declared unconstitutional by an
court. and yet. the state is not pei
mitted to enforce II. II after month
or years Of litigation. the United State
court decides that the law is not III
constitutional, then during all the IL
tervcninE time the state has been pre-
vented from enforcing a constitutions
law Why not give to the state court
rather than TO the railroads the benef
Of the presumption? why clothe
corporation with privileges so niue
superior to those of the natural man
Tho Democrats Of congress are ricl
In urging the passage Of law witt
drawing from the circuit and distrit
courts of the United States power
suspend state laws. Let every corp
ration doing business in the state su
nit It's controversies to tho courts
, the state, and thus put itself upon Il
same footing with domestic corpor
tons and with individual residents.
the state courts deny the corporate
ipgtt,a Tho OF hng
appeal from the highest state court
. the United States supreme court
not this protection enough?
The big corporations and their d
tenders, conscious of the weakness
p their cause, constantly confuse Il
|. issue. The question Is. not wheth
A property shall be protected, for Il
state has as much interest as the II
tion in the protection OF propert
> the question is. shall the corporate
be brought down TO the level of q
4 God-made man, or shall It be made
:. object of worship? The Democrats Il
right In insisting that the state sh!
. not be deprived of its power to pI
/, tect its citizens and that federal rem
dies shall be added to state remedit
: not substituted for them. There is
y. disposition anywhere to deny to I
- federal government Its constitution
:. authority. but the jurisdiction of t
: district and circuit courts Of {
q United States Is regulated by CO
:. gress and congress ought TO withdr;
the jurisdiction which the lower (,
eral courts are now using to I
prejudice Of the states and citizens
the states.