The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-01-16
THURSDAY. JANUARY 10. 1908.
Recognizes State Sovereignty.
Richmond Times Dispatch.


President Roosevelt in the Nevada
case seems to US to manifest the
most unqualified recognition OF State
sovereignty and a very sensitive re-
gard for State rights. He takes the
position, that while he has the right
under the Constitution to send troops
into u State at the governors call
to maintain law and order and pro-
tect lie and property. he has not the
right to keep them there without
the sanction and rquest of the leg
islature or until the legislature has
had opportunity to provide for the
State herself force adequate to up
hold the law. He has agreed to hold
the troops at Goldfield three weeks
on condition that the governor with
in five days issue a call to convene
the legislature in extra session. This
is State rights aud State sovereign
tv carried to its furthest extreme.
The governor reports officially
that the legislature refuses to pro-
vide for militia force ora constabu-
larry. The President contends that If
the people of State, as represented
by their representatives in the legisla-
ture, elect to permit anarchy within
their borders, it is their affair and the
United States government has no
right TO interfere-not even to pro-
tect the property of nonresidents.
His position is sound.
When the people of State become
SO debased or perverted, so enaslved
to the capitalistic power on one hand
or the labor unions on the other
hand, that they are willing TO see
their own laws defied or to endure
the dangers and disasters of riot, it
| is their own affair. They should be
| left to take the consequences or to
have their senses restored to them
by hard experience. Bad as this is,
it is better than to establish the prec-
edent that mere gOvernorma over
ride the will of the people and call in
the aid OF the United Skates govern
ment to help him do lr.~z4f the gov
| ernor of Nevada in the teeth of a leg
islature elected by mobs, but lawful
ly elected, may call in the Federal
army to maintain order among the
people, the majority of whom prefer
disorder, Republican governor OF
Virginia, for instance. elected by
some fluke might impose the most
drastic and tyrannical conditions on
the people and call for troops to Ell
force them, although a great ma jori
ty OF the people aud of the legisl IA tur'
might Oppose them. We must not
use exceptional instances as eases fol
the establishment Of permanent anC
| vitality dangerous presidents.
We presume the Nevada mine own
ers will do one of two things. They
will yield to mob power, obey TIN
union demands and work their mine
until further eXactions and demand
make working impossible; or els
they will close their plants and aban
don them, for the time at least, leav
ing the industries on which the Stat
depends for herprosperity paralyzed
In this latter contingency, the queS
ton will be one Of endurance, whetl
er the miners, idle and earning moth
ing, or the mine owners, with thei
money and investments idle am
earning nothing, can hold out tn
longer.
Remembering that thirty year
ago President Grant, a Republica
president. sent troops into Souther
States almost at will and that Unite
States district courts without hesits
ton took away prisoners from Stat
supreme courts and OVERRIDE thei
decisions, the action of this preser
Republican president seems to ind
cate that we are going back towar
the old-faShioned reverence for an
recognition of State sovereignty all
State rights, Appomattoxt to the col
trary Notwithstanding.