The sun., 1909-01-12
HARMON FOR STATE RIGHTS.
Ohio's New Governor Unwilling That
Government He Centralized.

COLUMBUS. Ohio. Jan. 11.--Judson Har
mon was inaugurated as Governor O.
Ohio to-day. A large part Of his addres
was devoted TO a discussion Of the COM
parative merits Of State and Fedora
regulation Of corporations He said
IF Congress once gets general jurisdic
tion over all who engage in commerce out
eide the State the lawmakers rsay as vel
turn yer the Capitol TO Federal COM
missfon and go home
bis address in part wac as follows:
Uniformity Of laws, when desirable, can
be had by concerted State action, but the
popular instinct rightly clings to the in
! diyiduality OF the States. Our republic
| could not be what It is II the people OF each
State had not been left free to work out
and conduct for themselves. in view oi
their origin and conditions. q Common
wealth according to their own conceptions
Otherwise the nation would be mere
aggregation OF inhabitants, not a true
union OF States drawing it's life from their
vitality and strong from their strength.
We must make the state government
more broadly active. lie powers are
ample and undoubted to grapple with many
things which have been de yeloped by new
conditions, and give general concern For
instance. 1t has absolute control OF all
corporations OF It's own creation and OF the
terms on which corporations OF other states
may do business here. Why, then, stand by
and let the general Government assume to
regulate State corporations because they
engage in interstate commerce? Citizens
engaged In that commerce. too. and Con-
gress has the same right concerning their
personal Affairs as with those OF State
corporations. no more and no less.
We should carefully supervise the crea-
ton and extension OF corporate rights
so that the name of the State shall not
be used to decorate securities whloh do
not represent good faith and full value.
We should refuse 10 admit to deal with
our citizens corporations not iubjeoted
TO like precautions. other States would
quickly find themselves compelled TO do
the same. But II any should persist In
letting Office boys with typewriters pro-
duce at will corporations OF false personnel
and pretended domicile they would soon
find the industry Improbable.
What caused for time the obsouring
OF these vital truths about State powers and
duties was the unsatisfactory character
OF our home government. | do not believe
their shortcomings have been on the whole
any greater than those OF the national
Government. They'touch US much oftener
and more closely and We see them at shorter
range. That Is all.
Certainly no State government ever
used or would have dared to use taxing
power to swell private fortunes or plunged
into unparalleled expenditures in tho face
OF a large and growing deficit chiefly due
to peryerting taxation from its primary
purpose OF raising public revenues.
Gut whatever the defects OF the State
governmental. they have been chiefly due
to lack OF timely attention. and our hopo
for betterment springs from the marked
renewal OF active interest in them. This
is due somewhat TO the closer connection
which government now has with industry
aud commerce. The business instincts
OF our citizens, long absorbed by their
private affairs. have turned sharply on
he officials who collect and spend their
money and exercise an authority over
hem whose possibilities OF injury equal il
hey do not outweigh the likelihood of
benefit.
II Ia due also TO the rapid growth in the
expense which the ordinary administration
of the Government imposes. This has
been far beyond what the increase in popu-
ation would justify. even II growth In
Numbers carried a relative CROWN in cost. |
n hch il does not. II should not cost 4,0O0.-
100 Of people even one-third more TO con-
luct their Government than IL cost 3, ,OO0. 600 |
ret the expenses Of our state Government |
,ave more than doubled In less than twenty |
;ears