The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-06-05
The Journals Position on
The Naval Stores Bill.

Let the Times Union put it down
as a fact that The Journal is not in
sympathy with any trust. Indeed the
record of the paper proves this with
out further parleying. 1t cares moth
ing whether or not it's Interpretation
of democratic doctrine meets with
THE unqualified endorsement of the
naval stores trust recently convicted
at Savannah'-as affiarmed by our
Jacksonville friend-or meets with its
disapprovaI. 1t is confident the stand
it has taken is a righteous one and in
the interest of real democracy, as we'll
as tending to protect naval stores
producers and handlers from the
needless and expensive interference
with their business which the passage
of the Taliaferro bill would inevitably
bring about.
Nor do we see how it is possible to
argue the point intelligently when the
Times Union jumps at conclusions
and accuses US of admitting things
which it never entered our head to
admit For instance, how did our
contemporary dig out of the editorials
The Journal has printed a conviction
that not more than a half-dozen ad-
ditional inspectors would be required
under the naval stores bill'? Yet it
asserts that this is evidently" The
Journals conviction.
On the contrary it was a wild state
ment made by the Times Union itself
in a previous editorial-wild, because
no living man may pTophesy what the
department of agriculture. with the
sweeping powers bestowed by the
TaIiaferro bill, might do in the future
in the way OF infiicting the naval
stores states with federal emissaTies
and causing no end of confusion and
loss of time and money.
The Times Union declares that The
Journal is elusive. We do not see
how that can be as we most assuredIy
have stuck to the same argument with
respect TO the Taliaferro bill ever
since giving it careful consideration
and realizing the dangers hidden be-
meath its surface. And the innocent
dissertation on Hamiltonianism and
the divine rights of the federal gov
eminent with respect to interstate
commerce provokes a smile.
For we'll we realize that no one
knows better than the editor of the
Times Union that the favorite method
OF these Hamiltonians-esp of
its beloved friend about whom it has
produced so many fiery Tedditorials
to seize for the national govern
ment legal jurisdiction which would
| infallibly weaken the powers of the
states, has been the stretching of the
| interstate commerce provision of the
constitution to cover everything in all
| the stateS--in the heavens above, the
earth beneath and. no doubt, the wa
tiers that are under the earth should
,, trial river. gulf. bay. or even a two
by four canal.
The states where naval stores are
produced are fully capable of inspect
ing them and requiring them to be
of the proper standard. If these have
not passed laws for the purpose they
should do so. But by all means let
this federal inquisitveness and ac-
Guisitiveness be kept within bounds
+ There's more than enough of both
already. and inspectors for naval
stores would be an entering wedge
for inspectors for every product from
an acorn to an alligator provided a
! hint went forth that either the one OF
the other was to pass from one state
into another.