Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-12-04
IT Is TINE FOR sANBEEsS.


Whether the environment of an able
nan, as Secretary of State in the Cab
net of Mr.. Roosevelt, or senator in
Congress representing the Empire
State, would have the effect Of CON-
pletely changing his views Upon a Civ
Ell subject is matter of serious spec
but the fact remains that Eli
hu Root in these two positions OK.
pressed himself on the subject of
states rights in two ways which are
difficult to reconcile. The Baltimore
Sun says:
"On the 7th of December, 1906
while Secretary Of State, Mr.. Root
made an address before the Pennsy!-
vania Society in which he expressed
views favorable to such extreme ana
radical Capitalization Of power in this
hands of the Federal government as
had perhaps never therefore been ex-
pressed by any responsible public Off.
cial who was lawyer. In that speech
Mr. Root said: 1--WE are urging for
ward in development of business and
social life which tends more and more
to the obliteration Of state lines ano
decrease of state power, as compared
with national power. New
projects of national control are moot
ed. Control Of insurance, uniform di
vorce laws, child labor laws and many
others affecting matters formerly en-
tirely within the cognizance of the
state are proposed
And he suggested seriously meth
cd Of amending the constitution which
was different from that provided in th'
instrument itself. II the states re
fuse or neglect to perform their dut,
in the proper exercise Of their reserv
ed rights-that Is, Of course, II the,
|. neglect to perform 1t as the Presiden
of the United States might conside
: that it should be performed-thel
sooner or later Mr.. Root declare
constructions of the constitution vii
be found to vest the power where
, will be exercised, in the national gov
ernment'
''The views Of Senator Root, a. ez
pressed last Tuesday, are so RADICAL
different from those of Secretary Roo
as expressed three years ago, that "
are forced to the conclusion that /
1906 he was expressing, not his ow
opinions, but those Of PresideI
: Roosevelt, his then chief.
: In his Civic Federation speech la
T speaking his own sentiments and gi'
ing his own opinions as q lawyer AT
a statesman. He said:
1.-THE framework Of our govern
ment aimed to preserve at once tt
strength and protection Of a great n
tional power, and the blessing aud tt
freedom and the personal indepen
ence of local self-government. It air
ed to do that by preserving In Il
constitution the sovereign powers
: the separate states. Are we to +
form our constitutional system so
to put in Federal hands the control
all the business that passes over sta
Y, lines?. If we do, where is our loc
1t self-government? If we do, how
e the central government at Washingtt
IL going to be able to discharge the d
y ties that will be imposed upon it? A
b ready the administration, already tt
+ judicial power, already the legislati
h branches of our government, are dri
70 en- to the limit of their power to de
Is intelligently with the subjects that q
n before them. This country is too gres
J. its population too numerous, its Il
terests too vast and complicated q
ready, to say nothing Of the enormo'
Z increase that we can see before US
the future, to be governed as to tt
great range Of our daily affairs, fro
one central power in Washington
"All this time, when men are 70
getting constitutional limitations al
some of the Federal courts are just
flying Mr.. Jefferson's criticism whe
:. he called them the 'sappers and mi
ers of the constitution 1t is we'll f
- men of Mr.. Roots standing to ia
this way"