Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-12
Attorney General Wickersham.


Most of the address of the Attorney
General was devoted to shop talk. in
which he gave an account of the scope
and variety of the work OF the Depart
ment of Justice. In concluding, however,
Mr.. Wfckersham had q word to say re-
garding the warnings that have been
given by public men against a growth Of
the federal power at Washington, re-
ferring particularly to the recent speech
by Senator Root. On this point Mr..
Wtckersham said.
speaking in this place two years ago,
one of New Yorks most ilIustrious citi-
zens pointed out the increasing growth of
federal power and warned the states OF
their duty to assert and enforce their own
Jurisdiction, lest that which was prop
erly theirs should, from sheer disuse, fall
weeks past. at the dinner of the Cham
Der of Commerce in this city. Senator
Root renewed this warning, spoke of the
rapid growth of centralized power in
Washington, the difficulty of the intelli-
gent and efficient administration of the
affairs of this vast nation by the bureaus
and the departments of the capital, and
emphasized the need of state action in
matters properly within state Jurisdiction
| heartily concur in all he said. but at
the same time / am firmly convinced of
the necessity for the vigorous assertion Of
federal power over those subjects de-
volved upon the national government by
the Constitution Of the United States,
which the experience of century has
shown cannot be properly and adequately
managed by the states.
The commerce OF this country has
become almost entirely interstate and in
ternational commerce. The states have
demonstrated their complete inability
that commerce or to intelligently and eff
ficiently create and control adequate
agencies to carry II on. The national
government has been literally compelled
to exercise its indisputable power to
regulate interstate and interna tional
commerce by undertaking the regulation
and control OF interstate railways and
to devise and enforce legis alton to check
the growth of great monopolies and COM
binations IN order to prevent the absorb
ton into the hands of very few men
Of all the great industries Of the land
This work the national government
must carry out thoroughly and effective
ly. 1t cannot delegate it nor leave any
this subject is. under the Constitution,
complete, comprehensive and exclusive"
Methods of Procedure.
In discussing the work Of the Depart
ment Of Justice Mr. Wickersham said in
part:
THE national jurisdiction is constantly
being exercised over new objects, and
the range of subjects dealt with by the
DEPARTMENT of Justice is therefore con-
stantIy expanding. The acts relating to
Interstate commerce have developed a
large amount of litigation concerning
traffic problems. the result Of the extern
sion OF federal control over interstate
railway lines although the initiative and
the conduct of these proceedings is. I'M
der the present system, shared with the
Interstate commerce commission, q d.
vision of responsibilities which 1t is hoped
will soon be terminated
1.-The administration of the criminal
law of the United States generally ini-
tiated and conducted by the district at
torneys of the respective districts, in all
serious and important prosecutions, par
ticularly Of offenses against the COM
merce acts, or the act concerning trusts
and monopolies usually jnyolves the per-