Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-02-03
ROOT SPEAKS.


United States Senator Elect Root
addressed the senate and assembly
in joint session at Albany last week.
He told the Legislature that he be.
lieyed there were two dangers, due
to the development of this country
One he said was the danger of the
national government breaking down
in It's effective machinery through the
burdens that threaten to be cast up.
on it.
"on the other" he continued, sis
the danger of breaking down the To-
cal self-government of the states"
"The tendency of vesting all power.
in the central government at Wash.
lngton," he said, "is to produce the
decadence of powers of the states.
Now do not misunderstood me. am
a convinced and uncompromising ma
tionalist of the school of Alexander
Hamilton.
Believes in Power of Executive.
II believe in the exercise of the
executive, the legislative, and the
judicial powers of the national gov
ernment to the full limit of the con-
stitutional grants as those grants
We're construed by John Marshall and
would be construed by him today.
But believe that the founders of
the republic builded more wisely than
they knew when they set the limits
between the exercise of that national
power and the exercise of the local
powers. by the states. And while be
lieve in the exercise of the national
power throughout the province of
the constitutional grants of national
power believe also in the preserva-
by all public officers of the limita.
OF its constitutional authority.
Officers Must Observe Limit.
Further than that l believe that
the essential quality of free govern.
ment is to be found in the observance
by all public officers of the limita3
tions set by law upon their powers.
Il am opposed to the direct election
of senators, as am opposed to the
Initiative and refendum, because
these things are based ON the idea
that the people cannot elect legisla-
lures whom they trust. They pro-
ceed upon the ca of abandoning the
attempt to elect Trustworthy and COM
petent state legislatures.
"If you abandon that attempt, If
you begin to lesislate OF to amend
constitutions upon that theory, what
becomes of all the other vast powers
of the state legislatures in maintain
ing the system of local self-goverr-
ment under the constitution?
States Must ys. Rights.
Evidently If thsoYssrs Of the
states are to be pressE 2 and their
authority Is to be continued, the
states must exercise their powers.
The only way to maintain the pow
ers of the government is to
govern. Let me say that the
men who make the most noise about
state rights are apt to be the men
who are the most willing and the
most desirous to have the national
government step in and usurp the
functions of state when there is
an appropriation carrying with it the
Iusurpation.
THE men who are found opposing
maintenance of the authority of the
Treaty provisions of the United States
made under the express grant OF
power in the constitution are apt to
be men who are anxious to have the
government come into their states
and spend no end of money in doing
the things that the states ought to
do themselves in the exercise of their
own powers.
"But the invitation of the national
government to assume this and that
duty within the limits of state is
an invitation to set up a national
power to the exclusion, the ultimate
exclusion, of state powers.
Authority of States Must Remain.
Because l believe in maintaining
the two grants of power of the con-
stitution, maintaining the national
power to its full limit and still pre-.
serving the state power, am op.
posed to everything that tends to
belittle, to discredit or to weaken
the authority of the legislatures OF
The states. You cannot take power
away from public bodies without hav'
| ing he character of those bodies
detriorate.
"If the people of any state are not
satisfied to trust their legislature tc
dicharge9 the constitutional duty Of
eiecting senator's, let them cure theil
own faults and elect legislature tha
they can trust. ultimately we mus,
come down for successful govern
ment to the due performance of the
citizens duty at the polls, and there
is no reason to believe that the citi
zens would perform their duty in di
rect election of senators or in voting
upon the initiative or the referendum
any better than they prform 1t IL
the election of members of the sen
lates and the assemblies of tht
cfofoc