Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1910-09-08
NATION SHOULD
HAVE CONTROL
Senator Beveridge Opposes
States Rights Plea.

lndianan Declares at Conservation
Congress That Our Inherited Idea
Of Provincialism Is Responsible for
the Surrender Of Our Wealth to the
Special Interests States Should Aid
i and Not Hinder the Nation in This
Great Work.
st. Paul, Sept. 8.-"The Young Mans
Idea" was the subject discussed by
Senator Albert J. Beveridge of In
diana at the National Conservation
congress. Mr.. Beveridge spoke for
federal control of conservation and de-
Z clared that the history of this country
is the story of the struggle of the ma
tional sentiment of all the people,
which special interests for their selfish
purposes sought to discourage, against
the provincial sentiment of some of
the people, which special interests for
their selfish purposes sought to en-
courage.
& Senator Beveridge declared that the
parent of the provincial idea in Ameri-
can government was the British
crown. The kings believed that if the
colonists were separated by local
pride, prejudice and jealousy, the Brit
ish policy would be easier. Some of
this sentiment crept into our Constitu-
tion and has been the source of most
of our troubles since. Continuing, the
senator said:
Being in the Constitution the
states rights provision is as valid as
any other amendment. But have
told its origin and spirit; and its mis-
Interpretation never must be permit
ted to nullify the nations resources,
plunge the nation into war or prevent
the general welfare of the whole peo-
ssple. Now, as always, the danger has
been not so much that the nation will
interfere with the rights of the states,
as that the states will interfere with
the rights of the nation.
Interests Always Fought Laws.
I'm Andrew Jackson's day came re-
sistance Of special interests to the
laws of all the people. The voice of
Jackson in his day, like the voice Of
Washington in his day, was the voice
of united people against special in
!, ,terests, who, behind the shield of pro-
vincialism, sought to exploit all the
people.
'Then came the special interests
that thrived on slavery and under the
provincial Interpretation of states
rights sought to destroy the nation
they could not control. But the ma
tional spirit responded to Abraham
Lincoln's call to arms; and in the
mightiest war of history million
bayonets again wrote across our Con-
stitution these words Of the American
peoples Immortality: This is a Nation
Special interests were robbing and
corrupting the whole people by lot
teries; special interests were poison
ing morals with the leprosy of OBJ
scene literature. They existed under
state protection. The nation alone
could stop them. They denied the ma
tion's right to interfere. But the ma
tion did stop them and the supreme
court sustained the nations power.
Interests Fight Pure Food Law.
1T was the same with the special
interests that were selling diseased
meats, poisoned foods and adulterated
drugs to the masses; these special in
terests again fought the nations ef-
forts to protect the nations people.
N Yet today national laws shield the
health and lives of the people. These
evils aourished under the provincial
idea Of the people divided; they per.
4 ished under the idea of the people
united. And again today we see these
I! two ideas arrayed in battle for and
against the national control Of corpo-
rate capitalization upon which so
4 largely depend just rates and prices
s to the people.
Not only the ending of evils which
5 injured the people, but most of the
4 peoples progress has been won by the
Il national idea over the resistance OF
!: the provincial idea. For, example,
i Madison vetoed the first internal i'm.
4 provement bill, declaring in his mes.
4 sage that congress had no power to
build roads. dredge harbors, improve
\ waterways. But the people needed
!. these things that they might trade and
6 amingle and win that prosperous happi.
h ness which comes only from being one
Z people under one flag. So congress
!. passed the internal improvement bill
i: over Madison's veto and today no one
& questions the nations power to make
i internal Improvement; today the only
4 question is how the nation can most
4 wisely do that work.
Waste os Natural Rssources. M
JJust as the idea Of provincialism
has worked other evils, 10 II has
q worked 4 'F TIE waste e ouEs natural e.