The sun., 1910-01-18
TAFTON UNTFORMSTATE LAWS
OPENING ADDRESS BEFORE
CIVIC FEDERATION.
Fe Urges the states 10 Exercise Their
Constitutional Power In the Interest
Of The People-PinchSt speaks and
Receives q Remarkable welcome.


WASHINGTON. Jan. 1.-THE National
civic Federation, OF which Seth Low In
p esidsnt, met at the Belasco Theatre
AZ ~ clock this morning for the first Of a
series Of conferences which will extend
YER three days, Distinguished men
from all over the country were in attend
auce and the theatre was packed to the
doors as. in addition to the 500 or 400 regu-
lar delegates, the audience this morning,
when Mr.. Low called the conference to
order. included many members of the
Senate and the House OF Representatives
and chief and subordinate officers Of the
Government departments.
President Low called the gathering
to order and briefly explained the con-
Cer'ad effort for uniform State laws in
which the National Civic Federation is
engaged He said in part:
II - hoped that this conference will
seelfs way to do several specific things:
l. 10 urge upon the States and Terri
tories which have not already appointed
commissioners on uniform State laws
that they forthwith appoint such COM
nlssioners. .- .'.
> To urge upon all the States which
have made no appropriations for the con-
duct Of the work of these commissioners
10 make a suitable appropriation which
will enable the work to be carried forward
more expeditiously and more effectively.
II i estimated that $500 from each state
will he sufficient.
3. To refer TO suitable committees the
drafting of laws on such subjects as the
conference may determine, in suita BILE
form, to he passed by all the States: such
drafts TO be submitted to the national
-
laws for such action as they may see NJ
70 take
President Taft was then introduced
by Mr. Low. and in opening he welcomed
the delegates 10 Washington. The Presi-
dent made strong plea for uniform laws
on marriage and divorce. child labor and
other matters. He said that there should
he uniformity in judicial procedure.
and declared with emphasis that if any
thing in our system deserved attack il
was the delay that could be secured by the
wealthy under present judicial proceed
ings, and he advocated some change of
form in Federal court procedure which
could he taken as an example by the States
The President said that since the adop-
ton Of the Constitution interstate COM
merce has grown to such an extent that
il now constitutes the bulk Of the COM
merce Of the country. and he said the
time had come, in his opinion, to -recoo-
nize those great organizations-conce
iratiOn OF wealth. plant and capital that
do a Countrywide business, going into
every State. whose business is almost
wholly interstate-to recognize them as
Instruments Of interstate commerce and
to incorporate them in order that we may
get them more directly under the control
Of the Federal Government.
You are not the only citizcns of tho
United States that look in this direction,
said President Taft. Il am glad that you
came here at the same time that tho
Governors came hero. so that your delib-
erations and theirs-and in the same dircc-
ton and the right direction, as they doubt
less viii be-will have tho weight of two
great forces upon not only tho national
legislatures but the state Legislatures.
for from Washington everything radiates
to the end OF the country.
In the discussion Of uniformity OF
IegisIation. when you take a man who has
gotten out OF the practice OF tho law. 80
that he does not remcmber with great
exactitude those principles that are ap-
piied in actual cases, he cannot help
falling back on discussion OF the Consti-
tuition. constitutional lawyer is a gem
tlemsn who has gotten out OF the practice
and who has gone into politics. lap
plause.
Now. my friends. Senator Root. whom
am elighted to class with me in the same
Misunderstood with reference to his view
of the Constitution and the trend under
the Constitution toward Capitalization
OF government. IL I understood him, his
view was that unless the States did their
duty in the exercise OF the functions
else in the interests OF good government,
there would be a tendency toward the en-
largement OF the Government at Wash
ington. and he uttered a warning TO the
States that il they would retain the power
given to them under the Constitution
that they exercise that power in the inter
ests Of the people and in the interests OF
the country generally.
Now il is said that we have centralized
TOO much; there are Jurisdictions that
might be asserted under the Constitution
that Congress has not asserted. notably
IN the jurisdiction OF the Federal courts.
30 too in bankruptcy; 90 too in elections.
With respect to the jurisdiction OF the
ederal courts this Is a large measure that
ongress does not assert which they might
take away from that which the State
courts now exercise. and so with respect
to bankruptcy. II might be made much
more exclusive OF State jurisdiction in
that regard. and with respect to elections
they have gone back entirely to the States.
There are other matters under the
Constitution which show that all the
power conferred upon the national Gov
eminent has not yet been exercised. but
the reason why IL seems as IL We were
digging a more centralized government
Is not because OF a change In the construc-
ton OF the Constitution but a change in
the Importance Of the power which was
always given to the national Government
under that Constitution, to wit. the inter-
state commerce law. When the Consti-
tuition was framed the State traffic as
distinguished from the interstate traffic
was as rs to rs. and now. instead. the inter-
state traffic is to the State traffic as rs to
%. a complete reversal in amount OF inter-
state business done as compared with the
Sta to business. and that is the reaaon why
the national Governments power seems
To have grown so largely. because its
policy covers more volume than IL ever
did before.
With respect to that I am inclined TO
: ihink that 1t will be found wise after a
time to recognize those great institutions,
concentrations OF wealth and plant and