The Paducah evening sun., 1910-04-28

crim1nated against patrons and
towns, wronged the consumer and
beat investors in the stock market
with their cheating watered stock.
and in every instance the national
government was checkmated.
Attorney General Wickersham said
the solution OF the problem is federal
Incorporation of concerns engaged In
interstate commerce. His reason is
that the whole nation is at once in
the same way and in equal degree in
terested in operations OF these con-
Germs. The authority to incorporate
and control their organization Is
implied by authority already granted
and assumed to regulate them.
Divided state responsibility over the
constituent companies of these cor
ations, will not regulate them. The
states have utterly failed to make
even an impression on a single trust.
The interstate commerce commits
sion with amplified authority to reg
ulate railroads, backed by the COM
merce court of review, as proposed In
President Taft's measure, and the
issuance OF stock under federal sur
veillance and the publicity of corpor-
poration affairs already provided for.
are steps in this direction, which
amount to no more than exercise or
extension Of authority already vested
In the national government and long
since recognized. but never demand
ed until this day.
Authority over forest reserves, fuel
and ore deposits has been assumed
by the federal government with lit
tie opposition; but control OF water
power sites apparently calls down on
the devoted heads OF the patriots at
Washington denunciations, especially
from those. who enjoy privileges un-
der the system of divided responsible
ity, denied them under ample federal
authority. Some of the governors.
who were called together by Presi-
dent Roosevelt for the purpose OF dis
cussing conservation and other timely
topics, expressed themselves as
opposed to further extensions of fed
eral authority. But reference to his
torical party principles and recur-
renee to the constitutional debates
in which fear of a monarchy dictated
arguments against Capitalization, will
avail nothing. Those matters in
which their experience showed them
the federal government at that time
could better look after the welfare
of the people than the state could,
our forefathers did not hesitate to en-
trust to federal care, and they wrote
the constitution elastic enough to al
low for any further national expan-
sion. Whenever Jefferson or any
other president of the old day, found
II expedient 20 stretch the federal
authority, he did not hesitate to do
so, and he cannot be accused of vio-
lating the principles OF state rights.
1t is absurd in this day, to treat the
old horror OF a monarchy as II the
principles of our dual government
were bound up In keeping its men,
ory green. We are menaced with
another form OF tyranny, industrial
feudalism, whose castles are erected
in the Businesses of the twilight
zone" between federal and state au-
thority, and whose security rests in
ancient jealousy between state and
nation.
We, OF today, are beginning to
look upon even the tariff as a nation
al, not local question. and are de-
manding that our representatives
cease inquiring what does my state
get out OF this" and direct their at
tention to what Is best for the coun-
try as a whole. We find that our
federal government is much more re-
sponsive to public sentiment than the
states, that our federal judiciary Is
freer from suspicion OF playing poll
tics. that our national legislative and
executive officers are less subject to
corrupting influences.
Those. who would check federal
ism, consclentiously concerned lest
II lead to irreparable impairment
Of our institutions, can check It only
In one way: by forcing the states
to do that which the people are de-
manding of the federal government
II the states will take charge OF the
water power sites and protect them
and will discharge every obligation
to the public by proper exercise of
the functions. federalism will gain
no ground. But the main thing is to
conserve our resources. and protect
our people from the rapacity of pri-
vate interests. whether that is done
by state or nation.
Judge Mcfarland, and others like
him. will have to get away from
ancient dogma, else they stand just
here Joe Cannon stood when the
yard movement OF the Republi-
u party ran him down. Results
are what we are after, and II remains