The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-09-15


Spring Lake. N. J., Sept. 1.-The
governors OF twenty five states voted
this afternoon to unite in protest to
the United States supreme court
against what they consider an invasion
of states rights by the federal courts.
The decisions Of Judge Sanborn In the
Minnesota rate case is The particular
'.invasion" to which the governors OBJ
1ect and by their action precedent IN
American history Is established.
Gov. Harmon, Of Ohio. heads the
committe to protest and his colleagues
will be Gov. Hadley Of Missouri ana
Gov. Aldrich of Nebraska The motion
to appoint such a committee to voice
the Views of the conference was made
by Gov. O'Neal of Alabama.
Gov. Aldrich's ringing denunc1ation
of what he termed an invasion OF the
functions and rights Of states by the
minor federal courts was discussed at
the forenoon session and provoked en-
thusiasffc applause and was followed
in the afternoon by the address of Gov.
McGovern Of Wisconsin on the same
topic
with the subject fresh in their
minds the governors debated the ques-
zion for an hour or more before Gov.
OsNeaI introduced his resolution In
his speech Aldrich referred in terms Of
condemnation to the decision of JUS
tfce Sanborn of Minnesota in the rate
case. He explained the point OF the
decision was that the states intrastare
rate law was unconstitutional because
Il had not been enforced without inter
ferfna IN its operations with the au-
fhnriky or the Interstate commerce
commissions This he thought an in-'
vasion OF states rights.
Gov. kitchen, of North Carolina, was
the only one to vote in the negative on
C'Neal's motion and he explained snat
while he favored the principle ne OPP
posed the motion because he thought
the action was beyond the conferences .
scope.
Earlier in the day DIR. Anna Shaw
made a plea before the governors for
suffrage for women.
THE POINT AT ISSUE.
Governor Hadley said: 'The ques-
ton as to the right to regulate within
their limits the rates of transportation
of railroad companies engaged In in
terstate commerce, which is now pend
ing before the supreme court Of the
United States for decision is, IN my
opinion, one Of the most important. II
not the most important question with
which that court has had to deal In
recent years. For the question OF
TRANSPORTATION is the most important
question of commerce and, in fact, OF
civilization itself.
"The success or failure of all efforts
for gain depends upon the carrying OF
that which is produced by human labor
from the place where 1t is of little or
no value to a place where 1t is of a
value sufficient to compensate for the
cost Of it's production. Approximately
one-third of the cost of everything we
buy represents the expense or trans
portation, and this question enters as
4 controlling influence into the success
or failure Of every sigle human life.
Manifestly, it is through the rail-
roads of the country that the life blood
OF its commerce flows. And those who
have the power, and by virtue OF the
power exercise the privilege of con-
trolling the means and determining
the rates of transportation. have the
power and exercise the privilege or
ly.xvinr tribute upon the labor and the
fruaalfxy OF the people whom they
serve And the experience Of the
american people has shown that II
cannot be safely left to those who con-
troll the operation of these great enter
prases TO nx the rates of transportation
1rss from the regulation of effective
competition or the superior authority
ef governmental control.
-sThA hight OF the states to regulate
the transportation In intrastate COM
merce engaged in interstate commerce
ss now vigorously denied, for the rea-
snn that Il is claimed the fixing OF
rates IN fnfrastate commerce of neces-
sstY determines or. at least directly
aeTssts the rates of transportation in
interstate commerce. This contention
has but recently been sustained by the
United States circuit court for the
district OF Minnesota. in q decision
known as the Minnesota rate cases.
"A number of cases involving the
resscnableness and, therefore, the con-