Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1911-09-28

institutions FOUNDED LOT them Dy IneiI
ancestors, are, say, body Of men
unequalled in the civilized world.
Why. they had coronation over in
England a little while ago and they
say they were there resplendant in
purple and gold-the crowned heads
of the earth. Well, who were they
They were the men who have arbitrary
authority inherited from some ancest'
or who acquired it by some act OF
fraud or violence, and l say that the
men whom the American people volun-
tarily crown with their confidence
stand higher in the estimation of man,
kind that all the crowned heads in
Christendom and the fact that each
of them bears that honor but for lit,
tie while only adds to its dignity, for
it is given back to the hands from
which it is received.
And so, with John Sewer in my head
l came across the country from that
great meeting, and as an incident OF
the Importance of that body l may
refer for a moment to something that
happened the other day which seems
to have created somewhat of sen.
sation just because the governors OF
the GiIerent states took a perfectly
simple, natural step. Two of them
had read papers reciting facts about
certain litigation in which it was
stated that the position was taken
that the states of the American Union
have no right to control commerce en-
tirely within their borders-a most
extraordinary proposition; and there
upon, by spontaneous action OF the en-
tire body, the question was raised
whether the rights of the states were
being adequately looked after in the
Supreme Court of the United States
where some of these cases are pend
ing, because every one there felt that
it would be false and an abuse OF
the trust of the people whom those
men represented if we allowed so i'm
portant a matter as that to be passed
upon by the highest tribunal without
most careful preparation and able pre-
sentation, and so a committee was APP,
pointed by the unanimous action OF
that body to see to it that the rights
of the states in that respect should not
be lost or impaired by failure OF
proper preparation and presentation,
and at once the papers were filled
with great notices about it. Now, If
lawyer had done that nobody would
think anything of it. They would have
said: "He is taking very ordinary
and natural precaution to see to 1t
that case to which he is not party,
the decision in which will effect him
gued," but because it was the cover.
nors it was looked upon in an entirely
different light.
Now, that idea of old John Sewer
was simply the idea on which all our
governments are founded, and that is
absolute home rule for all matters
which can be properly attended to at
home, and all of our commonwealth
then are to look after our foreign re-
lations and such general matters as
pUly a S6llCld al SONCl van COlI-
duct; and the governors in standing
up for the defense of the right of the
state to regulate it's own concerns, are
simply following that same line.
know that there is great Impotence
sometimes because all the laws of all
the states are not Uniform; that impa-
tience is justified in some respects,
and already by the voluntary action OF
the different states we have absolutely
uniform laws on certain subjects. We
go everywhere on the winds of com
merce; we have it about bills and
notes, and in some other respects, and
all the time the forces are working to
secure by voluntary action uniformity
the states where unifor
nifty ought to exist. And | believe that
there ought to be more uniformity in
the laws on the subject of marriage
and divorce and there undoubtedly
should be reformation in that direc-
ton, but of greatest Importance with
reference to the liberty of the indi-
vidual is that the authority exercised
over him shall be as close at hand as
possible, and that means home rule.
(Applause). In all the history of the
world it is the foreign country which
has been the oppressor. Our ancestors
have complained that where there has
been government from across the seas,
a man had to be taken to a distant
place for trial.
Now, l have always believed in the
great value of these exhibitions, the
result of the activities of a commu.
nifty or a region. If | understand it,
his exposition is not confined to the
state of Tennessee or city of Knox.
vile, but is intended to show the in
lustries conducted in this great re-
yion, which you call the Appalachian
'egion." The ordinary idea of it is
o advertise the community, to call
he attention of the world 70 the op-
which exist here for the
profitable investment of capital and
he application of industry, and of
course for that purpose alone it would
,e very useful-and every community
With undeveloped resources which
reeds more capital and labor than it
las, must call the attention in some
way of those who have what it lacks, |
renee the exposition is a great adyer. |