Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1911-09-07

conserve ON water lupply some day
the northern pnlt 81 tie State win be-
even more thi6kIy fop1Is tSd, and the
question Of rIif6 drinking may
come ID be sssicz ~ no other hand,
from The GeYsr lit ports va know
that there Il a u,lsQa 4 supply Of
water 81 StStep Island ITSELF There
fore We so posed - III plan Of q
private corp ion telue the water.
out Of New Jersey and divert It 10 the
use Of the people 81 New York State.
And 30 we stepped IN and forbade the
water company tosextend its mains to
Staten Island.
Certain mem Il can only conjecture
who they were brought influence to
bear On the War Department to have
the Federal Governmentinsist that the
mains be laid u order toprovide water
for the GOVERNMENT forts on Staten
Island, and the activity of the War de-
partment in that matter win bear look
ing into This was only ) rlse, for it
was expected that the Jersey corpor-
alton was tohave the War department's
permission to sell water to- private IN
dividuals throughout Staten Island.
We have flight, and will continue to
fight, what / may call Federal interior
ence with State functions There is no
jealousy involved between New Jersey
and the authorities at Washington. OF
course the Federal Government may
have allof our water itsneeds and de-
sires for its own purposes, but we con-
tend that its authority shall moi. be in
voked merely for the pufposefof aid
ing and abetting . private corporation
to circnmyent the law Of the State. and
thereby place in jeopardy the interests
Of q large number Of people Of New
Jersey. "
And the corollary of that PROPOSE
tion, Governor suppose the rights Of
the people are not safeguarded by the
State, suppose corporate regulation can
be secured only BY the Federal Govern
ment- what then7n
Il have no quarrel with that. Fed
eral regulation Is all right, indeed II is
essential, ID regard to those matters
which belong within the Federal jur-
isdiction Buta onject II anything that
Weakens TIE essential Government
units. The States have their jurisdic-
ton. and it is not gong to further rep
resentative government to weaken
State functions by loading on the Fed
eral Government powers which do not
properly belong 10 II. Norris that nee
essary, in ng opinion, "
.sThink how far we have progressed
in very short time. Think Of the
awakening in a State ike California,
where the Government. It was said, was
completely dominated by the Southern
Pacific Railway. Think Of the awaken
ing in New Jersey the State known as
the mother Of trusts. And, while it
may seem like absurd optimism, ] am
willing to take my reputation that PEN
naylvania will soon follow the example
Of New Jersey and California, and take
back It's Government from boss doni-
nation and from the control Of big bus
mess. One State after another viii re-
store popular government and will re-
sumo it, State functions. The people,
EWho have been the excluded partner,
are taking part h the business Of run
ming the Government. We are actually
taking the liberty Of assuming the di
|rection Of our own business: 3
The way Mr.. Wilson said this, the
enthusiasm with which he allied him,
self in the fight against what be CALI
government Of. by and for the trusts
clearly Indicated that be was in th'
fight to stay.
We were now perilously near the biz
question the Presidency.
.The correspondents are saying il
lin Washington filson could be elect
ed but he can tlbe nominated. Z
sThat Is pretty near right. = s. id th
Governor, univ ttingly II refer, Q
1 course, 10 tie difRculty ~ nominating
Wilson, Z he FASTENED to reply BY wa
81 correction. And he was thinking
only Of that.