The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-09-16

those Of ,is whOare lawyers. realized wha
a far reaching and permanent effect th
decision Of the SIpr,me Court in the Min
nesota rate cas-wifl he what its bearin
will be on the whole question of State
rights.
If the Supreme, Court should affirm
Justice Sanborn's do .,sion il would meal
that no State wo,ild,beallowed to regulate
railroad rates within its own borders
All lawyers know now important such
decisions are ! % inaticr what the issue
When the Supreme Court once says d
thing /, H. pretty hard TO get 1t To change
it's mind Tn ,refore II dawned on the
Governors heUp how esse ntial II was 10
make "A stand now. before The supreme
Court speaks.
"I don't see row anybody can describ,
our action IA radical 7 hodNhat IL is III,
essence Of cons"rvatism To support the
right of Sta,s to manage their owi
internal affairs That dortrine has beer
conservative for good many years il
am not mistaken. II surely IL conserva-
tive 10 UNFOLD the states in their pffor,
to make eu,Ir,a able railroad rates between
points within their own boundaries, II
Is no concern Of mine what vagarcs
some Of the Governors may inChilge ir
ar To other questions. hut In this matter
they are right. would work with Il
prohbitionist in this unatter
Il don't want To be understood ~ max
ing any attack on the judiciary Oul
work as committee representing ,hs
Governor conference implies nothing
Of that sort We are not going 10 tell the
Supreme Court how Ia lun ia business
we are going to argue merely for the
right Of our ~ at"s.
my appoim men, ne chairman cannot
have any pclit, cal effect The fact tina, |
have been mon ,ionrd as a candidate for
n l..xx Il u Ill
in this matter. am sure none of the
Governors gave thought to such n
thing
Gov. Hadlev of Missouri said that the
committee took greater interest as
lawyers than they did as Governors in
the u,estio as to whether a State could
be enjoined py \ Federal court from rcgu-
lating intrastats railroad rates.
But as Cove nors, he continued. we
realize that ih, time has come to halt
the aggression of Federal Judges. The
West is susp .ious of some of these
Judges. and the sime may come very soon
when Congress will have TO abolish the
United States Ci,cuit Court. The feeling
is very pronounc, a out West and the West
is waiting anxiousty for what the Supreme
Court may do in these rate cases.
u don't approve Of the language used
by Gov. Aldrich OF Nebraska toward JUS
tice Sanborn. but Aydrich is positive
Gov. Aldrich s,,id he had nothing to
take back. He thought Judge Sanborn
had decided the r6ie cases in n most eS-
traordinary way and clearly against tho
weight of evideSe and opinion. Such
men as Sanborn. hc added were trying
to tyrranize Sate Governments and II
was time that theirs activities should bc
curbed.
What the confer cree did yesterday
was good Republican, action" said Gov.
Aldrich 1T was not radical or unusual.
! hope the Supreme Court will decide that
the States have some rights after all"
Gov. Dix Of New York said in regard
to the action Of the. Governors confer
ence:
Il am old fashioned enough to believe
in the rights which the States reserved,
unto themselves and that until the Con-
of the United States is changed
each State is clothed with the power and
to control corporations which
1t creates. will not deny, however, that,
the corporations that are within the juris-.
diction Of several States cannot be regu-,
lated by the Federal Government. Home
rule for States is just AZ, potent factor
In our form Of government as home rule,
for cities. Legislation in any State
should seek to- give the greatest good to
the greatest number"
The procedure of the committee Of
which Judge Harmon is chairman will
be to study the pros and cons Of ell the
rate cases. some seventy or seventy-five.
now before the Supreme Court and extract
from these material for argument before
the Supreme Court. Gov. Hfdley and
Gov. Aldrich will collect the data and put
the material in shape for Gov Harmon.
Who expects to be pretty busy for some
months to come. He will crystsllize
the evidence for the, States and shape it
for presentation to the Supreme Court
hn an Iot- nr hai nf..,a
the Governors held Pn executive session
before taking up the discussion of ad-
dresses. They decided this morning to
meet next year in Richmond They
authorized the appointment Of a per
menent secretary al salary Of not more
ex Governors as honorary members
They will have the privileges OF the floor
hut won't be allowed TO vote. William
George Jordan. who has been secretary
NJ the conference since 1903. the year
i was organized, will not be- retained.
the Governors deciding that Mr.,Iordan's
plans were too elaborate.
This morning Gov. Edmond F. Noel OF
read 2 paper on THE lnheri- |
lance Tax and State Comfy" In the |
afternoon the Governors listened 10 Gov |
Dix Of New York. who arrived at 4 p. NJ. |
and to experience talksSrom several of
The delegates. Gov, Diks topic was the
-
Gov. Dix devoted some time to dis |
cussion of taxing inheritances in New |
York and to the question Of king in |
comes. In the course of his address he |
said.
New York has taken some important
Iteps this year. In the matter of State
,omty in taxation We have made a radical |
,hange In our inheritance tax law and will
40 longer tax the intangible property Of |
residents of other States which may hap-
pen to be within our borders or over which |
re may hav e technical jurisdiction. Under |
,ur new law. enacted in July. the estates
II our citizens will be taxable on real estate |
md chattels within the State and upon
he value Of intangible property. such |
Is shares OF stock. money and securities |
wherever located. The estates OF non
'esidents will be taxable only on rea! estate
Ind chartels actually within our borders
In the experience meeting Gov. Sha
'orth discussed Colorado's system of en-
,loyinc convict labor and favored n |
'hortenening Of the imprisonment of con
nets who were put to outside work
Gov Stubbs Of Kansas told how the
blue sky law works in his State l. was
designed to stop the sale Of wildcat securi.
les, and II has succeeded, he said. II ia
low a penitentiary offence to sell stock
md bonds in Kansas that have not been
certified by the State Banking Commits
'ioner. He said that Kansas banks have
,een renovated until they are az afs 90
wheat in the bin, He related some ey1
,eriences in enforcing economy Stubhs
'ound that the Kap.aG 1 a,;nf |