New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-04
Republicans
Analyze State
Rights Issue
QUESTIONABLE Sent to Lead
ers in Many Lines
to Get Concrete Views
as to Federal Control
Material for Platform
lime for Termination of
the Presidents War Pow
ers Is One of Problems

Inc Old question of the proper limi-
tation of Federal and state control. in
voiving states rights as discussed be-
tore the Civil War, has been taken I'D
oy the advisory committee on policies
and platform of the Republican Ma
tlonal Committee, with the idea Of
giving the matter due consideration by
the platform makers at Chicago.
A QUESTIONABLE on this important
subject has been prepared and has
been sent to prominent statesmen.
Jurlsts. lawyers, physicians. educators
and citizens in order to Obtain all the
information they may have as well as
the opinions they entertain.
The questionnaire begins as follows:
What should be the attitude of the
Republlcan party toward the tendency
TO centrallze power in the Federal
government?
Three Schools of Thought
at is the old question OF states rights
born in the first constitutional CON
ventlon and now revivihed and BROUGHT
nome to the individual citizen by the
sharp pressure of centralized authority
made necessary in some measure by
the demands Of war. Now. as in the
past, those who give serious study to
the problem separate into three dis
rinct schools of thought.
FIRST. there are those who welcome
the subordlnation of state to Federal
authority on the ground that changed
economic and social conditions and
paramount necessity compel the inter
terence of the Federal government in
Inc 6Om6S-IN rnnCnrr. "a. .h, -.,.-..l
states. The members Of this group be-
lieve in the liberal Interpretation of
the Constitution and approve of widen
ing the scope of Federal authority
under the so-called welfare clause Of
the Consultation, and the implied now
ers derived therefrom.
second, there are those who repel
the idea Of Capitalization as tending
toward the socialistic state, and as
destructive OF the proper theory Of
local self-government, and as likely to
lead to the breakdown of the Federal
government through over expansion.
Third, there are those who believe
the Federal government should be
clothed with power to undertake any
governmental function which expert
ence indicates from time to time it
can administer in the interests of the
whole people more effectively than the
individual states"
The policy of the Republican party
IN the past has been stated in it's plat
form OF 1884. as follows:
The people Of the United States IN
their organized capacity constituted a
nation and not an American Fedora
tlon OF States. The national govern
ment is supreme within the sphere of
its national duties. and the states have
reserved rights which should be faith
fully maintained; each should be
guarded with jealous care that har-
mony throughout the system of gov
eminent may be preserved and the
union kept inviolate."
Party Attitude Asked
In order TO determine the views Of
the Republican voters as TO what the
proper attitude Of the party should
now be on this important issue. the
following questions have been selected
from those included in the question
naire:
What is your general attitude tow
ard the tendency to centralize power
III the Federal government?
"Should the war powers vested in
the President be Ga terminated at
the earliest possible moment, (b) be