Imperial Valley press., 1944-06-08
STATES RIGHTS-l944 MODEL
(San Diego Union)


One feature of the recent Governors
Convention at Hershey, Pa, which must
have seemed something of paradox to
readers of American history was the APP
pearance of large group of northern
Republican governors as champions Of
states rights. The role so ably carried
bv John c. Calhoun and his colleagues
of the Old South from the 1S30's through
the COS has been transferred, through
the evolution of our government, to the
executive heads of dozen states of the
north.
Among the list of conspicuous Repub
lican governors protesting the INVASION
of state prerogatives by the federal gov
ernment we find Saltonstall of Massa-
chusetts (shades of Daniel Webster),
Dewey of New York, Warren of Califor-
MIA. Bricker of Ohio, Griswold of Nabras-
ka and Baldwin of Connecticut. unique
incident of the proceedings was sharp
interchange between Democratic Cover
nor Neely of West Virginia as an oppo-
nent of the states rights plea, with Repub-
lican Governor Bricker of Ohio as the de-
fender Two Democratic governors,
Schmicker of Indiana and McGrath OF
Rhode Island. Joined with the Republl-
can champions.
Governor Saltonstall summarized the
sentiments of his fellow executives In
declaration that I'VE want the country
to be governed from the bottom up and
not from the top down. Other speakers
condemned the intrusion of the federal
government into the states through sub
sides, hinged upon state compliance
with federal demands, as device for
L l +bo to$ n of
the states to be returned in the form of
largeSSe.
1t is true that these northern advo-
Gates of states rights today are fighting
a different fight from that which pre-
vailed with such bitterness prior to the
War Between the States. They are not
champoning any right of notification
or withdrawal But they are challeng
ing threat of most ominous import to
continued representative government.
Already the federal government has
mon employees in many states than the
state governments. 1t has increased the
subsidies to states from S217, 100000 in
1892 to S744, 100000 in 1941 and cOntin-
ues steadily to augment them. From 22
percent of ti1 total taxes collected in
the country in 1892. the federal govern
ment's proportion had grown to 80 per-
cent in 1939-prior to the war. Little
by little the general government has in
vaded the tax resources of the states,
until the citizen not only carries a dOu
BILE or treble load. but state revenues
stand threat of serious depletion in
case substantial business recession fol-
lows the war.
TIE vast extension of federal bureaus,
dealing with almost every phase of the
citizens activity, has brought duplica-
tion and frequently a conflict of func-
tioning The extent to which this evil
has developed is indicated by the fact
that in many states business and indus
try are being obliged to call upon the
courts to determine questions of juris-
dction Federal regu lations, more COM
p,cx and in many instances more burden
some than those of the state harass bus
mess and add to its expense of operation.
The new champions of states rights
are fighting vital cause. based upon
no less authority than the United States
Constitution: "The powers not delegat-
ed to the United States by the Constitu-
ton, nor prohibited bv it to the States,
are reserved to the States respectively,
or to the people"