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The Commoner.
.. WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
LL
VOL. 7, NO..&9
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Lincoln, Nebraska, October II, 1907
Whole Number 351
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MUTINY BREWING
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DEFENDING THE 'STATES
"HELPLESS" : -' M
WHY NOT SUBMIT IT TO THE PEOPLE?
THE HAGUE COURT
THE LABOR ORGANIZATION
HERE IS A PLAN
BEGINNING LIFE
WASHINGTON LETTER
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
COMMENT ON CURRENT TOPICS
HOME DEPARTMENT
;, WHETHER COMMON OR NOT'
f" NEWS OF THE WEEK
Defending the States
AND THE PEOPIiE PAY
The Chicago Record-Herald presents the
following "as the essential facts about the Stand
ard Oil company's pipe line under Central Park,
New, fork:
Cost, $40,000.
Rental paid the city, for use of ground, per
year, $159.
Rental paid .by 'the National Transit com
pany for use of the pipe line between 1200 and
1905, per year, about 1,191,145.
And the people "pay the freight."
An important memorial was prepared by
the attorneys of tho various states represented
at tho national meeting of attorneys general
held at St. Louis last week. Mr. Hadley, attor
new general of Missouri, was made president
of the association; Mr. Malone, attorney general
of Massachusetts, vice president, and Mr. Dick
son, attorney general of Colorado, secretary and
treasurer. It will be noticed that all three of
the officers are republicans, although Attorney
General Davidson, of Texas, Attorney General
Fletcher, of Mississippi, Attorney General Gar
ber, of Alabama, and a number of other officials
from democratic states took part in the meeting.
The memorial prepared by these gentlemen and
to be presented to congress reads as follows:
"Whereas, The efficient administration, ns
well as tho preservation of our dual system of
government requires" that each sovereignty be.
permitted to cxcrcisoMte functions ns defined by
the federal constitution unhampered by the
pther; therefore be it
"Resolved, By tho convention of attorneys
general of thc several states here assembled,
tlint wo earnestly recommend td the favorable
consideration of the president aaiithc congress
of the United States tho enactment of a federal
law providing that no circuit court .of the United
States or any judge exercising powers of such
circuit courts .shall have jurisdiction in any cose
brought to restrain any officers o'f'a state or any
administration board of a state from instituting
in a state court any suit or other appropriate
proceeding to enforce tho laws offsuch state, or
to enforce any order made by such administra
tive board, but allowing any person or corpora
tion asserting in any such action in a state court
any right arising under tho constitution or any
laws of the United States to have the decision of
the highest court of such state reviewed by tho
supremo court of the United States as now pro
vided by law.
"We also recommend tliat suits hi federal
circuit courts by persons interested in corpora
tions to restrain such corporations from obeying
the laws of states in which they are doing busi
ness be prohibited."
Tho doctrine set forth la tho above me
morial Is democratic doctrine; it is in harmony
with tho position which tho democratic party
has ever taken, namely that the distinction be
tween the federal government and the sta'ea
shall be observed according to tho spirit of tho
constitution. The memorial is also in harmony
with the platform recently adopted by tho dem
ocrats of Nebraska. The United States judges
have 'fallen into the habit of suspending tho
laws of the states at the request of tho railroads,
and as a result the states bavo been handicapped
in their efforts to restrain or regulate such cor
porations. No corporation Is denied justice
when it is compelled to submit its claim to the
state courts and then go up by appeal from tho
highest state court to tho supreme court of the
United States. It Is gratifying to know that
even the republican officials of the various states
aroi beginning to recognize the Importance of the
states as a regulator of corporations, and every
democrat in congress has given quick and con
stant support to the movement inaugurated by
the attorneys general.
Corporations doing business in tho state
ought to submit themselves to the laws of the
state. The fact that one stockholder may live
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