| Show STATES SHOULD WAKE UP detroit free in his first general message to congress the president scolie of the employed emp loyes liability lav as among the excellent laws which congress passed at its haaf session he added that it did not go far enough and should be so amended as to place upon the employer the entire risk of a trade it Is this law that a tedoray court has declared unconstitutional because the act only created and imposed a liability upon certain common carriers to their employed emp loyes and in no way prescribes rules for carrying on traffic or commerce among the states whether this opinion will be confirmed on appeal or not it finds confirmation in common sense if the federal legislation was justified under the provision giving congress the power to regulate interstate commerce but the obligation of lawmakers is not terminated by a conclusion that has no control or only partial control over the matter of employers liability it raises again the question of the conduct of the several state log hla tures half the self assumed authority of congress to make laws that infringe on the rights of states is due to the failure of the states to act themselves local legislatures are so given up to senatorial conflicts for patronage and to increasing the number of state institutions that the interest in state government bas dwindled away until it Is vastly exceeded by municipal questions but it does not follow that there Is nothing for state legislatures to do uniform divorce laws child labor laws and dozens of other matters that now enlist the attention of the federal lawmakers would be taken from them if the states would taake up they arc waking up and when lq awakening is complete there will b e no demand tor relief through action of the national congressi and abc the expense of a test of the elasticity of the inelastic federal constitution legislatures have been somnolent selfish indifferent to their obligations and ignorant of their functions states matters have become less important than municipal matters because state legislatures have neglected their duties |
