The atmosphere of the session was that of States’ rights, but it was a new States’ rights, a purified, finer, higher recognition by the States of their individual right and duty of self-government within their Constitutional limitations.  It meant no lessening of interest in the Federal Government or of respect and honor of it.  It was as a family of sons growing closer together, strengthened as individuals and working to solve those problems they have in common, and to make their own way rather than to depend in weakness on the father of the household to manage all their affairs and do their thinking for them.  To him should be left the watchfulness of the family as a whole, not the dictation of their individual living.

President Taft had no part in the Conference, but in an address of welcome to the Governors at the White House showed his realization of the vital possibility of the meeting in these words: 

“I regard this movement as of the utmost importance.  The Federal Constitution has stood the test of more than one hundred years in supplying the powers that have been needed to make the central Government as strong as it ought to be, and with this movement toward uniform legislation and agreement between the States I do not see why the Constitution may not serve our purpose always.”

AUGUSTUS E. WILLSON[1]

Governor of Kentucky

[Footnote 1:  The following letters are reprinted by permission from a collection of such commentaries from Cottier’s Weekly.]

President Roosevelt held two conferences of Governors, and as a member of a committee chosen to do so, I have invited the Governors of all of the States and Territories to meet at the White House in Washington, January 18th, 19th, and 20th.

The conference has no legal authority of any kind.  At the previous conferences, the conservation subject was the one chiefly thought of, and it will be brought up in the next conference.  The question of what the Governors will recommend on the income-tax constitutional amendment may come up.  The matter of handling extradition papers is important.  Uniform State laws on matters of universal interest, school laws, road laws, tax laws, commercial paper, warehouse receipts, bills of lading, etc.; the control of corporations, of which taxation is one branch, the action of the States in regard to water-powers within the States; marriage, divorce, wills, schools, roads, are all within the range of this conference, and the agreement of all of the Governors on some of these subjects, and by many of them on any, would be of useful influence.

The meeting has further interest and importance in being for two days in touch with the National Civic Federation, which will afford all of the Governors a chance to learn what that association of many of the most prominent men of this country is doing, and get the benefit of its discussions and the pleasure of being acquainted with many leaders of thought and action in the country, who will attend its sessions.