Ohio Valley Panorama

The past and present applications of the Compact Clause of the United States Constitution have been explored elsewhere so clearly and amply that their further investigation would be unrewarding. The stated ground of decision in West Virginia ex rel. Dyer v. Sims opens up for the interstate compact a promising future as a device for co-operative government. A contrary decision would have seriously, indeed almost fatally, weakened the clause.

Adoption of proposed alternative reasons could have made its strength a matter of more menace than promise. The former conclusion is fairly obvious, the latter perhaps less so. The task of this discussion is to unravel the language and implications of the opinions to show what has been attained and what has been avoided.