12. In 1902, Lincoln Steffens and Claude Wetmore published the article below about St. Louis in McClure's magazine.
About 1890, public franchises and privileges were sought, not only for legitimate profit
and common convenience but for loot. Taking but slight and always selfish interest in
the public councils, the big men misused politics. The riff-raff, catching the smell of
corruption, rushed into the Municipal Assembly, drove out the respectable men, and
sold the city--its streets, its wharves, its markets, and all that it had-to the now greedy
businessmen and bribers.
Which type of activity does this article illustrate?
A. reporting by muckrakers
B. Social Gospel movement
C. government by city-manager
D. operation of settlement houses

B. Social Gospel movement

Explanation:

b) a state law could be declared illegal if it contradicted the constitution.

explanation:

the conflict of this case originated when james w. mcculloch, a cashier of the baltimore branch of the second bank of the united states that the congress had chartered in 1816, refused to pay a tax imposed by the maryland state.

in the case, the state of maryland appealed that the establishment of a second bank was unconstitutional since the constitution didn't say anything about granting that power to congress. however, the case determined that even if such right wasn't specifically stated in the constitution, it was part of the "implied powers" of the government enunciated in article i, section 8.

the case also eliminated maryland's legislation to impose taxes to a national bank, asserting that even though the states retained the power of taxation, the constitution's laws are supreme and can not be controlled by the states, therefore, if a state law contradicts the constitution, it should be declared illegal.

explanation: