Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-09-07
Organism Exposed.
The New YORK Republican Club Charges
the Bryan Party with "A Design 10
Pack the Supreme Court and Revers.
It's Decision.

The New YORK Republican Club ChArges
the Bryan Party with "A Design 10
Pack the Supreme Court and Revers.
It's Decision.
The following has been issued from Re-
publican national headquarters
1.-THE Republican club of New York CITY.
recognizing the grave danger overhanging
the public from the declared purpose Of
the Democrats radically to alter the com.
| plexion of the supreme court so as TO over
| turn its long-established conservative pol
| icy, and to obtain decisions in harmony
with the revolutionary ideas of the Bryan
ties, has prepared and urged careful pub
lie consideration of an article:
The article is headed Bryan Against
| Orderly Government and for Mob Rule"
begins by quoting Mr.. Bryan's declarations
before the Democratic national convention
of 1896, in which he denounced arbitrary
interference by the Federal authorities in
local affairs as violation of the constitu-
ton. Continuing, the article attacks the
Democratic party as follows:
The Chicago convention condemned
the supreme court for declaring the law
| levying an income tax unconstitutional.
The court does not declare an income tax
unconstitutional, but only the method pre-
scribed in that law for raising one.
'lt the present constitutional provision
is not wise, the remedy is by amendment
of that instrument, not by an assault upon
the court; yet the Democratic convention
referring TO the decision, appeals to power
which may come from its reversal by the
court as it may hereafter be constituted
IF this means anything it is threat to
| pack the court in case of Bryan's election
by the addition of judges pledged to re-
verse the decision. Such action would be
fatal to the independence and fairness Of
the court. Confidence IN courts and their
usefulness based on the idea that the
| judges approach a question without pre-
| conceived opinions and ready after argu-
ment to decide according to the law and
facts of the case. Argument before judges
whose minds are ready made up, appoint
ed TO render given decision, would be
farce did it not involve a crime.
at is not pertinent to argue, as Bryans
supporters sometimes do that courts prop
erly constituted occasionally become con-
WINGED that an earlier decision was erro-
neous and override it. The supreme court
now consists of nine judges. The number
is not limited by the constitution, and may
be increased by the act of Congress. In
addition to filling vacancies as they might
occur, Mr.. Bryan, together with Bryan
Congress, could easily add judges enough,
ten if necessary, to form majority to do
his bidding. The court so constituted,
would have power to reverse any of its de-
cisions, from the origin of the tribunal
more than a century ago to this day, many
of which lie at the foundation of our Re-
publican form of government. Every ques-
tion touching the Interpretation of the
constitution and its amendments might be
reopened and disposed of in a way to suit
him and his Populistic and Anarchistc
| allies.
"Thus, for the first time in the history
of the country national convention of
any party threatened to pack the supreme
court and condemned a President for en-
forcing the laws.
"The danger involved is greater and
more insidious than that confronting the
Republic in 1861 more insiduous, because
then the firing on Sumter was an object les
son visible to all, now argument is needed
to arouse the people; more dangerous, be-
cause then the division of the Union was
threatened, but each part would have been
| governed by law, now the foundations OF
all orderly government are assailed and
Anarchy awaits.