The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-04-22


Indeed it is generally the revolution In the direction
of reaction which precedes and induces the consequent
revolution in favor of radicalism.
That this endeavor, then, to persuade the Supreme
Court to attempt revolutionary usurpation OF power,
even temporarily successful may eventually lead to
civil war and counter revolution by force, Is de-
monstrabe to any who will give the matter serious
consideration
If by unconstitutional means the powers of the
President should be taken away, that would be revo
lutionary act 80 If by unconstitutional means Con-
gress should be deprived of its powers that would be
q revolutionary act.
But what shall be said of an act which takes away
from the PEOPLE THEMSELVES the power over
their own Constitution which they have established
takes away from the people the control Of their organic
law and Establishes their public servants their
MASTERS?
What shall be said of an act which would over
throw not only the power of the Government but Of
the AMERICAN PEOPLE, the source of all power,
and set up as dctators with the combined powers Of
the President Congress, courts and people nine old
fashioned gentlemen Of the Supreme Court appointed
for fe and selected theoretically for their ability
lawyers but certainly not for their ability as statesmen
and economists?
No man who reads his country's history thought
fully can consider the danger Of civil war and revolu
ton too remote for apprehension the game the great
propertied interests for whom Root is audaciously
speaking in the name Of liquor, is played successfully
before the Supreme Court
The thoughtless man will perhaps ask how hve
being majority Of the nine mellowed old gentlemen on
the Supreme Court, and without the executive and
organising experience and ability necessary to the
establishment of arbitrary power by force can create
q revolution.
But these judge4 will not, personally, ORGANIZE
the reactionary revolution nor personally precptase
the counter radical revolution.
They will merely strike the spark into the finder
which the reactionary elements have been accumulat
ing in this country for a good many years
They will write the formula; they will sound the
tocsn; they will create psychology which the reac
tonaes feel will be necessary for the successful carry
ing out of their revolutionary designs.
They will paraylze the Independent judgment OF the
Realistically and commercially minded lawyers
They will give all the kept newspapers the oppor-
tunity to be supporting law and order in their
cry for reactionary revolution.
The Supreme Court, though battered as leaders,
will be used merely as fgureheads.
Their decision that the American people cannot
change their Constitution though of more righteous
authority than a similar statement by hve parrots
trained by Mr. Root, would yet give courage to those
who are in the reactonary conspiracy to attempt to
carry it out and will discourage many thousands Of
tmd patriotic citizens Notwithstanding the fact that
these patriots opposed to revolutions reactonary
or radical and have the most to lose by despotism
the one hand and disorder the other.
This reactonary conspiracy has been brewing ever
since the last Congressional election badly defaulted
by the progressive forces and since President Wilson's
great apostacy from democracy In his message to the
session of Congress assembling after that election
Then every reactionary, profteer and expoiter, in
fact the whole plunderbund out Of their holes to
take q look at the weather.
They found a tame Congress, an apostate President
who had turned his back American affairs to 60 Don
Quixoting on the European stage
So the reactionaries found the wind blowing in
their direction and needing only velocity to
turn some embarrassing democratic bulwarks.
This velocity they proceeded to give it by huge
propaganda calculated to create hystera concerning the
danger of red revolution under of which they
could bring about the real revolution of reaction.
Roots argument will have more effect upon the
judges than Websters argument in the Dartmouth Col
lege affected the court when those who hated
democracy in his day wanted the court to limit the
power of the States in certain directions limited by