Evening star., 1922-06-07
The Supreme Court in
United States History

angry denunciations and threats OF
punishment by those same partisans
upon perhaps the next occasion OF
announcement.
Mr.. Warren notes, with abundant
veriflcation,, the fact that the partisan
politics of men who have been sum-
moned to this bench has not IN any
case swayed the court from the true
line of strict Justice. Man after man
has ascended the bench, perhaps fresh
from politicA life, and put on the
silk and witR 1t has become an I'M
partial Judge, ruling often against the
interests and the cherished policies OF
the marty to which he lately belonged.
Steadfastly from the outset the su-
preme Court has, as Mr. warren
clearly shows in his analysis OF Its
decisions, stood for a strong federal
government, and yet without wrong
to the rights Of the states. in the eye
Of the higher law of the land and the
fundamental principles Of the Con-
stitution. This court has, in short, been
a factor-and, indeed, 1t was in the
early days almost the sole enectlW
factor,rfor the maintenance of sta
BILE, enduring governmental organl-
cation.
So much has happened within the
century and more. during which the
Supreme Court has sat in interpreta-
tion of the laws, that Its earlier his
tory has been generally forgotten or
II remembered has been blurred in the
minds of most citizens. 1t is. there
fore. well to read such a work as that
Of Mr.. Warren to understand the
forces against which 1t proceeded on
its way as that stabilizing force.
Threats of abolition OF the court as
a whole. Impeachment of judges indi-
criminal laws because of certain deci-
sions-against all these the court
went on its way, undeterred. unafraid.
| answering in its devotion to the
principles which 1t was seeking point
by point to enunciate.
It is we'll to read the comments
upon the Supreme Courts various
| rulings on important issues, such as
those that Mr.. Warren quotes freely
in judicious selection to reveal the
background of the courts record
Frank as they are. the criticisms Of
today are mild in comparison with
those of century ago. In letters.
in editorials, in pamphlets and in
speeches in Congress and elsewhere
the court was denounced in terms of
unrestrained condemnation. Justices
were cited by name with scathing
epithets of opprobrium. At times
such bitter reproaches and such furi-
Gus accusations were uttered almost
in the very ears of the court, which
sat practically within the sound of
the voices Of representatives and SEN
atorS.
Yet with the rarest exceptions
these attacks were unnoticed and the
court was uninfiuenced by them. 1t
| was a storm center for many years.
1t had to win the confidence of the
principles. regardless of reproof or
praise. irrespective of changing political
conditions. Indifferent to obligations
claimed by partisans and sometimes
seemingly in retrogression. Yet.
viewed as a whole il will be seen,
through such work as that just Of
fered. that the court has moved in
logical development, consistently and
steadfastly.
The names of the great jurists who
have sat upon the bench are more or
less familiar to the present genera
ton. but Mr.. Warren brings them to
view intimately, offering cotempo-
rary word portraits as well as a
judicious selection of actual portraits.
Copious footnotes add richly to the
information of the work, which is
the result of deep research and a
! most effective arrangement
To read three-volume book is re-
Sarded by many people as for
bidding task. But rarely has a three
volume work come from the press
| that invites such profitable reading
| as this story of the most powerful,
the most learned and the most in
| duential court in existence