Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-08-09
BAR PRESIDENT
LAUDS CONSTITUTION
AssaiIs Labor Amendment Which
Proposes Courts Shan't In
validate Laws
CBy Associated Pressl

.Cdli L dllNloNO, aug. III
1 American people should be taught
that the federal constitution and
laws and the courts that interpret
them do not destroy but preserve
their liberties, declared Cordenio
A. Severance. president OF the
American Bar Association, in
opening the annual meeting OF
the association here today.
A proposed constitutional
amendment to prevent courts de-
claring laws unconstitutional, he
cited as a sample "of an innova-
tidn that would take away the
liberties of the people by giving
Congress unchecked power" He
declared influences from Soviet
Russia were seeking to over
throw the American government
by force, if necessary.
IF the proposed constitutional
amendment should be adopted,
not only would Congress have un-
limited right to deal with subjects
that have always been looked up
on as belonging to- the states and
reserved for their exclusive cog
nizance, but it would wipe out the
BIZ of Rights and all the protec-
ton that it gives to the people.
1T is matter of real concern
that the American Federation of
Labor approved the proposed
amendment, and such action by
the representatives of SO large an
organization is mymptimatic OF
very serious condition of the
public mind"
In an address entitled The
Constitution and Individualism, "
he traced the development of
american liberty as sheltered and
protected by the constitution and
by the judicial interpretations
placed upon it and declared that
growing tendency toward cen
tralization of power in the hands
of the government was danger
10 the people.
The fact that men will not la
for with diligence unless they can
enjoy the fruits of their toll is
ignored by those who preach com
munish and denounce the cxal5.
ton of the individual" he said. !
They forget that the selfshness
which would take from the indus
trious that which he has achieved. !
for distribution among the whole, |
is far greater than the selhshness
of the man who seeks to possess
bit Of land for the exclusive use
OF himself and his family"
Although each change of life
caused by modern inventions, !
such as railroads, telegraph, pipe
lines, and even airplanes and ra-
do has fitted in with the consti- |
tuition, he said, late agencies of
thought have attempted to substi-
tute bureaucratic authority for !
the individual responsibility and |
self reliance.
IF we do not check the tenden-
cy to set up a bureaucratic gov
ernment at Washington we invite
disaster" he declared. The wise /
men who wrote the constitution /
did not intend to place the citizen
in leading strings. If legislators
are permitted. to run riot under!
the pretended exercise of police
power, the constitutional graran-ll
tees for the protection Of Liberty
and property will be destroyed.
"If contracts between individ-
uals truly private in character can
be rendered valueless by the fact
Of a bare majority of legislative
body, under the plea of necessity
or emergency, and if the legisla-
ture is permitted to be the un-
hampered judge of the existence
of such necessity or emergency,
what becomes of the constitu-
tional provision guaranteeing
such contracts immune from leg
iSlatiye attack"