Paragould soliphone. (Paragould, Ark.) 1918-1950, 1922-06-19
FLIRTING WITH ANARCHY.

In his speech before the American
Federation of Labor convention Sen
Iator LaFollette was like the biblical
ltempter of the Master. He took or
ganized labor to the top of high
mountain and pointed out all the
wealth of land and treasure that
would be its own if falling down it
would adore the shadow of anarchy
THAT turks behind the suggested at
tack upon the judicial system of the
nation.
Senator LaFollette has appeared
before the people in MANY daring
Iroles, but in none so menacing as
| his leadership of fight upon the
Integrity and power OF the United
Estates supreme court and the minor
federal courts. Just preceding our
entry into the great war and during
the early days of our participation
1.-THE senator from Wisconsin was
constantly flirting with sedition;
now he is flirting withFa movement
that might lead into the boys of
anarchy and chaos. NJ
| Because two recent decisions of
1.-THE United States supreme court have
ldispleased Senator LaFollette he
wants to .emasculate the whole fed
jeral Judiciary. One of these deci
sions declared invalid the second
federal statute, whose purpose was
to save young childden from the
ldwarfing drudgery OF sweat shop
labor. The ruling was as much of
!, a disappointment to all good citi-
zens as it was to Senator LaF'ol-
| lette and organized labor. But the
Isupreme court did not close the door
to those who would save the future
generation of men and women from
| the evil effects Of child labor. 1t
showed how the same results might
be secured legally through the en-
actment or state laws. The other de-
cision brought labor unions uner the
jurisdiction of the antitrust laws to
the extent hat the union organiza-
tion can be held liable for the dam
age done by strikers who interfere
with interstate, commerce. 1t was a
ruling that will appear just to fair
minded nonpartisan citizens, because
they swill not admit that an organi-
zation of workingmen, an organiza-
tion of farmers or any other organi
cation that might interfere with in
lterstate trade should be exempt from
the statute forbidding such interior
ence.
But upon these two decisions Sena
tor LaFollette proposes to take away
from the supreme court and the low
err federal courts the power to declare
a federal law unconstitutional He
would give the Congress the right of
veto over supreme court rulings by
a constitutional amendment that
the law over the head of the court
Now such scheme would not only
destroy the delicateiy adjusted sys-
TEN of checks and balances by which
government are co-ordinated and
prevented from trespass, but also
would it invalidate the constitution
itself. There must be some continu
the Congress with the constitution,
for If there were not we would find
laws directly contradictory enacted
when there was a change of political
government. But the constitution
cannot face both ways and the up
/ shot of supreme legislative power
would certainly be the passage of
some provision of our national char
ter.
| Senator LaFollette uses the veriest
sophism when he declares that five
given superior powers in law making
to the national law-making body
Through their right to declare laws
unconstitutional. The court has no
lifOtt DONtA VI lcE loldtlOli,
of securing the passage of bills, or
of defeating those that accord with
the constitution than any other
body of citizens. 1t cannot approve
| a law in conflict with the constitu-
ton, even though it believes its
purpose to be good, as it made evil
dent in the language used in the
child labor decision; nor can it dis
iapproye q law in conformity with
the constitution, no matter how bad
lit might consider it
There is no possibility of the La
Toilette plan ever being adopted, but
there is great probability that the
attack being made on the federal
courts will breed disrespect for and
resistance to the whole judiciary. In
every lawsuit there must be q win
ner and loser, and If the losers
were to unite to take the power away
from the courts the result would
be nothing else than anarchy and
chaos. The basic principle of our
T. 4. n