Evening star., 1923-04-11
Politics at Large
BY N. O. MESSENGER.


resentment against his contemplated
official trip to Alaska being made to ap-
pear in the light of a political CAM
paign journey through the states in
support of his possible candidacy for
denomination. He will not tolerate be-
ing placed in any such attitude and
would remain home rather than have
it SO construed: The President esd. It's is go
formation Of conditions in long neg
lected territory. While crossing the
country he will naturally be called
upon to make addresses. but they will
not all be partisan and certainly not
In the vein Of candidate for political
ONCE.
Politicians expect to find reflection
in politics of Mondays decision of the
United States Supreme Court declar-
ing the minimum wage law of the
District of Columbia-and, fnferen-
TALLY. similar laws enacted by the
legislatures of a number of states
unconstitutional
The first reaction is expected to be
increased demand for legislation pre-
venting the decision of constitutional
questions by a bare majority of one,
and also the demand for practically
what would amount to referendum
to the people on constitutional deci-
sions. Agitation has already COM
menced on these lines. AS this deci-
sion affects labor directly. and espe-
cially woman labor, II is calculated
to attract the attention of womens
political and civic organizations.
The decision in the minimum wage
case was by a vote of 3 to 3. with
Mr.. Justice Brandeis refraining from
voting. In other words, five out of
nine justices declared the act uncon-
stitutional. Whether Mr.. Justice
Brandeis would have voted with the
M iYl0 m fn
one is authorized to say.
Senator Borah of Idaho introduced
a bill in the Senate last February
seeking to designate the vote neces-
sary to declare an act of Congress
unconstitutional. This provided that
in all suits now pending. or which
may hereafter be pending. in the Su-
preme Court of the United States,
! except cases affecting ambassadors.
other public ministers and consuls
and those to which a state shall be
a party, where is drawn in question
an act of Congress on the ground of
repugnancy to the Constitution of the
| United States. at least seven mem
| bers of the court shall concur before
pronouncing said law unconstitu-
| tional." Senator-elect Fess suggests
| a two-thirds majority. If these plans
are proposed in the next Congress
they are expected to elicit vigorous
discussion.
Another angle to the decision in
| the minimum wage case is declared
| likely to attract the attention of labor
and employers alike. and possibly the
! farmers. Mr.. Justice Sutherland. in
the opinion voicing the Supreme
Courts decision in the case. said:
Finally. it may be said that If, in
the interest Of the public welfare, the
police power may be invoked TO
justify the fixing of minimum wage.
| it may when the public welfare Is
thought TO require 1t be invoked to
justify a maximum wage. The power
to fix high wages connotes by like
course the reasoning power TO hx low
wages. If in the face of the guaran-
| ties of the fifth amendment this form
of legislation shall be legally justi-
4 fed. the field for the operation OF the
police power will have been widened
| to a great and dangerous degree. II,
| for example, in the opinion Of future
lawmakers. wages in the building
trades shall become so high as to
preclude people of ordinary means
from building and owning homes, an
authority which sustains a minimum
wage will be invoked to support
maximum wage LOT DullOlHE ldOOIeTs
and artisans. and the same argument
which has been here urged to strip
the employer of his constitutional llb-
| erty of contract in one direction Will
be utilized to strip the employe of
his constitutional liberty of contract
! In the opposite direction. A wrong
! decision does not end with itself; 1t
| is a precedent. and with the swing of
| sentiment it's bad influence may run
from one extremity of the arc to the
| other"
| 8 X x xx
1 President Hardings return to the
| capital served to set a-boiling the po-
! litical cauldron, which will continue
| to seethe with increasing energy in
| the coming weeks. The first subject
| of general comment and discussion
was the presumed activity of the op-
| ponents Of President Harding's world
court project. Secretary of State
| Hughes and Secretary Of Commerce
proposal that the United States join
| the court. saw President Harding
| fright off the bat" upon his return and
the political writer's concluded that nat
urally they called at the White House
! to forestall the opponents Of the pro-
, posal. Nobody but the three OF them
| knows what was said. They may
have gone over to merely shake
hands or to take important routine
matters of their respective depart
ments.
| Through the underground channels
Of report and deduction came out
| within twenty-four hours of the
Presidents return downright state
pat" on his recommendation to the
Senate that the United States enter
the court, with such reservations. of
course, as the Senate in its wisdom
may see fit to stipulate. 1t Is natu-
raj to assume that he has not
ted the proposal to the Senate. de-
spite the objections of republican
faction in that body.
x x X y
| Much ado Is being made over the
danger of a split in the republican
party II the President continues to
urge his court project at the coming
session of Congress. In some official
quarters there is suspicion that this
! menace is being exaggerated by what
| Is classed as a minority of republf-
cans. not threateningly formidable in
numbers. but bellicose and vehement
in expression. Unoft1cial polls of the
| Senate have resulted, 1t is claimed d,
| in disclosing the required majority in
the Senate favorable to President
Harding's proposal, with a prepon-
derating sentiment among republican
| senators.
There is a recognized irreconcilable
group of republicans In the Senate
opposed to anything even squirting
favorably toward the league of ma
tions, and they look suspiciously at
the Presidents proposition, avowing
that it shifts as IL scented with the
odor of the league, which to them Is
anathema.
| X y X X
| The supporters OF the Presidents
| la.nni4inn daclara fhaf fhara ir