Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-21
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


/ United States, one Of the three CO.
| ordinate branches of our Government,
is about to have permanent homo
under the 5000 600 Federal building,
plan on site long held in mind, fac
! ing the Capitol and next-door neigh
Dor to the Library of Congress.
In the $165,000,000 public building
| act passed by the last session of Con-
gress, which includes $50.000,OOO for
Federal buildings in Washington,
| there is specific provision that the
Public Buildings Commission shall Sc
! lect a site for the Supreme Court
| Building. Chief Justice Taft and the
associate Justices are practically
agreed on the site. While the Public
Buildings Commission has yet taken
! no definite action, there is little doubt
| that the site between East Capitol and
| Maryland avenue, First and Second
streets northeast will be selected. The
commission in a comprehensive report
! in 1917 says:
'.The United States Supreme Court
| has been located in the Capitol ever
since its creation, even going with the
| legislative body when the Capitol was
burned in 1914. Although in size 1t
| is the smallest of the three coordinate
branches of the Government, it has
! the distinction of being a creation
unique among governmental activi-
| ties. Holding possession of the former
I Senate chamber, 1t sits in a room f1ne
in it's proportions. The quarters as
! signed to the law library are not
adequate, or are the other rooms used
| by the clerical force sufficient for
the service imposed upon them. 1t
has long been considered probable that
some day the court win request a
building of it's own, which preferably
should be located on the square fac
ing the Capitol grounds, adjacent to
that now occupied by the Library of
Congress. Until the court initiates
the movement for a new building, or
until the demand for space in the
Capitol for legislative purposes shall
I force the court to seek new quarters,
determination of these questions may
be held in allegiance"
Woman's Building ON Site.
The court has now initiated the
movement for new building" the
Public Buildings Commission is
authorized by law to select a site, and
William r. Stansbury, clerk of the
court, and Frank K. Green, marshal,
are preparing statement for the
commission covering the needs of the
court. The NationSal Woman's Party
now occupies historic building on
the proposed site and has plans ma.
| turing for the erection of an fmpos.
ing structure. The leaders consulted
with Senator Smoot, chairman of the
Public Buildings Commission. who ad.
vlSed them not to build at this time.
| thus indicating that an official an,
nouncement will be made soon regard.
ing the intention of using that land
Tor the Supreme Court Building,
Inc party headquarters, at the
southeast corner of First and a
streets northeast, is known as s'the
Brick CAPITOL because Congress CON
vened here during 1915 Here also
the inauguration of President Mon
roe took place in 1917. Here John G..
Calhoun died in 1850, as is shown By
q memorial tablet. On the samassite
during the Civil War the building was
occupied as prison, and SO it is also
called the Old Capitol Prison" 1T
was built in 1900 as a tavern.
The only question about this site
seems to be whether the entire area
between East Capitol and b streets
and First and Second streets should
be taken or the portion between Mary
! land avenue and East Capitol street.
The Methodist Building occupies the
other triangle. If the entire area is
| taken and A street and Maryland
avenue closed between Second street
and the Capitol grounds the develop
| ment would be of the same size and
would balance the Library Of Congress
site. Those who are most interested
in the symmetrical planning of the
Capitol surroundings and who are
looking toward the future are in
favor of this larger plan. 1t has been
proposed that the Government
eventually acquire the Methodist
Building for some other Federal ac-
tfvity and this is advocated by the
Commission Of Fine Arts.
Two Objections Made.
The principal objections to the
larger site are: I'D The Supreme
Court is a relatively small organ
ization and really does not need as
large a building as the Library of
Congress; and (2) Maryland avenue
is an important traffic thoroughfare
| from the northeast entrance to the
Capital City.
The answer is that the Supreme
| Court has never had anything like
the space it needs for proper conduct
| of its duties and betting its inn
portance. 1t represents one-third
of the Government, balancing and
harmonizing all of its parts, a .tri-
bunal which has received the general
| approval and admiration of foreign
| jurists and statesmen and which
commands the respect and confidence
of the more than 10000, 900 people
for whom it administers Justice.
This tribunal was created under the
Constitution framed by the Federal
convention of 1887, composed mostly
of the legal profession, but with
Washington. the soldier, presiding,
and Franklin, the philosopher, ad-
vised at every step.
1t was to establish Justice for the
people of the United States under the
new venture In self-government that
the Federal judiciary with the Supreme
Court as its head was created. II
forms the balance wheel by which the
affairs of the Nation and its relation
to the States are kept in working
order, and is itself held in check by
the power of the President to appoint
it's members as vacancies may occur
also by the power of Congress to i'm
peach them for misconduct, to regu.
/ late the masure of its appellate juris
diction, and to increase or diminish its
numbers. The permanent stability OF
the judicial power Is assured by its
being Embedded in the Constitution
with jurisdiction coordinate with
that of the executive and legislative
departments.
Others Get Appropriations.
| Congress, the legislative branch, has
4 its own building and provides addition.
al buildings as 1t needs them. Con.
gress hasSalways approved appropria,
4 lions sufficient to meet the recommen.
| dations OF the President for the execu,
| tive establishment. 1t would come
with poor grace now for Congress to
| refuse to approve the recommends.
lions of the third coordinate branch
1 the Supreme Court.