Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-23
Communications to Justices
Stone and Sanford Placed
in Probe Record.
SENATOR ROBINSON SAYS
PROCEDURE DISGUSTING
Pennsylvania Charged With TAX
ing Direct Action Against
18th Amendment.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A charge that the Association Against
the Prohibition Amendment had lob
bied directly with members of the
United States Supreme Court" was
made today before the Senate lobby
committee by Senator Robinson, Repub-
lican, Indiana.
Two letters to Justice Stone and one
to the late Justice Sanford, written by
Thomas w. Phillips, jr., of Pennsyl-
vania, had been placed in the Record.
cts the most annoying thing I ever
heard Of" Robinson said.
Phillips is a candidate for Governor
of Pennsylvania and is supported by the
Association Against the Prohibition
Amendment.
The letters to Stone were dated April
and 9, 1929.
The one to Sanford was dated March
80, 1929.
The letter Of April to Stone said, in
part:
What Letter Stated.
"It is indeed unfortunate that so
many men in public life, especially those
who have served for years and years in
Congress, in executive positions, and on
the bench, become for all practical pur-
poses out of touch with the busy work.
aday world.
I'm order to give you perhaps a new
slant as to how some men are thinking
and talking, a few days ago in the
course of my conversation with an ex-
ceptionally keen young attorney, VEN
tured to remark that there were very
many serious and far-reaching consti-
tutional questions relating to the eight
zenith amendment and enforcement
measures that had never been sub
mitted to the Supreme Court.
His comment took the form Of a
question, DO you have any idea that
the Supreme Court as now constituted
would have the moral courage to go
into this question thoroughly"
Second Communication.
The other letter to Stone said, in
1T seems to me that it was inten-
tional to provide two methods for
amending the constitution, one rather
easy one when the purpose Is merely to
clarity its evident meaning, correct
minor defects, or better provide for the
within defined limits; the other provid-
ing for conventions involving much con-
troversy, extending over considerable
length of time in case fundamental
changes are proposed, such as the sur
render of individual rights, State rights
or prospective changes in the form OF
government"
The letter to Sanford assailed the
Jones law as providing excessive fines
and cruel puniShmentS.
Again." it added, "it seems to me
that exorbitant bail-bail that places
and keeps a man untried Except by
DULLES brutally administering the third
degree) in jail indefinitely has become
quite common.
Government to Protect.
"f am even partially correct in
such surmise or suspicion, then law
makers and law administrators have
both forgotten the primary use of
language, and also that the purpose of
government Is to protect and that the
real excuse Of a constitution is to set
up some barrier against the persistent
encroachment on tyranny"
The letter added:
81 have but little doubt that If the
judiciary lies down on its job and fol-
lows the mob along the lines of least re-
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