The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1930-04-22
POLITICAL
MIRACLE Gan
SAVE JUDGE
PrOgressiVes and Democrats
Joined by Many Regular !
Republicans in Opposition
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES

~~S@N0S@S
President Hoover faced defeat
In the Senate today In his nom.
inatiop of Judge John j. Parker
OF North Carolina, to fill the
vacancy on the United States
Supreme Court b CHI.
Withdra; ial of Judge Parker's
name was reported impending,
Tor his rejection by the Senate is
considered certain If it is allowed
TO go to q vote.
Hoover Embarrassed
The Judiciary Committee voted
10 to 8 against his confirmation,
which is almost tantamount to
final rejection. Rarely. if ever.
has the Sentae confirmed a man
on whom its Judiciary Committee
has turned thumbs down. In the
case Of a Supreme Court nominee
it has never done SO.
Confronted with such a Situa-
ton. friends Of both Judge
Parker and President Hoover
were advising tho North Carolina
juriSt to ash that his name be
withdrawn-thus escaping the
formal rejection by the Senate
and at the same time relieving
Mr.. Hoover of embarrassment.
President Hoover was repre-
sented as unwilling himself to
take the withdrawal initiative.
AT the White House. i; was stated
the President was standing by his
choice and would not surrender.
Have No Precedent
But others were at work to find
an escape from a situation that
Is almost if not quite without
parallel in the history Of the
country.
To. have candidate for the
Chief JuSticeShip confirmed only
after the StiffeSt kind of a fight.
and then with IS -4egative votes
cast against him, and to have
another justice rejected in the
space OF two months is a lot that
falls to few Presidents. The old
est attache about the Capitol
could not recall anything like it.
The opposition to Judge Parker
comes from two sources = or
ganized labor. because Of his up
holding the so-called yellow dog"
contracts in the West Virginia
mine regions, and from negro as
SociationS, because of q state
ment attributed to him 10 years
ago, while a candidate for the
governorShip Of North Carolina.
that he would rather be defeated
than elected by a single negro
vote.
Negro Influence Strong
OF the two. the negro opposi-
ton has proved by far the most
formidable. The vote in the Ju-
dietary Committee to reject his
nomination was Illuminating.
The votes of three Senator'S
Robinson of Indiana, Deneen OF
Illinois, and Steiwer of Oregon,
all RepublicanS-accomplished the
result. Both Indiana and Illinois
have large negro populations.
And the negroes vote in those
States. Not infrequently their
votes have spelled the difference
between Republican victory and
defeat. In Oregon, the labor
vote is powerful.
Neither Robinson, Deneen nor
Steiwer can, by any stretch of
imagination, be called insurgents.
They are the most regular of
regulars. It does not seem
possible, barring miracles, that
Judge Parker can be confirmed.
Washington will be surprised If
there is not a withdrawal of the
name within a short time.
Can Win, Says Watson
Senator Watson tR.O of Indiana,
the majority leader, was closeted
with President Hoover for half
an hour this morning on the
Parker case. He was diSinclined
to talk, but said:
"If the Parker case is fought
out to final vote, think he
will be confirmed"