davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1932-10-13

ests or domestic policy or personal
honor. They will not withhold their
consent until from the womb Of the
indefinite future there shall emerge q
written code Of laws to govern their
conduct toward one another. But read
ing the past for the lessons that 1t gives
and trusting the future for its promise,
they will with loyalty abide slle deci-
sion Of this impartial arbiter, Guided
by the terms of their mutual compact
and the fundamental principles Of right
and justice among men.
And, finally, and perhaps In usage
loftier still this house Is to be the
house of refuge for all such as are op-
pressed. Here, armed in his native
right, one man alone Is to prove
stronger than q thousand. We rest our
Government upon the consent OF the
governed; we recognize q numerical ma
jority as the organ and expression Of
that consent; but we resolutely refuse
to accept the voice Of the people as
the omnipotent voice of God. Over
against the greed. or malice. or ignor-
ance, or unwisdom Of the majority we
raise q barrier Of constitutional right
that 1t dare not cross, and behind which
mems liberties are to remain as secure
from the tyranny of the crowd Is from
the tyranny Of king. Fleeing then to
this altar, an oppressed minority-its
humblest member, even, Is to find raised
over him the shield and buckler of the
law, and standing in its august shadow
Is to bid defiance to the clamorous mul-
titude who would rob him of his liberty
or his life.
1t is for these purposes and to such
ends We lay this corner stone May it
prove well and truly laid: established in
order and enduring in strength. In the
days to come, when enemies within or
enemies without shall affiict the peo-
pie; when a famine of patriotism or a
murrain Of self-seeking shall blast the
land; when men, knowing each the
plague Of his own heart, shall turn to
this house and spread forth their hands
then may justice of the scales and
sword in this her dwelling place hear
their supplication and give unto each
according to his righteousness. May
those who shall speak and those who
shall give audience here labor together
to that sacred end.
Evening star., 1932-10-13
Text of Chief Justices Response

tbs Constitution would not have
been ratified; to Marshall, who ce-
mented the Union; to the long line
of judges who, however differing In
opinion IN individual instances, have
been tmbued with q common and
absorbing purpose and have applied
constitutional provisions to concrete
cases under the watchful eye of q
critical people. with such measure
Of success that the fundamental
conceptions of limited governmental
powers and Of individual liberty have
persisted despite crises Of disruption
and expansion and still remain tri-
umphant and unyielding. In this
testimonial to the labors Of 145
years, the strife of parties, the an
tagonisms Of personalities, the Bit
terness Of particular controversies
are all forgotten. This monument
beSpeaks the common cause. the
,unifying principle Of our Nation.
" A World Of Unrest
We are In . time Of keen distress
and widespread misgfving. 1t Is q
world Of unrest. The perennial
strife with lawlessness has assumed
new aspects and has brought society
to new and serious tests Of its ability
to protect itself. Few, II any, have
the gift Of prophecy.
This edifice. however, attests con-
fdence. It suggests permanence--
not the permanence OF stone ana
steel, but of an idea; not, In this
respect, of particular formulas, but
of a conception Of the basic needs OF
our organized society. That conf
dence and suggestion Of permanence
spring no doubt from belief that
our people have political instincts
and convictions which are not like
ly to be uprooted; that government
OF the people, for the people, by the
people, notwithstanding all short
conlings, Is not to perish; that such
a Government will continue to have.
as it has had, its written prescrip-
tions to secure distribution and limi-
tation Of governmental powers: that
our territory Is too vast and our po-
litical concerns too various to per-
NIT Of an absolute centralization OF
authority; that distribution and
limitation of powers under q written
constitution cannot be maintained
without an arbiter, as far removed
dS ID pIdCllCcAy pooAbiC 3iOAh sAS
disputes of parties and the manipu-
lations Of groups dominated by self
ish interests: that In some practt-
cable way the talent Of the Nation
for impartial determinations ac-
cording to constitutional principles
must find effective expression.
In estimating the basis for that
confidence, We are well aware that
we cannot find 1t in factlities-n
structures, however beautiful and
commodious, or in symbols and me-
MORALS, however appropriate. In
laying the corner stone of this tenn
pie, our thought is centered upon
the temple not made with hands.
the eternal temple Of justice. and
upon the worship in that unseen
temple of the spirit, which will con-
secrate the service here and save it
from the vanity Of formal ritual.
We have pride and hope on this oc-
casion because we believe, without
Understanding adverse influences,
that the spiritual resources of the
Nation. from which each generation
draws anew its conceptions Of fair
dealing, are unwasted, and because
we find in this building a testi,no-
nial to an imperishable ideal Of lib
erty under law.
Evening star., 1932-10-13

'"HE response Of Chief Justice
Hughes on the laying OF the
corner stone Of the new Su-
i preme Court Building today
follows:
It is fitting that the members Of
the American Bar Association, once
more assembled In recognition OF
their special responsibilities in rela-
ton to the administration OF JUS
tice. should celebrate the creation OF
this greatly needed facility. In
speakng of this building as meeting
imperative requirements I do not
refer to the personal convenience OF
the justices of the court. So Tar as
that q concerned, am sure that
can speak for all Of them in saying
that they have never been disposed
to complain Of the limitations to
which they have long been accus-
toned.
The members OF the court from
the outset had the advantage OF
rigorous discipline. The court be-
gan its work as homeless depart
men of the Government, with but
few creature comforts, and its laborS
have never been disturbed by the
enticements of luxurious surround
ings.
The elaborate plans for the Capt.
tol left the court without an abiding
place, and its enforced migration
from one Inconvenience to another,
so often recounted, furnishes per-
haps the most striking of ironical
chapters In our national history. But
the glory of intellectual achieve
men was heightened by the physical
background. When Chief Justice
Marshall delivered the epoch-mak-
ing opinion in Marbury VS.. Madison,
in February, 1903, the court sat in
the small room in the Capitol which
had been designated for the clerk Of
the Senate and which Is now u~ed
by the marshal of the court. With
out stressing the inadequecy of other
temporary quarters or again narrating
the odd vicissitudes to which the
court was subjected in early Gays,
We recall with especial interest that
1t was in the basement of the Capt.
tol, IN the room now occupied by
the library. that Marshall and Taney
with their eminent asSo oiates heard
and decided the great controversies
which distinguished the formative
period of our judicial history.
Tribute to Present Chamber.
Since 1860 the court has used its
present chamber. 1t is no dis
paragement Of this new enterprise
to say that We shall leave that his
toric room with keen regret. In its
dignity, in its simplicity, in its
priceless memories as the former
Senate chamber and for upward of
10 years the seat Of the court, that
room has no rival. 1t will be long,
indeed, before this beautiful build
ing can boast of the spiritual endow-
ment which has blessed the old
home.
may speak in the same strain of
the small conference room where the
Court reaches its decisions. That
LITTLE room has been quite large
enough for the expression of views,
whether harmonious or divergent.
and to the members of the Court it
will ever be unique and hallowed
spot, which however poor in its ap-
pointments is immeasurably rich in
its traditions. But the inspiration of
cherished associations cannot avail to
satisfy the physical needs of admin
istration and these have become too
pressing to be longer disregarded.
Evening star., 1932-10-13
Thompson Compares
NetD Court Building
With Great Monument,

The text of the address Of Guy A
Thompson, president Of the American
Bar Association. at the corner stone
laying, follows:
Near the Coliseum in Rome stands
the historic Arch of Constantine, erected
1900 years ago to commemorate the
triumph of the first Christian Emperor
over Maxentius. On the Champs-Ely
sees the martial victories of the French
under the leadership Of Napoleon are
comnemorated by the magnificent Arc
de Triomphe. Out of the throbbing
heart of London rises a majestic col
umn. its base guarded By lions Of bronze,
It's head crowned by a colossal statue
of the hero of Trafalgar. In city and
town and hamlet Of our own land are
memorial structures of stone or bronze
that tell otcry of battle. Many, per-
haps most, of the worlds great monu-
ments have been erected following
ware sad devaStationS. BY some, II
might be thought that these monuments
are tributes to the cruel and savage i'm
pulses of man. and that they glorify
81
War monuments commemorate and ex-
tol patriotism. courage. allegiance to a
cause, even unto death. In rearing
them, mankind has done honor to it
self, for they mutely testify to mans
reverence for the noble and exalting
Things of life.
Above the corner stone we lay today
will rise . memorial more sublime than
monuments Of war. A memorial OF
bloodleSs battles is our edifice, yet bat
ties upon whose issues hung our lib
critics, the integrity of our Federal
Unicn, its harmony and balance, and
our social and economic destiny.
1t will be a monument that will in
spire the members of our profession,
both those Of today and those who are
yet to come; for it will be the stately
epic of the virtue and the learning. the
eloquence and the patriotic passion of
heroic warriors in the field of thought,
conquerors in conquests of the mind,
whose memories and examples adorn
and glorify the bar.
1t will be a monument expressing by
its own stability the firm confidence and
trust. the unwavering reverence and de-
votion in which the people hold the
court whose home it is to be. Its tow
ering pillars, its age-defying walls,
against which the winds and storms of
Heaven will beat in vain, shall be SYM
bols of the majesty and power of that
tribunal and OF its proof against the
tempests Of passion and i'll will.
It will be a monument to justice: jus
tice which every human being yearns
for and which Is the right of all; jus
tice upon whose ministrations life, lib
srty, and the assurance Of happiness de-
pend, and in whose supremacy the Sc
curity and welfare of our institutions
rest; justice In whose service we are
sworn; justice that Is the final attri-
butte Of God Himself This will be her
temple. Here her shrine will be. Here
she shall abide. Year following year,
and century following century. ambi-
tious youth shall look upon this stately
building I'd rejoice that the paths of
opportunity are here kept open equally
to all. Upon it weak and weary age
shall gaze and be content, for it shall
know that the Lord has built this
house and that His justice reigns
therein.
Evening star., 1932-10-13

to soil so much as the hem of its gar
ments: no gust Of political passion has
succeeded in turning from 1t the minds
and hearts Of the American people.
They know that so long as the court
continues with courage and fidelity upon
its appointed path, SO long-and no
loneer-will the Republic Of the Fathers
endure.
In this thought lies the true signif-
canoe Of our present ceremony. From
these walls in the years to come will
issue through the lips of its authentic
interpreter the living voice" Of the
Constitution. Although, as the court
has me- t.lan once declared, the Con-
stitution y a written instrument and
Is such It's meaning does not alter. the
with the necessity that this meaning
should be from time to time proclaimed
The day of Interpretation Is not over
There are recesses in the Constitution
stin uneXplored; problems long recog-
nized that have not yet been solved.
And in the future, no less than in the
past, there will arise again and yet
again the challenging question whether
old words have taken on new meaning
in the light Of changing facts, or
whether new facts must ind their
proper setting in the frame OF the
ancient worGs. It cannot be otherwise
In the expanding life Of an advancing
people. But when the winds Of political
sophistry threaten to tear from her
mornings the ship Of state. and when
the beating waves of impatient change
would bear her out to the unknown
deep, it is the voice Of the Constitution
speaking here that will bid the winds
and the waves be still.
II the turbulent years have altered or
destroyed nearly every government that
was q companion of our own when it
came into existence, while ours has en-
dured unchanged; II. in consequence
what then was new Is now among the
oldest Of existing governmental forms,
the ,explanation, no doubt. must be
sought nrst Of all In the harmony be-
tween the plan itself and the indwelling
y,oHt1N0l uov,i,,e NJ tha Apoorirap rAnr1a
Evening star., 1932-10-13

and procedures have failed to keep
pace with all the growing complexities
Of economic and business life, and they
must be simplified that their costs and
their economic wastes be reduced.
A corollary duty, one that will hasten
this end, Is that you shall purge your
profession of men unworthy of its
trust. You occupy POSITION unlike
that of other men, who may honor
ably pursue only their private gain.
You are, besides that. quite specifically
officers Of government, sworn members
OF the courts in which you practice,
that justice Is done, but that the laws
are enforced. Too many men have
been allowed to take this oath and
then be false to 1t. They use the COM
plexities of law and procedure, not to
effect justice, but to defeat it. These
men you must scourge from the tenn
pie which they profane. 1t is greatly
to the credit of the American Bar
ASSOCIATION that you have voluntarily
accepted this duty, and are in constant
process of cleansing the fountains Of
justice. But urge a yet greater zeal
in this undertaking. not only for the
honor Of your profession, but for the
welfare Of the State.
To you gentlemen, Mr.. Chief Justice
and your honored associates, extend
most hearty congratulations upon the
happy occasion which has brought this
gathering together tonight. The superb
building which you will dedicate tomor-
row will visualize to the eyes of the
people the majesty of the law upon
which our peaceful Nation is securely
founded and whose rights and liberties
the law protects. It will remind them
Of the debt of gratitude they owe to
the Supreme Court for the statesman
ship with which 1t has guided the
course of constitutional Interpretation
through all the perils of rapid national
evolution and growth, preserving the
ancient principles and adapting their
application to the changing needs Of
the times. This building will make
more convenient your labors Of carry
Ing on this great tradition with the
high conservation which has earned for
you collectively the admiration of the
legal fraternity and the affection OF
the country. So long as our form Of
Government shall last, this building
will stand as shining monument to
the character of great people, who
wisely put their trust in liberty under
law ana who guard the ordered preser-
walton Of their rights through an In
Evening star., 1932-10-13

Yet the checks and balances Of the Con-
stitution; the tripartite division of
powers the restraint of the legislature
upon the executive, of the executive
upon the legislature; of the courts upon
BOTH and through the power of legis-
lation and appointment of both upon
the courts; the coordinate sovereign
ties Of the Nation and the States, each
supreme upon its own plane of action.
but q mere intruder in the domain of
the other; all these have been so many
gyroscopes to keep the vessel on an even
keel while others around her were
foun6erins in the angry sea. But it is
not true that this stability has been
bought at the price Of great complexity
In government and a corresponding loss
in efficiency and promptitude: and
since 1t is in the nature Of all power to
seek its own aggrandizement a corre-
spending increase in the jealous quar-
rels Of those seeking not only to retain
but to enhance the power they possess
Over this thrust and play. this strife
and labor of conflicting forces, some
controlling wisdom must preside When
the Il will" Of one authority and the
Thou shalt not" Of another have
brought the machinery of government
TO a halt. some arm must intervene to
put the interlocking parts once more in
ordered movement. In this building,
therefore, is to sit the Master Mechani-
clan, to ease and regulate these strains
and stresses that simpler schemes Of
government escape.
Abode Of the Peaecmaker.
This is to be the abode Of the peace
maker Hither will con,e sovereion States
who have thrown away the sword and
outlawed among themselves the ordeal
by battle; who have, indeed, foregone
even the power of independent contract.
Bringing here their differences, In the
calm atmosphere of reason and fair
argument. they will refer them to the
judgment OF this chosen tribunal. They
VIII not hedge about their submission
to its processes with any nice reserva-
tions touching questions of vital inter-
Evening star., 1932-10-13

The facilities Of the essential ofnces
Of clerk and marshal have become
shockingly insufficient. There b
lacking decent provision for the vast
accumulation OF records. The con-
stantly increasing volumes Of the
working library for bench and bar
REQUIRE suitable housing. Counsel In
attendance ut the Court have been
without the simplest conveniences for
consultation and preparation for
Argument. The space In the court
room assigned to members Of the oar
has been inadequate, while the line
Of visitors In the corridor awaiting
their chance to enter has evidenced
the present inability to meet reason
able demands for public audience.
Everything considered, doubt II any
high court has performed It's tasks
with 50 slender . physical equipment.
For the enterprise now progressing
to completion in worthily meeting
these needs, We are indebted to the
late Chief Justice William Howard
Taft more than any one else. When
President, Mr.. Taft would gladly
have sponsored such an undertaking
because Of his deep interest In the
work Of the Court, but the prepon-
derant sentiment of the Justices at
that time did not favor the severance
of the Court from its old seat in the
Capitol. As Chief Justice, Mr.. Taft
renewed the suggestion and this
building is the result OF his intelli-
gent persistence.
Specia: Significance.
On this occasion, made memorable
by the interest displayed by the rep
resentatives of the bar coming from
every part of the country, we are
happy to observe that the special sig
nificance Of this edif1ce does not lie
In its convenience, although to afford
convenience Is its primary aim. For
this temple Of noble proportions, an
achievement of the most diStln-
guished architectural skill. which
will be one of the outstanding orna-
ments Of a rarely beautiful Capital,
finds its chief distinction as . ma
tional symbol 1t symbolizes the
national ideal OF justice In the
highest sphere of activity, in main
tanning the balance between the Ma
ton and the States and In enforc-
ing the primary demands Of indi-
vidual liberty as safeguarded by the
overriding guarantees Of q written
Constitution. This building Is the
symbol Of the distinctive character Of
the Republic.
It Is because 1t is of this symbolic
character that the American people
have demanded the best that art
and skill can furnish. They de-
nanded that it should be worthy Of
themselves. Hence, We look upon
this cleaning marble. In classic
lines, not aS being erected simply
for judges or lawyers or Ntigants.
Few of those who are now members
OF the court will long enjoy the priv
ileges which this building affords.
Their successors, who In relatively
brief periods of service will share its
advantages. will come and 60. The
Republic endures and this Is the
symbol Of its faith.
This building could not be thus
representative without being a me-
mortal of the services Of those who
have labored in and through this
court in the maintenance and devel-
opment of our constitutional system.
This building Is . monument to the
work of those who In the Constitu-
tiopal Convention builded even bet
ter than they knew: to Washington,
without whose wisdom and prestige
Evening star., 1932-10-13

to provide building for the judiciary,
those who assembled to lay its corner
stone would have expressed sentiments
far different from those with which our
hearts are filled today. Their words ut
best would have been those of hopeful
prophecy, while our language is that of
grattf1ed fulfllment. Had they not felt
called upon to defend the constitutional
provision for the Federal courts, they
still could hardly have refused to take
up the gage Of battle thrown down by
those who denounced IN. judiciary act
as the fabrication of a knot Of law
yers." And many, no doubt. among
their listeners would have entertained
expressed at the turn Of the century in
announcing his belief that the Supreme
Court would not obtain the energy,
weight and dignity which are essential
to its a1ording due support to the Ma
tional Government, nor acquire the
public confidence and respect witch Is
the last resort of the justice t the
Nation II should possess" How much
more fortunate are we who for ubts
and fears can substitute pride and On
f1dence, and who, in place of prophecy
and hope, can call upon history to vim
dicate our faith that In the erection OF
THIS great court American Statecratt
achieved its noblest triumph.
Significance Of Ceremony.
Before this audience of all others 1t
IS unnecessary to recount the history or
the services Of the Supreme Court OF
the United States. Step BY step it has
marched with the marching Union,
sharing in its battles, alive to its dam
gers, sensitive to its needs: now in the
very thick and center Of the fray; now
sitting serene in judgment above the
noise and dust of the arena today as
sailed by fierce and tempestuous criti-
cism tomorrow praised in terms that
exhaust the gifts Of rhetoric; but at all
times pursuing without fear and with
out reproach the discharge of its mighty
functions. No breath of scandal has
touched it; no detraction has been able