Evening star., 1933-09-02
BECK SEES DOOM
OF CONSTITUTION
Representative Tells Mary
land Bar, Effect of Emer-
gency Laws in so Years.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., September
2.-The end Of the Constitution as the
basis for the American form Of Govern
ment was seen In the next so years by
Representative James M. Beck of Penn
sylvania, In addressing the thirty
eighth annual convention of the Mary
land State Bar Association today.
Beck pointed out that. due to the
emergency measures now in force "the
once proud and conscious States have
been relegated to the ignoble status of
subordinate police provinces"
He added that the overwhelming ma
jority Of the people did not really care
whether the Constitution has been vio-
lated or not.
1T is unquestionably true that the
Constitution was based upon the in
dividualistic state Of society and that
it has required considerable adoption
to make 1t work for what is now a
collectivistic state" asserted Beck.
Ignored by Congress.
The speaker declared there had been
little attempt to reconcile the emer-
gency measures with the Constitution.
adding the general sentiment Of Con-
gress was to ignore the Constitution al
together with the avowedly high pur-
pose Of saving the Nation itself.
q fn 40
measures which have obliterated the
line Of demarcation between interstate
and intra State commerce and made
Federal officials the dictator of farm
and factory can be reconciled with any
grant of powers in the Constitution.
The theory held by many lawyers
in Congress in adopting the emergency
measures amounted, in effect, to saying
the only way to save the Constitution
Is to destroy 1t. To them the Consti-
tuition was doomed unless temporary
measures could be adopted without
reference to the constitutional powers
of Congress.
THE fact is that while the Supreme
Court has rendered inestimable service
in preserving Federal powers from in
vasion, it has too often been ineffective
in defending State powers from unjust
Federal invasion. This is because in a
democracy no court could long defeat
the will Of q Congress which no longer
feels the sense OF constitutional
restraint.
1t is as bad for q nation as an
individual to lead a double life and
our Nation is now leading such q life
when it Is guilty of hypocritical pre-
tension of adhering to the Constitution
as q sacred and binding compact and
simultaneously ignoring practice Of its
basic theories. Whatever our future
form OF Government may be, at least
let us be honest with ourselves
President BaItimorean.
Chief Judge Samuel K. Dennis of
the supreme bench of Baltimore was
elected president Of the association,
succeeding w. Mason Shehan of Easton.
James w. Chapman, jr, secretary,
and R. Bennett Darnall, treasurer, both
of Baltimore. were reelected.
Vice presidents were elected as fol-
lows: F. c. Webb, Salisbury; Judge
j. Owen Knots, Denton; James c. L.
Anderson, Towson: Walter C. Capper,
Cumberland: Judge Nicholas Green,
Annapolis; John S. Newman. Frederick;
Walter J. Mitchell, La Plata; Ralph
Robinson and Mason P. Morflt, both OF
Baltimore
Reuben Oppenheimer. Baltimore: j:
Ridgely p Melvin. Annapolis: Robert
B. Peter. Jr. Rockville, and Frank H.
Jacobs Of Towson were named to the
Executive Council.