The Washington times., 1935-07-20
TheElectOrate
To Decide
Issue!
By JAMES T. WILLIAMS, Jr.


have to choose between a Con.
greSs of New Dealers seeking to
cut the heart out of the Con.
stitution of the United States
and to put a ball and chain on
the United States Supreme
Court, and a Congress opposed
to either operation.
Ultimately the issue will come
between all upholders Of the
American system of government
and those who seek to destroy
that system in order that they
may set up in its place one Of
the European systems.
In the meantime, thoughtful
Americans in all walks of life
will wish to inform themselves
regarding the true nature of
their Government and the
fundamental points of differ
ence between the American
system and the systems of
Europe.
Some salient facts concerning
the American system were set
forth in timely address
recently delivered at Worcester,
Mass, by a member of the pres
ent Congress - Representative
Christensen of Minnesota. He
said in this connection.
"The American Constitution
Is today the oldest written
constitution in the world. 1t
has served as a model for
many other constitutions since
adopted.
"The trainers OF the older
constitutions had proceeded on
the theory that the ultimate
power resides in the Govern
ment, and that the people have
only such rights and privileges
as the Government, through
the Constitution, is willing to
grant or forced to yield.
GRANT OF PEOPLE
"The men who sat in Phila-
deIphia in 1887 had an en-
tirely different idea They
drew their inspiration from the
revolutionary doctrine enunci-
ated in the declaration that
all governments derive their
just powers from the consent Of
the governed
Now there is a movement in
and out of Congress to change
all this-to Europeanize our
American system of govern
ment by placing in the Con-
gress the supreme power in
the land. A self-styled New
Dealer recently proposed in
Congress an amendment to the
constitution providing that "the
Congress shall have power to
make all laws which in its
judgment shall be necessary to
provide for the general welfare
of the people"
What would be the effect of
such an amendment if it should
receive a two-thirds vote in
both Houses of Congress and
the legislative consent of three
fourths of the States?
In the words of Congress-
man Christianson the effect
would be just this:
Congress could pass any
law, howsOever it cOnflicted
with provisions of the cOnsti.
tuition, that in the opinion of
a majority of those temper
arily sitting in the Senate and
House of Representatives would
be for the general welfare"
This would cut the heart OF
the Constitution. In fact we
would no longer have an
American system of Govern
ment. In it's place we would
have a European system. Con-
gress would have all the power
unless Congress abdicated its
supreme power to the Presi.
dent. We should then be llv-
ing either under the deSpotlc
power of a majority in Con-
gress or dictator in the
White House.
BAD SURGERY
Another resolution pending in
Congress provides for the re-
peal of the Tenth Amendment
to the Constitution. Adoption
of this amendment would mean
that the States no longer had
any rights which the Congress
would be bound to respect.
A third proposal now being
agitated by some self-styled
New Dealers calls for an
amendment to the Constitution
depriving the Supreme Court
of it's power to declare invalid
an act of Congress. This would
put a ball and chain on the
great tribunal.
Of the proposal to write a new
constitution to take the place
of the "horse and buggy model
adopted in 1897" Congressman
Christensen spoke not only for
himself but for those Democrats
and Republicans in Congress
who still prefer the American
system when he said to the
people of Massachusetts, the
other day:
"They are bold men who would
undertake to write a new basic
law to take the place of the one
framed by that galaxy of states
men that by the grace of God or
by an unusual fOrtuity was as