Evening star., 1935-07-30
C. 0. P. UNL|MBERS
BIG GUNS FOR Sc
Fletcher Sees Constitution
as Issue-Hasting Calls
for Midwest Candidate.
BY the Associated Press.

Signs of Republican activity look
ing to 1895 multiplied today as one
prominent party member declared
there can be mo compromise" with
the New Deal and another accused It
Of seeking to "peryert or subvert the
Constitution"
Calling on Republicans to nominate
an outstanding conservative" from
the Middle West for President, Sem
ator Hastings, Republican, OF Della
ware. declared:
There can be no compromise with
the New Deal. The only wey the Re
publican party can save itself as q
party Is to stick to well-known Amer
ican principles"
Henry p. Fletcher, national chair
man Of the party, was the man who
raised the constitutional issue. In a
radio speech last night he invited citi-
zens of all political faiths to help
meet this challenge" and said the
presidential race would transcend
mere party lines"
Declares Issue Is Clear.
"The constitutional barriers to
planned economy are TO be removed" I"
said Fletcher. Why? because they
stand in the way of a centralized,
socialistic state, governed without re-
straint or limit, by President and 0
subservient Congress"
Recalling that President Roosevelt
described the Constitution a year ago
as resilient" Fletcher said:
Now that II Is shown that 1t can
not be stretched to cover the socialistic
policies Of the New Deal. the issue
becomes clear. Either the Constitu-
ton must give way to the New Deal
or the New Deal must give way to the
Constitution"
Hastings said:
when you begin to compromise
with the New Deal you begin to COM
promise with radicalism and leave the
substantial conservatives no place to
60.
FavorS Middle Westerner.
"The nominee should be from the
Middle West. A candidate from the
East hasn't as good . chance as q
Midole WeSterner.
There Is a prejudice against the
East. The best thing the East can do
Is to take a man from the West who
is not prejudiced against the East"
Asked what he thought Of the
chances Of Republican victory in next
years presidential election. Hastings
said:
If the chances aren't good, 1t will
be too bad for the country"
Hastings did not discuss Herbert
Hoover as a candidate. but the quail
fications he set would eliminate Mr..
Hoover-unless he be accounted a
Midwesterner by virtue Of his Iowa
nativity.
Other Speeches Planned.
Following close on the recent in
crease in Republican activities. in
cluding the round Of conferences at
the Palo Alto home of Mr.. Hoover,
Fletcher's address took an added po-
ntical significance. He remarked to
newspaper men before he spoke that
the committee recently had enlarged
its headquarters and engaged q radio
man" He added that other speeches
would follow, their number depending
upon finances.
Meanwhile, Emil Hurja, an assistant
to Postmaster General Farley as
chairman Of the Democratic National
Committee. characterized as lust
plain bunk" published reports that
New Deal leaders at Q recent meeting
had decided to try to defeat Senator
Borah. Republican. Of Idaho.
There was no such meeting and no
such statement made" he said.
At Salt Lake City, Farley also said
he knew Of no such meeting, but
called the Democratic party Justified
in doing everything it can to defeat
Borah," and expressed the belief that
c. Ben Ross, Idaho's Democratic Gov
ernor, has q good chance to do it.
In his radio address Fletcher as
serted the President was "at the
crossroads" following the Supreme
Courts N. r. A. decision. but that the
Executive, instead of ''reafirming his
devotion to our fundamental law"
showed clearly his preference for the
New Deal, which neither he, nor any
one else, had sworn to preserve, pro-
tect and defend, and which was never
heard Of until after his Inauguration.
The Republican chairman cited as
proof that the President desires TO
push the New Deal over or through
the Constitution" the must" lerisla-
ton before Congress. He listed the
Wagner labor bill, T. ". A. and A.
A. A. amendments, and the Guffey
coal bill rs measures "of doubtful con-
stitutionality and recognized as such
even by the President himself"
Declares People Shocked"
He declared Mr.. Roosevelt,s letter
on the Guffey bill. which expressed
the hope that doubts as to constitu-
tionality, however reasonable" would
not be permitted to block the lesisla-
ton, had shocked the American
people" It was this letter which
Representative Smell, Republican
House leader, recently said almost
gave ground for impeachment.
1T has been wisecracked," Fletcher
continued. that you cannot eat the
Constitution. You can't, and YOU
can't eat the Bible, or the golden
rule, or the Ten Commandments. or
the deed to your property, or your
life insurance policy, or the laborer's
contract with his employer, whether
made individually or by collective
bargaining. ""s
"The Republican party believes with
Abraham Lincoln that the people OF
these United States are the rightful
masters Of both Congress and courts
not to overthrow the Constitution.
but to overthrow the men who pervert
the Constitution"