Evening star., 1935-06-13
The Political Mill
BY G. Could Lincoln.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, June 12.-When
the Supreme Court, through it's de-
cision in the SchechteT case declaring
the N R. A unconstitutional, called
a sudden halt to the extension of
Federal power it gave the Republican
| Midwest grass roots" conference a
great boost. Undoubtedly this was
far from the thoughts of the nine emil
nent jurists who handed down the
unanimous opinion. But it had that
effect nevertheless. And how the
grass rooters went to it; there was
presented to the people, so the Re-
publcans claim, an issue which they
can not only understand, but which
makes an appeal. 1t has the same
kind of appeal that the campaign
| against the League of Nations had in
1920, when another Democratic Presi-
dent sought to get away from the
teachings Of George Washington
the avoidance OF entangling relations
with foreign nations. President
Roosevelt and the New Dealers are
charged with seeking to get away
from the principles laid down by the
founders of the u. S. A., principles
which call for the division of State
and Federal power, and for freedom
Of individual effort and initiative.
1t looks as though Mrs. George B
Simmons, the Missouri farm wom-
an" had actually given a new life TO
individualism when she declared in
/ her address to the grass rooters that
/ individualiSm, rugged or otherwise
/ was q matter of real value to Ameri-
can citizens. The New Dealers for a
couple of years have been Sneering at
rugged individualism as an outworn
state However, If they had heard
the crowd cheering Mrs. Simmons
when she came to the defense of the
! individualist, they would have been a
bit beWildered
\ +
But to get back TO the Supreme
/ Court for moment. Until that tTi-
bunal spoke in unmistakable accents
it looked very much as though there
was no way on earth TO check the
/ Roosevelt New Dealers in their march
/ to unlimited power, centered in the
| Federal Government in Washington.
/ and more particularly in the hands
| of the President. The court. how
/ ever, brought those demanding an
/ increase OF power up with a round
| turn. And then President Roosevelt,
I in what promises to be the most cele-
I brated press conference ever held so
far in the White House, declared the
issue" rs he saw it. It looks as
/ though the issue would stick 1t was
an issue which. up until this time,
the New Dealers have been able to
4 laugh of or to avoid. But the Presi-
dent stepped right up and made it
| tangible.
Within q few hours some of the
/ Democrats started back tracking on
/ this issue. Senator Robinson of Ar
kansas issued q statement denying
/ that the President mad made an at
tack. in his statement to the press.
/ on States rights. Others since then
/ have declared that the Presidents
/ remarks were miSinterpl eted and the
| implications were grossly exaggerated
| by the newspapers. 1t would be inter
| esting If the Presidents statements to
| the press on that occasion had been
| given out officially and from a steno-
( graphic report. But Tor some reason
| this was rot done at the time The
unanimity Of the reports Of the con-
ference and its implications, however.
| leaves the burden on the President
| and those Democrats who do not wish
to see the constitutional issue carried
| into the campaign.
1t was less than a year ago that
Democrats we're campaigning for elec-
ton to Congress, declaring the Re-
| publican arguments that the New
Deal was unconstitutional were futile
A Democratic Senator. elected last
! November in Indiana, declared in his
campaign speeches that you couldn't
eat the Constitution Other Demo-
cratic comments were made to the
effect that the Constitution could not
clothe the people nor keep them
warm. 1t remains to be seen whether
| this lukewarmneSs to the Constitution
will be carried by the Democrats into
| the next campaign. The American
people are moved quickly. after all
What may have been popular last
year may not be so popular next.
In the indictment" Of the Eoose-
| welt New Deal administration and the
President himelf, adopted with a
whoop at the Grass Roots Conference
/ in Springfield. there was one para
graph which amazed some of the OBJ
! servers and caused them amusement.
4 That paragraph attacked Roosevelt
( for getting away from the teachings
/ of Thomas jefferson. the patron saint.
not of the G. 0. p, but of the Demo-
cratic party. 1t was. these observers
/ said, very much as If one woman had
attacked another because the latter
did not obey her husband. 1t was
/ just butting in on family affair.
Well. apparently that is just what the
| Republicans are seeking TO do. They
are butting in on the affairs of the
Democratic party in the hope that
/ they will be able to wean away from
Roosevelt the support of lot of DEM
! ocrats who down in their hearts have
no use for the New Deal program. All
! through the Grass Roots Conference.
from the speech Of former Gov. Frank
o. Lowden of Illinois on down the
line, were invitations to the Demo-
Gratis who believe in the Constitu-
ton" to hop into the Republican
camp. The conference even put on
! demonstration in its final session,
when Chairman John D. NJ Hamilton
referred to the real leader" of New
York democracy and the band struck
up 1.-THE Sidewalks of New York" And
later, when the names of Senators Har-
ry Flood Byrd and Carter Glass of
Virginia and Senator Millsrd Tdyings
of Maryland. all Democrats who have
been critics of the New Deal program,
were mentioned by speakers. they were
enthusiastically cheered. 1t looks.
therefore, as though the criticism
Of Roosevelt for getting away from
the teachings of Thomas Jefferson
was not an innocent mistake on the
part of the drafters Of the indictment.
X x X
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