Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-05-22
3OP[AN CAMP A|GN
!. ON COURT POWERS
House Group Due to Accept
"Invitation" to Make
:. Bench an Issue.
Nv the Associated Press.

Estimates that 80 or more House
members would accept the invita-
ton" to campaign for reelection on
proposals to curtail powers OF the
Supreme Court were made soday by
congressional advocates of coustitu-
!. tional change.
The invitation" they contended,
was contained in Chief Justice
Hughes separate opinion on the
Guffey coal case which said:
IF the people desire to give Con-
gress the power to regulate industries
within the States, and the regulation
Of employers and employees in those
industries, they are at liberty to de-
. clare their will in the appropriate
manner, but it is not for the court to
amend the Constitution by judicial
S decision"
Representative Monaghan, Demo-
. crat. of Montana, conteSting the Sen
ate seat of Senator Murray. Democrat,
of Montana. said that If all the House
members who had indicated their in
tentions to make an issue of the
courts New Deal" decisions carried
them out, there would be 80 or more
campaigning for a constitutional
change.
Knows of No Original Unit.
Representative Lewis, Democrat of
Maryland said he knew of no organ
lied House group, but that individu-
ally many more" than 80 members
were thinking seriously" about the
court issue.
Another House member, Represent
alive Marcantonio, Republican, of
New York, declared he personally
knew of at least" 80 members who
definitely intended to campaign on
their choice of the numerous bills in
PRODUCED at this session to deprive the
court of constitutional jurisdiction
over acts of Congress. He declined,
/. for lack of consent, to disclose their
names.
s. These members feel that Chief
Justice Hughes opinion frankly in
= vites test of the popular sentiment
/; for tuning to complex modern day
needs the instrument which the
: founding fathers intended should re-
!: fleet the will of the people," he said
y There no longer is any doubt that
, the courts Interpretation of the con-
stitutional powers of Congress is going
to prevent the social and economic
= REIMBURSEMENT attempted by recent
( legislation, and at leest 80 of US are
going to carry the torch for an I'M
trammeled Congress"
Time Held Not Propitious.
= If this we're next January instead
) Of May" Lewis said there would be
& powerful groups organized in both
> Senate and House for enrichment OF
the courts authority over Congress.
,a Obviously this is no time for a
> national campaign on the subject, but
. 1t can be carried to the people locally,
!, he added
8 We are operating under judges
constitution. If court-made amend
ments to the Constitution we're stricken
ysout, there would be no question of the
!. constitutionality in the acts of Con-
eress."
>, Monaghan declared the people of
{ the Nation feel that the power of the
!. Supreme Court to invalidate acts OF
I Congress must be curbed.
/. They know We never shall get out
of the morass of depression unless
national social and economic legisla-
ton stands, and 1t is the duty of the
members of Congress to give them a
chance to express their wishes at the
polls
q A check disclosed that almost so
'sbills and resolutions to re-define the
. courts powers or make constitutional
. changes have been introduced at this
session.