White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1936-01-09
HERE & THERE
in the
HEADLINES

EXPLOSION of the first political
bornbshells in the 1886 campaign this
week served as warning to those ur-
interested in politics to take to the
dugouts for the next ten months. Little
uncertainty as to the intensity of the
campaign remained as the bombs went
off with resounding reverberations.
Taking the opposition by surprise, the
Democrats went into the offensive, but
one big shell dropped in their own
camp, dropped not by their opponents
the Republicans, but by the supreme
court.
DELIVERING his annual message
on the state of the union to Congress
at a night session Friday, President
Roosevelt made a dramatic speech
which struck as much fire from foreign
countries as from this nation itself.
His declaration that America in
tends to continue it's good neighbor
policy; that it would refuse to become
embroiled in any European conflict, no
matter what the cost, and that 10 per
cent of the worlds population was pre-
venting the other 80 per cent from
enjoying peace brought instant denun-
Citations from Italy, which felt that he
had aimed his statements directly at
them, and many Of the other Euro
pean nations; Russia alone seeming to
agree with his condemnation of Eur
ope's attitude.
His declarations concerning the stu
alton in America, while buoylng up
the hopes of his followers, brought in
slant condemnation from his political
adversaries
HARDLY HAD the first reverbera-
lions of his speech died away before
the Supreme court, with it's six to three
decision against the AAA, swept likt
hurricane through the political
arena, scattering one Of the major adj
mlinistration's acts to the four winds
. and putting the. farmer into the pol
itical foreground in a big way.
Since it's BIRTH those for and against
this measure have been remarkably
vocal and poles apart. The courts de-
cision finds the two sides still alive
and arguing harder than ever while
the rest admit that they don't know
what will result from the courts de-
cision-but for the first time in many,
many years the Supreme court came
in for public criticism. In Iowa, the
sentiment was so strong that the JUS
tices were burned in effigy at the State
university.
Soon after hearing the decision the
Department of Agriculture brought to
an end all AAA administrative work,
stopped the processing tax and began
to wonder where to find the money
with which to fulfill already signed
contracts between the government and
farmers.
Nine old men in black robes are as
Stunning a more important place in the
average Americans consciousness than
they have held since the bred Scott
decision. During the past three years
there have been, in addition to the
usual cases, a large percentage OF hear
ings on which the constitutionality Of
major legislation rested. All the while
the people have sat as a breathless
audience, waiting for the decisions, re-
speeding these men and what they
stand for, but wondering vaguely, afte1
they had read both the majority ane
dissenting opinions, if there shouldn't
be a little more unanimity in theil
supremacy Wondering also if thu
statesmen who framed the Constitu.
ton meant it to be literally inter
preted, if perhaps the spirit of thu
general interest and necessary ant
proper phrases were not meant TO-
times like these.
SIGNIFICANT from more than thu
mere political viewpoint is the fac
that scholars have been taking {
greater interest in the Supreme court
even prior to the last few momentum
decisions.
Meeting at Atlanta, Georgia, las
month, the American Political Scienc
Association devoted most of it's tim
tuition, reaching the decision that tn
Constitution is elastic enough for NeN
Deal plans DR.. Charles A. Beard, fore
most American historian, stated tina
"there is not a line in the Constitu
ton which requires strict interpre
tation of the powers conferred upo
Congress"
Discussing the constitutional con
vention, DR.. Beard remarked that tn
debates and the resolutions adopte
demonstrated that it was the inten
ton of the majority to give Congress
broad powers and authorize a libers
Interpretation. "All plans for a strie
enumeration of powers and narro
Interpretation were deliberately re
jected by the convention"
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