Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-06-11

Nothing that is going or in Wash
ington is as interesting to 80 percent
of the officials of the Administration
and the members of Congress as what
is going TO happen in Cleveland, o.,
and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In Cleveland the Republican Party
is nominating its candidates and adj
opting its platform for the presidential
campaign. In Philadelphia there is no
question as to who the candidate will
be, but there has arisen a sudden and
violent discussion as to the platform,
precipitated by the latest ruling of he
Supreme Court of the United States,
to the effect that not even a state
government has power under the Con-
stitution to fix minimum wages. Fol-
lowing on a series of Supreme Court
decisions that the Federal Government
could not regulate hours and wages OF
labor, this latest decision has precip-
itated the issue of Constitutionalism
into the discussions of party leaders,
if not actually into the presidential
campaign.
The Supreme Courts decision was
in the case of the New York State law
fixing minimum wages for women m
ployed in laundries and hotels. The
Court, by a five-to-four decision, held
that this was an infringement of the
rights Of individuals to sell their labor
at whatever price they were willing
to accept, Chief Justice Hughes in this
instance voted with the so-called
'liberal' minority OF Justices Stone,
Brandeis and Cardozo, holding that it
was the right Of a state to protect wo-
msn from exploitation.
Since one Of the principal avowed
purposes of the New Deal is to insure
a living wage to everybody, it is con-
sidered here entirely possible that the
Democratic platform may include, if
not a proposal for a specific amend
ment to the Constitution, at least a
critical reference to the Supreme
Court ard a promise to work for a
modification of the Courts power.
G.. o. P. Coalition
At Cleveland the possibility again
bogus to loom strongly that the Re-
publicans may produce a genuine coal
ition ticket ard platform. The proposal
that the vice-presidential nominee
should be an outstanding Democrat
Of the calibre Of former Gov. Ely Of
Massachusetts, Senator Harry Byrd Of
Virginia, or Lewis w. Dauglas of Ari-
IONA, former Director of the Budget,
has been discussed more or less acad-
emically for some months. 1t was
brought to the front as a live issue
by the New York Herald Tribune in
a front-page editorial, which crystal
lized the party sentiment in favor of a
coalition of Republicans ard anti-New
Deal Democrats, which had beer
voiced a few days earlier by Senator
Vandenberg of Michigan.
Six weeks ago it was Washington's
fixed belief that it wouldn't make
much difference what happened in
Cleveland. The Democrats were sure,
or professed to be, that Mr.. Roosevelt
would be reelected regardless of any
thing the Republicans might do. That
point of view, however, has shifted
radically since the first of May. In
stead of apparent violent dissension in
the Republican ranks, the situation has
developed into one more nearly re-
semb,ing party harmony than has been
noticeable at presidential conventions
for a good many years. 1t is now TAX
er for granted that the head Of the
ticket to oppose Mr.. R~oosevelt's reel
ection will be Gov. Landon Of Kansas.
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