Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-02-25
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National Topics Interpreted "a MINIMUM
by William Bruckart IIRl1II
by William Bruckart

| are doing this because they see the
Supreme court deciding every now
and then that some ill-thought-out
piece of legislation should be tossed
out of the window. A good many Of
these congressional shouters have
only slight understanding of the
babble that they put out on the
floors of the house and senate, but
the fact remains they are a part of
the congress and hence their words
are received with some considera-
ton among those who want to be-
lieve the same way.
On the other hand, there are men
like. Senator Borah of Idaho, who
foresee real trouble for all of us if
the powers of the courts are curbed.
Senator Borah thinks the question
of the freedom of the judiciary is a
paramount issue and lately has
made a powerful appeal that if the
people want to make changes in
their government, the people ought
| to do it and not the President and
the congress.
The Idaho senator makes the point
that only through judiciary I'M
fettered by politics, free to operate
as it sees the law, can the people
of the country retain their freedom.
If judicial independence goes, lib
erty goes. So, it seems to me that
congress, which just now is the
spearhead of the movement to
change the power of the courts,
ought to recognize its own response
bility.
said earlier that the courts could
not continue long to bear the pres
ent burden of attack. That burden
which they carry now results large
ly-and this is especially true of
the Supreme court of the United
| States-from the fact that congress
has ceased to be deliberative
body. 1t has tossed great chunks
of undigested legislation at the
courts and when the courts have
held these laws unconstitutional, a
| bunch of nitwits each time has I'm
| leashed a great howl. 1t would seem
then that the proper conclusion is
that the nine old men are not older
nor any less enlightened than the
members of congress or the execu-
tive branches. of the government
but that especially congress is fail
ing to do it's job. 1t is attempting
to read election returns into the
judiciary. 1t seems to me it ought
to be remembered by members of
congress and officials of the eXecu-
tive branch of the government that
each and every one of them has
taken an oath as an official of this
government to preserve, protect and
defend the Constitution and in so
doing they must defend the courts.
In any discussion of congress and
it's activities, I find time to do
little laughing.
Laughs Are Through the last
Loud Today several weeks,
period when floods
were raging and people were dying,
when thousands upon thousands
walked the streets without jobs,
when other thousands walked the
streets because a militant labor
leader had called a strike and had
permitted his strikers to violate
laws of the land by seizure of prop
erty-while all of these things we're
happening, our congress was giving
thought to picayune proposition.
1t was discussing a bill providing
for alterations of the Capitol build
ing, itself.
The tragedy of this particular
thing is that it has a very good
chance of being enacted into law
before the end of this session. It
is proposed to spend four or five
million dollars to extend and re-
construct the central portion of the
Capitol along lines that would make
the three east wings extend the
same distance from the main build
ing. 1t would enlarge the central
portion and provide more office
space when, as far as any observ-
ers can see, there is ample space
for all of the offices required now
or for the next half century.
said the tragedy of the thing
was that this proposal stands affair
chance of passing through congress.
Sponsors of the plan declare it
will improve the appearance of the
central portion of the old building.
1t may do that but I have found
more architects who disagree than
agree with that thought.
AS for the Office space argument,
it would appear that somebody in
congress is quite determined simply
to spend some more money. 1t is
to be remembered that only two
years ago, the house of repre-
sentatives built second office
building at a cost of $9,000,00O for
its members. About the same time,
the senate added, a wing to the
senate office building so that each
senator could have three rooms
whereas heretofore the average SEN
ator had only, two rooms in his
suite. Committee chairmen always
have had three or more rooms. In
addition, there are several hundred
offices in the Capitol building itself
and goodly number of senators
and representatives have private Of