The Washington times., 1937-02-22
NYE, COPELAND
JOIN FOES OF
COURT PLAN
CONTINUED from Page u

CONTINUED from Page II
Eona, Senate Judiciary chairman,
said:
II am opposed to haste or
heat on the Presidents bill. 1
am opposed to hurry or worry
over 1t. II the bill can't stand
the test Of time and debate,
which 1 think it can, then
would oppose it."
Representative Summers CD,
Of Texas, House Judiciary chair
man, said:
There Is no need for haste"
Both friends and foes of the
plan continued their radio and
oratorical barrage. Over the
weekend, the opposition reported
two new converts in the Senate,
when the independent Republican,
Senator Nye, non-partisanite OF
North Dakota, and the 1ndepen-
dent Democrat, Copeland, OF New
York, condemned the plan.
Copeland warned that the con-
stitutional guarantees against re-
ligious bigotry and racial perSecu-
ton were effective only so long
as the judiciary remained indie
pendent of outside influence. He
agreed with the social objectives
of the President, but warned the
plan "to pack the court" would
create more "havoc than good" "
Nye Urges Amendment
Nye Joined Senator Wheeler
CD of Montana, noted liberal
and friend Of the President, in
urging a constitutional amend
ment giving Congress the power
to overrule Supreme Court de-
cisions after an intervening cleo
ton. He said the court was not
sacred and the Constitution was
subject to change but the
changes should be made only by
the people"
Touching on the barrage of in
fluence directed against Congress,
Nye added:
Threats, political influence,
propaganda do not offer the best
method Of inducing congressional
action. Let the people speak Is
an older, better, safer and more
decent rule of procedure"
In Indianapolis, Representative
Pettengill, independent Democrat
of Indiana, charged the President
with violating his 1886 platform,
in which the party pledged itself
to "seek clarifying amendments"
If more power were needed by Con-
gresS to enact the New Deal pro-
gram. The deadly flaw" in the
Presidents plan, he said, was this:
at is more power than a good
man should want or q bad man
should have"
Farm Aid Sought
The President and his sup
porterS were just as active on the
other side. The President sched-
uled a conference for today with
Secretary of Agriculture wallace
and heads of the American Farm
Bureau Federation. He expected
this farm organization to endorse
his plan, although the National
Grange has opposed it.
Senator McKellar Cd Of Ten
nessee praised the presidential
plan over the radio. He reviewed
its numerous decisions which de-
clared invalid congressional acts
seeking to relieve labor, farmers
and children. Recourse now to
q constitutional amendment, he
warned, would be hazardous in
view Of the fate Of the anti-child
labor amendment.
Mcclellan added:
"In my judgment, the pro-
pOsal of the President is sound.
This country is not going to
take any backward step. We
are not going to be governed
in the last analysis by Federal
courts. We are not going to be
governed by the issuance Of in
functions by the Federal courts.
We are not going to be governed
by DEGREES of the Supreme
Court"
The National Committee for
Clarifying the Constitution by
Amendment held a convention
here to study a proposed amend
ment. It's officers, all friendly to
the Administration, declared their
support for the Presidents plan,
but urged a subsequent submis-
sion of a constitutional amend
ment to the people,