The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-03-25

The Presidents program with ref
erence to the Supreme Court of the
United States continues to overshad-
ow all other national issues. His ap-
peal to the country in the form of
one of his radio 'fireside chats" is
being widely discussed. Hearings on
his proposal are drawing large
crowds to the rooms of the Senate
Committee on the Judiciary. Pro-
ponents and opponents of the meas
ure are drawing their lines for bat
tie. In other words, another import
ant chapter in American history is
being written, whatever that chap
ter may finally record.
In this connection it is interesting
to read the oath of members of the
Supreme Court. It follows:
81 do solemnly swear that Twill
administer justice without respect to
persons, and do equal right to the
poor and the rich; and that I will
faithfully dicharge all the duties in
cumbent on me as Judge, according
to the best of my abilities and I'M
derstanding, agreeably to the Con-
stitution and laws of the United
States"
Whatever may be the viewpoint
of any individual with regard to the
present Supreme Court issue, con-
siderable stress must be laid on the
last sentence of the above oath read
ing "agreeably to the Constitution
and laws of the United States From
this it would seem that the laws of
the United States-and the laws are
the acts passed by the Congress and
signed by the President-have equal
standing with the Constitution. The
President contends that they have
not been given such standing by the
eminent Supreme Court Justices,
and here is his basis of the current
and widely-discussed issue.
Let me quote what others have
said.
The illustrious Abraham Lincoln,
declared i'll lis first inaugural:
''The candid citizen must confess
that if the policy of the government,
upon vital questions affecting the
whole people, is to be irrevocably
fixed by decisions of the Supreme
Court, the instant they are made in
ordinary litigations between parties
in personal actions the people will
have ceased to be their own rulers,
having to that extent practically re-
signed their Government into the
hands of that eminent tribunal"
The great Justice Holmes, who
ever held aloft the light of justice
for all, said:
ct must be remembered that leg
islators are the ultimate guardians
of the liberties and welfare of the
people in quite as great degree as
the courts"
Again Justice Holmes said:
'The first requirement of sound
body of law is that it should CORE
spond with the actual feelings and
demands Of the community.
''The courts were intended to en-
dure for all ages TO come and cOnse-
quently to be adapted to the various
crises in human affairs"
These quotations from great stu
dents of our government deserve
study and thought as our people
stand at the crossroads of national
Affairs, These statements were not
made in the heat of debate. They
were made by men who enjoyed ma
tional confidence, and by men whose
deeds merit that their words be re-
membered. I cite them now because
they are timely.
Is the President correct in his con-
tention that the Supreme Court has
not given due respects to the legis-
lative will of the people? Are the
opponents of this program correct in
their contention that the Supreme
Court has always been right? An
swers to these questions will be
found when the people on farm and
in factory understand clearly the
issues involved and thunder out
their views. They, and they alone,
must answer. Their rights must
come first. And the effort to put
these rights first precipitated the