The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-03-11
GOOD INTENTIONS MAY NOT BE
WISE POLICY.

There are few people who question
President Roosevelt's sincerity, his pa
triotism or his good intentions. They
believe he is sincere in his desire to
improve conditions throughout the ma
ton. But because good intentions are
not necessarily wise policies, they can
not follow him in all the plans he pro-
poses. There are many who honestly
and soiemnly believe that, while the
President means well, his policies If
followed would end in the ultimate
ruination Of the nation and misery for
everyone. ]
Most right thinking Americans will
applaud the Presidents high purpose, to
which he gave expression In the follow
ing words at the victory dinner In
WAshine4sn last Thursday.
my great ambition on Janu-
AIRY 20, 1941, is to turn ov2t- ~this
desk and chair in the White House
to my successor, whoever he may
be, with the assurance that I am
at the same time turning over to
him as president, nation intact,
a nation at peace, nation pros
porous, a nation clear in its knowl
edge Of what powers it has to
serve its own citizens, nation that
is in a position to use those powers
to the full in order to move for
ward steadily to meet the modern
needs OF humanity--a nation which
has thus proved that the democratic
form OF methods of national gov
eminent can and will succeed"
That is a noble ambition, but it does
not necessarily follow that the path
advocated to reach those detectives is
wise one to travel. 1t does not neces-
sarily follow that because the President
is imbued with high purpose, the Su-
preme Court ought to be made SUBJ
servient to him and placed in his hands
Many of the best trained minds of the
nation in both parties are opposing ths
Presidents court plans for the very
reason they fear they would ultimately
lead to disaster and a possible dictator
ship. They believe the very thing ths
President condemns in foreign land.
may actually fall upon America if hi
policies in this respect are adopted
Said the President:
Democracy in many lands has
failed for the time being to meet
human needs. People have become
so fed up with futile debate and
party chickering's over methods that
they have been willing to surren-
der democratic processes and prin-
yw~1n 80 o,-Io ~. rr,4 hi. Innn
They have forgotten the lessons of
history that the ultimate failures
of dictatorship cost humanity far
more than any temporary failures
of democracy.
s'In the United States democracy
has not yet failed and does not
need to fail. And we propose not
to let it fail"
But does the President forget tn;
every dictator in Europe has followe
one course? Before they became 81
preme they first seized control of tt
legislative, executive and judici
branches of the governments whie
they seized. They gathered all pow
into their own hands. That is exact
what President Roosevelt proposes
do. He is, of course, the executi'
power, congress has long been a Srul
Der stamp" in the execution of his d
sires, and he would now gain control
the Supreme Court. Perhaps the Pre-
ident does not intend to do any wrol
thing, but the precedent he would G
tablish is tremendously dangero'
Some future president might not be
high minded.
President Roosevelt should be a
plauded for his noble ambition to il
prove conditions under which the pc
pie of the nation live. But in his ha
to accomplish them he proposes h;
ardous thing
Undoubtedly there are times WI
the Constitution should be changed
modified. The forcfathers saw