Evening star., 1937-09-17
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

ing performance In Itself. While columns
hundreds of thousands of words-have
been written about his alleged member
ship in the Ku Klux Klan, while the
press of the world has sought to obtain
from him some statement, and while the
President of the United States has seen
fit to declare his own ignorance of any
Klan connection of his new appointee
to the Supreme Court, Justice Black has
contented himself with a simple asser-
ton that he had nothing to say. Just
why this silence is maintained has not
yet developed.
There is the possibility that Justice
Black hopes for an abatement of the
storm; that the public will turn its at
tention to some other issue, and that
the situation will cool of itself. There is
the possibility he has a complete answer
to all his critics, which he is withhold
ing. There is the possibility he has been
urged by the powers that be in this coun-
try to say nothing now.
X X X
In the meantime. the storm over the
disclosures now published in a series of
newspaper articles daily has continued
to grow in strength. Senator after Sem
ator who voted for the confirmation of
MIR. Black as member of the highest
court has declared he would not have
supported him had he known Black had
such connection with the Klan. Others
have gone so far as to demand his resig-
nation from the court. Until the matter
is cleared up Justice Black will have no
peace, except the temporary respite that
he has obtained by secluding himself
, abroad
President Roosevelt and the Senate
have only themselves to blame, if I'M the
end it becomes entirely clear that Justice
Black was member of the Klan. 1t was
commonly reported when Senator Black
was elected a member of the Senate
ii years ago that he had been the
candidate of the Klan. 1t was Just as
commonly reported that he had himself
been member of the hooded order. In
those days the Klan was a dominating
political influence in many of the
States. The subject was revived when
the President only few weeks ago sent
the Black nomination to the Senate But
the Senate would.do nothing about in
vestlgatlng the charge. Mr.. Black said
nothing about it, presumably, even to
the President who had nominated him.
Nor apparently did the President make
any investigation, although the charge
against Black was brought to the Senate
floor.
II the connection of Justice Black with
the Klan is not disproved, President
Roosevelt will find himself in an awk-
ward position. His first appointment to
the Supreme Court, which was hailed as
master stroke of strategy because Black
was member of the Senate and there
fore sure OF confirmation, will have
proved political boomerang almost as
devastating as his surprise" bill to en-
large the membership of the court. 1t
will be situation impossible to laugh
off, or to ignore. The President has been
Singularly unfortunate so far in his
duel with the Supreme Court. Every
stroke he has made SO far has been a
mistake.
Furthermore, If the charge against
Black is sustained, the evident intention
Of the administration to "get" those
Democratic Senators who had the
timerity to oppose the President on the
court bill will sustain a severe check.
The political ramifications are likely to
be large. Particularly is this true in
the States where there are large blocks
OF Catholic and Jewish voters and large
blocks of voters of foreign extraction.
X
The furry over the supposed break
between the President and John l.. Lewis
and the C. I. o. is subsiding The con-
ference between the President and Lewis
at the White House day or two ago
is now taken as evidence that there is
no serious difference between the Presi-
dent and the labor leader. 1t is taken
as evidence that the President does not
intend there shall be a breach, despite
the plain and rather harsh criticism
OF the President which recently is
sued from Mr.. Lewis. 1t looks like an
other case of shadow boxing, or perhaps
an indication that neither one of the
principals desires break with the other.
Mr.. Lewis naturally looks to the Presi-
dent for aid in his effort to spread the
G. I. o. over the land. The President.
on the other hand, is not unmindful of
the political aid which Lewis and his
followers can give.
k*
With many members of his own party
definitely at odds with him over the
Supreme Court issue, over the wages and
hours bill and other measures of the
administration program, and more re-
Gently, over the Black appointment to
the Supreme Court, the President could
scarcely afford an open break with Lewis
and his c. l. o. which has much potential
political strength. There was a strong
suspicion last Winter that the President
withheld criticism of the sit-down strikes,
engineered by the Lewis organization,
because he wished the support of Lewis
in his fight to pass the court bill If the
President intends, as he has intimated,
to carry this fight to the country, he will
still need the aid of Lewis.
Tonight the President is to make the
| principal Constitution Day Address. He
has an opportunity to start his campaign
for court reorganization if he chooses,
| in that speech. There is the possibility
| that he may have had some message
from Justice Black, replying to the
| charge that he, Black, has been con-
.nected with the Ku Klux Klan, which
| he will include in his address.
The opponents of the Presidents plan
| to enlarge the membership of the Su-
! preme Court and to fill it with men who
| are inclined to give him the kind of
| Interpretation of the Constitution he de-
| slres are visibly and orally delighted with
the turn of affairs, and the developments
| over the Black appointment Their list
| Is long, going far beyond the members
| of his own party who broke with the
| President over the court bill Unless the
Black matter is firmly handled and effec.