The Coolidge examiner., 1937-01-28
Murdock Defends
Roosevelt's Stand
On Constitution

In the Thursday, Jan. 21,issue of
the Congressional Record, there ap-
peared the maiden speech of Ari
Zona's new congressman-at
the Hon. John R. Murdock, as
follows:
"Mr. Speaker, it is rather pre-
sumptuous of me, as new MAI. TO
rise SO early in the session and cX-
plain in an offhand way my attitude
toward the great issues which now
confront us. However, l have been
deeply impressed today ard in past
days of the discussion l III se ne2rd
on both sides of this Chambe'
81 fear we are entering upon a
study of the great problems befo' g
us entirely in partisan manner.
l think that is the greatest danger
which besets and endangers the
successful work ahead of us.
"This morning we have heard
from Members on both sides Of
the aisle. The President has been
upheld and the President has been
criticized in regard to his attitude
toward the Supreme Court.
81 have given some little stldy
to constitutional problems myself,
and I have my own view as to the
Presidents meaning when he asked
for a more "enlightened view"
May | say, following the gentle
man from New York (Mr. FISH,
who has just spoken, that the pres
ent encumbent of the White House
is certainly not the first great Ex-
ecutive to challenge the findings OF
our highest Court. May l recall to
you that President Lincoln certainly
felt that property rights were held
higher than human rights, and
there was a time when our Great
Emancipator President held to the
view that the higher law was be-
ing disregarded by too close an
Interpretation of the Constitution
of the United States.
MAY l remind the Members that
the other great President by the
name of Roosevelt felt, when
minimum-wage laws were being
nullified by court action, that
property rights were being held
too sacred in conflict with human
rights.
81 do not feel anyone here can
surpass me in respect for the
supreme law of the land if | under
stand what the supreme law of the
land is. What is the Constitution
of the United States? 1t is the will
of the American people. 1t is not
only the original document but the
amendments that have been added
since. 1t represents the will Of the
American people as expressed in
solemn convention in 1887 and as
later amended by 21 formal amend
ments.
"Mr. Speaker, it is very, very
difficult, indeed, for the supreme
Will of a great nation to be express
ed in words. Such are the defects
of human nature and intelligence
and such the limitation of oNr
language.
"It has been proposed that if the
Constitution of the United States,
constituting the will of the Natl ,r
be changed, that is the way 1t
should be done. The gentleman
from New York (Mr. FISH has
suggested the offering of an amend
ment. l can agree with him in that
respect, but, Mr.. Speaker, it takes
a long time, and it should take a
long time, to amend the Constitu'
ton of the United States. Some
times when we amend it we do not
fully express the will of the Ma
ton. | submit that the fourteenth
amendment and the fifteenth
amendment, not to mention others
at this time, probably did not fully
represent the will of the Nation.
Since that time we have adopted
other amendments. We adopted, for
instance, the eighteenth amend
ment, and l wonder if that amend
ment really represented the will OF
the American Nation? 1t was
formally adopted, of course, ana
we need not criticize the way iii
which it was adopted.
There is no other way to do it
legally, you say. Pershaps you are
right. What did the President OF
the United States mean recently
when he sOod here begging AMI
praying for a more enlightened
view of Our SuDrpme laws? | think