The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-04-13
INSIDERS SEE
COMPROMISE
AS LIKELY
TheoIoeian Condemns
Change Making Tools
of Executive
BY w. X. HUTCHINSON
International News Service

Comparing President Roosevelt's
judicial plan to stacked deck OF
cards." Federal Judge John Clark
Knox, of New York city, today de-
nounced it as shattering the con-
fidence and faith of the American
people in their courts.
Judge Knox, senior juriSt in the
southern New York district, pro-
claimed his disagreement with
many Supreme Court decisions
and his belief in the detectives Of
the Roosevelt administration but
protested against the plan to in
ject new blood" into the Federal
courts. He said:
my enthusiasm for these OBJ
jectives of the President is not
sufficiently great to cause me to
desire them at q cost that will
imp0verish the prestige, indie
pendence and moral integrity
of the judicial branch Of the
Government"
TheolOgian Heard
Judge Knox was followed by
DR.. q. M. Bruce, secretary Of the
Lutheran Theological Seminary at
st. Paul, Mimi, who condemned
the plan as making Supreme Court
justices the tools Of the executive
and legislative branches of the
Government" He saw the bill as
a grave danger" to the integrity
Of the Federal Judiciary.
Senator Ashurst Cd of Arizona,
judiciary chairman, announced
there would be no retreat" on the
part of those supporting the DILL,
despite the Supreme Courts deci-
sion validating the Wagner labor
act. He said:
Don't listen to any of these
siren songs Of defeatiStS who.
now say there is no reason for
the bill. I've never heard of a
man retreating when he is win
ming"
Senator Logan CD of Ken
lucky, a supporter of the bill,
however, declared the courts de-
cision had removed the "criSiS over
labor legislation Earlier. Sen,
ator Robert F. Wagner CD Ct
New York, author of the labor act.
declared the decision removed ali
necessity for labor legislation.
COMPROMISE Seen
Despite the attitude of Admins
tration leaders, the statements of
Wagner and Logan were regarded
as presaging the possibility of a
compromise. One of the main OBJ
jectives of the presidential plan,
it was pointed out, was to secure
the constitutional enactment of
legislation dealing with labor
problems.
Judge Knox, the first Federal
jurist to appear before the COM
mittee, declared not only against
the plan for naming new justices
for the Supreme Court but against
the proposal to create floating
squadrons" of Federal judges for
the lower courts. He said:
eff the new circuit and dis
trict judges, who come to power
under the plan of the President,
are to be selected because Of
their young blood and forward
looking ideas, the bill now under
consideration exhibits a con-
sistency of purpose that is Of
sinister aspect to every man who
upon principles, is opposed to
the use of stacked decks Of
cards."
Confidence Lost
If these judges are sent about
the country to render friendly de-
cisions of the Government, Judge
Knox added:
"The confidence, respect and
surety that a free people have
felt in their judicial establish
ment for q century and a half,
will have been dissipated. In
their stead, there will be an abid-
ing fear and apprehension in the
minds and hearts Of our citizens
that a day Of judicial tyranny
and oppression is at hand"
The jurist described conditions
In his own Federal district. He
said the calendar had become
closged because the President de-
layed new appointments of author
lied judges. He added it was diff
ficult to obtain judges from other
districts because the IS per day
expense allowance forced the
Judge to pay his own expenses
when assigned to New York city.
He said a bill, authorizing higher
expense money had been vetoed
by the President.
But since the President finally
named three new judges for the
district, Judge Knox added:
"The trend is toward all cal
endars being current. I believe