Evening star., 1937-07-11
All Other States and Can
Member Of the Associated Press,
Liberals and Paw Rolls.

Liberals and Pay ROlls.
gees beyond Government pay rolls 1t
is because of that fundamental liberal
ism that members of the Senate who
have fought for progressive legislation
are opposing the Presidents plan to
pack the Supreme Court. They are
opposing not only the Presidents origi-
nal bill, which would have given him the
opportunity to add six new justices to
the court Immediately but also the COM
promise bill now advanced by the ad
ministration. This has been dubbed the
"slow motion packing bill, since it would
give the President power to appoint only
one new justice in each calendar year.
However, under this compromise, he
would have the addition of two new
justices within few months, one for
1897 and one for 1888, and, in addition,
he has vacancy in the court to fill.
The motion, therefore, is not 50 SLOW"
The principle involved in the court
packing proceeding is what has torn
down party lines and party barriers in
this fight in the Senate. Senator Burton
K. Wheeler of Montana, a liberal Of the
liberals, running mate of the late Sem
ator Robert M. La Toilette Of Wisconsin
In the presidential campaign of 1924, in
q great speech in the Senate on Friday
made this exceedingly plain. He made
It just as clear that supporters of the
court packing bill have used and are
using the pay roll to drive this measure
through the Senate if possible. There
are liberal minded Senators who, be-
ieving that the end justif1es the means,
are willing to vote for the court pack
ing proposal, even though they hold
their noses while doing So But there
are the Others appealed to by men who
should know better. to support the Presi-
dents bill because, foresooth, they rode
into office on the coat tails OF the Presi-
dent-because they owe 1t to the Presi-
dent that they are on the pay roll.
AS Senator Wheeler 50 ably pointed
out. the sole issue involved in this fight
Is whether the United States shall con-
tinue to have an Independent judiciary
"a Supreme Court not at the beck and
call Of the President or OF Congress. To
gain temporary advantage, the Presi-
dent and his supporters are willing to
pack the court, and to make 1t sub
servient. That may be something the
President and his pay roll followers
desire, but it is something the American
people should avoid. After all, if this
Nation is to endure as great demo-
cratic nation, the liberties of the people,
as provided for in the Constitution
Itself, must be protected. How can they
be assured Of any liberty if the courts
are to be politically controlled?
The court reform bill was conceived in
subterfuge.' 1t was brought forward as
measure to improve and hasten the
administration Of justice, and for those
reasons alone. The sole purpose, as has
been proven beyond the shadow of a
doubt, was to obtain the kind OF inter-
probation OF the Constitution the ad-
ministration desired at the hands of
the Supreme Court. If it had not been
shocking proposal, the Nation would
have yawned and gone on about its busi-
ness.
When the roll is called in the Senate,
the men whose names have been syn
onymous for years with liberal principles
and progressive government are found
In opposition to this court packing bill
Wheeler Of Montana, Borah Of Idaho,
johnson Of California, shipstead of
Minnesota, McCarran Of Nevada, oMa-
honey Of Wyoming all have been known
as friends of labor and of the farmer,
and all of them are opposed to both
the original and the substitute court
bills. 1t is not that they approve
Of all the decisions of the Su-
preme Court. They would prefer lib
eraa interpretations of the Constitution
but they do not believe that the Supreme
Court of the United States should be
made simply a rubber stamp for any
administration. And they see that If
It is made such rubber stamp, other
administrations may use it, too.
pay roll liberal may be a handy
thing to have around. There have been
many OF them in recent years. as SEN
ator Wheeler pointed out. pay roll
liberal, however, can with ease become
an enemy to liberty.