The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-23
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
THE DANGER is DiSUNION

For President Roosevelt to pack the courts with
his friends" would not imply dictatorship.
would convert the courts into quasi legislative
bodies, it would degrade and destroy them "S
courts, but the performance is remotely related to
dictatorship. The country would be governed by
the executive the congress and the judges and the
government would cease to be one of "checkS and
balances" 1t would no longer be American IN
the sense of century and half. From that II
has rapidly changed in the last four years.
The new practice in American government is the
use of the treasury for political ends and when
this Is done in the garment of Christian charity,
aid 10 the poor-"rescue the pershing' as the Sun
dav school hymn puts ito object to it is accom-
r.n;ed with danger The News and Courier, II 1t
protests, is in some quarters and by some persons
(they are usually drawers of federal money! de-
nounced as a "Scrooge, an enemy 10 'he ui'i''
tunate and the suffering.
Tho sunren,e court could be abolished and die
tatorsbip would not necessarily fcllow-indeed, 1t
ra nerbaps better to abolish than to pack 1t. mat
would he a candid and direct policy, and nothing
&c more despicable and hurtful than government by
;ndirection Far worse than the experimental,
tho revolutionary things now done in the United
States is the insdious manner in which they are
ton of American character.
Great Britain has constitution, but 1t is not a
single written instrument. An act of parliament
NAV ut any moment repeal part of 1T and nitro
duce new policies. Hence no court is needed to
copstrue il In the United States the authority OF
tho executive springs from the written conStltu-
ton, To abolish it would abolish him and the con-
press with him, as well the courts.
itaip he government
say the prime minister and his associates, are the
creation of the parliament, and that parliament IS
at all times answerabe to the people
In the United States the president, the executive
most nearly like the British prime minister is elect
cd for a definite period of four years, and no way,
save Impeachment, is provided by which he can be
disposed of until his term ends. Hence, if we had
no court to check the acts of the executive he
would be free to do his will until his term expired,
limited only by the congress, and that limitation
could be exerc3ed only by refusal to vote him sup
ulies-as the parliament of Hampden and Pym re-
fused them to Charles H. a good man who tried to
be an autocrat for the good of his kingdom and
lost his head in consequence
The immediate peril to this country lies in the
between the executive and the con-
gress about money If the congressman levying
the taxes anu appIOpiioNiHS WV AN'N''N~N' $1,000
know or believe that the executive will consult
them in the spending there comes into being
perfect arrangement whereby themselves and the
executive may stay in office. To that peril democ-
racy is always exposed The sole safeguard against
it is the jealous watchfuness of the people espe-
cialy directed against taxation and spending.
Obviously, to cripple the court is to strengthen
the executive and the congress so that, if they
choose to form coalition, the path is blazed to
dictatorship itself We do not think and never for
moment have thought that Mr. Roosevelt cares
to be dictator but what he and his congressional
oellhops are doing opens the way for imam on
horseback"
If one dictator shall arise in the United States
there will be others in Houston, Seattle, Mwau
kee, Raleigh and the American republic will break
into fragments.
The danger in Mi, Roosevelt's plan to pack the
supreme court is the danger of eventual dsunon.
Charleston News and Courier