Evening star., 1937-03-22
Inconsistencies.

A news report states that the support
ers Of the Presidents court plan on the
Senate Judiciary Committee have tried
in the past few days to obtain from the
opposition a full list of their witnesses
who are to be heard on the subject of
the pending bill for the purpose, as one
of them said, of looking up previous
speeches and writings" The object of
such a research is obvious. 1t is to con-
front the opposition witnesses with con-
Trajectory expressions by them. Already
some statements Of a nature to indi-
cate a change of view have been ad-
duced.
The charge of inconsistency is a IA
miliar form of rebuttal in cases of po-
htical and legislative disputation. 1t is
even of ancient origin. Job in his
eighth answer to Bildad said: Behold,
my desire is that mine adversary had
written book"
In these times of frequent disputation
and public asseveration many things
are said and printed that later arise to
confound and embarrass their authors.
There is in this present situation a
notable instance. On the 9th Of June
last President Roosevelt in his speech
accepting the nomination for the presi-
dency delivered at Philadelphia said:
The brave and clear platform adopted
by this convention, to which heartily
subscribe, sets forth that government in
a modern civilization has certain in
eScapable obligations to its citizens,
among which are protection of the fam
lily and the home, the establishment Of
a democracy Of opportunity and aid to
those overtaken by disaster"
The significant words in this state
ment are ITO which I heartily sub
scribe" No other meaning can be de-
duced from them than that the Presi-
dent, in his pledge of performance, ac-
cepted and subscribed to" the entire
platform. That platform contained
these words, with reference to the solu-
ton of certain problems: 1--WE have
SOuSlIb anu WILL COIIlIllLe W SCEh W llICCe
these problems through legislation with
in the Constitution. If those problems
can not be effectively solved within the
Constitution we shall seek such Clarity
ing amendment as will assure to the
Legislatures of the several States and
to the Congress of the United States,
each within its proper jurisdiction, the
power to enact those laws which the
State and Federal Legislatures, within
their respective spheres, shall find neces-
sary, in order adequately to regulate
commerce, protect public health and
safety and safeguard economic security
Thus We propose to maintain the letter
and spirit of the Constitution"
All that was before the election A
very short time after the election and
the induction into Office of the President,
overwhelmingly chosen for a second
term, he proposed, not a clarifying
amendment" to the Constitution, but a
virtually revolutionary procedure to as
sure the reorganization of the Supreme
Court to attain the ends sought by ju-
dicial decision contrary to that which
had previously been rendered.
1t is aSsuredly As much in order to
quote the President on this subject as
any witness for the opposition who may
be called by the Senate committee to
discuss the court reorganization plan,
which is so clearly a repudiation of the
platform to which the President in his
speech of acceptance SO completely and
unreservedly accepted as the basis of
his appeal to the people for reelection.