Imperial Valley press., 1937-02-16
News Behind the News
Supreme Court Reform, Battle Lines
Forming Roosevelt to Garry His
Cause to People For Support :.
Thank you please.

WASHINGTON.-LineS of strategy in what
may prove this century'S most historic battle
now begin to take FORM
A struggie-at least comparable in bitter
intensity and probably of more far reaching
Importance than that over the League OF Ma
tionS-is in prospect over RooSeveltS program Tor
judicial reform. The opposition, with such old
time ''irreconcilables" as Senator's William E.
Borah and Hiram johnson among its leaders
will seek to employ tactics used in the league
the league fight.
And Franklin D. Roosevelt, his chief Woo
drow Wilson once did. will take his cause to
the countrv-this time through the ether from
the firesde at the White House to the firesides
OF the nation.
Th Senate will be the battle-ground again.
as a Roosevelt victory in the house is commonly
conceded.
The successful idea Borah johnson, Lodge,
Brandegee and others had l8 years ago, was
to prolong hearing and debate until they could
din into the nations ears what they considered
the dangers OF entry into the league. Today
the idea is to bring on parade OF nationally
known figures who will broadcast warnings as
to the Roosevelt plan while Republicans and
conservative Democrats keep raising hue and
Cry on the Senate floor.
Chief among the opposition charges will be
that Roosevelt has made Congress rubber
stamp and now hopes to bring the supreme court
completely under his thumb, making himself an
absolute dictator" Lobbyists and lawyers are
on the lob for special interests who fear that
if Roosevelt gets appointees in the court,
their last refuge from New Deal laws passed
by Congress will be gone.
Advocates of President Roosevelt's big court
program will make publics assertions that the
judicial power has been outrageousy abused,
that reforms which Roosevelt has promised and
presumably were endorsed in the election
be had in other way. Speakers will say
that pre-depreSsion justices who lived comfort
ably through the depression $4,000 a year
should not be allowed to threaten agricultural
prosperity, minimum wages, collective. bargain
ing, relief anti-sweatshop and anti-child labor
measures or public works and that the country
should not be kept in turmoil two or three years
or the welfare Of l2000O000 persons gambled
with while a constitutional amendment is sought.
The country will be reminded as Mrs Roose-
welt already has begun to remind IL, that al
though everyone processes publicly to abhor
child labor, the child labor amendment is now
i3 years old, with 10 more states still needed
for ratification This amendment merely per-
rnits Congress to regulate or prohibit" labor
of persons under 18. The North Carolina House
and Governor Hurley of Massachusetts, recently
have turned down Roosevelt's plea for ratifica-
ton.
A primary administration argument will be
that in this government Of checks and balances
the executive has check on Congress through
the veto and Congress a check on the execu-
tive through power OF the purse and power to
override the veto.
However, the judiciary has a complete check
over both and neither Congress nor executive
any check over the courts judiciary.