Evening star., 1937-09-17
VANDENBERG ASKS.
LAW AND ORDER
Senator Hits 'Usurpers and
SubverSioniSts' in Consti.
tuition Program Talk.
y the Associated Press.

lentless challenge, They shall no
pass" ~
Speaking at an observance of the
150th anniversary of the adoption oi
the United States Constitution, hi
asserted that when the recent Sen
ate turned back the effort to chair
the (Supreme) Court to executive and
legislative control, it not only saved
this constitutional anniversary from
becoming hollow mockery. but also
1t saved the soul of the republic"
~ Warns of Monster"
you can never make a tyrant out
OF the Supreme Court" he declared
1T lacks one, single power of affrma-
tive enslavement. 1t is answerable to
q Constitution which you can change
any time you please. But you can
make any sort of monster, suited to
the prevailing appetite of the ruling
passion, out Of supreme Congress or
a supreme executive"
The speech was broadcast over a
National IN. B. CO. network. For
it. Senator Vandenberg said, he took
the text had intended to use for a
speech, that never had to be delivered
IN the Senate, defending the integrity
OF an unimpaired and independent
Supreme Court against what the Sen
ate Judiciary Committee officially
called a proposal that violates every
sacred tradition of American democ-
racy.'"
Il take the text from Ben Hill, the
old Georgia statesman he continued:
"'Who saves his country saves all
things,
And all things saved do bless him.
But he who lets his country die
Lets all things die,
And all things dying curse him.
Declares America Escaped Curse.
Thanks to coalition of defenders
who-without regard to partisan af-
flliations-have again triumphantly
preserved the spirit of this great
charter in its most recent test by fire.
America has not lost her soul. We
have escaped the Ben Hill curse. We
can righteously celebrate this birthday
in the proven consciousness that we
are still worthy of this priceless in
heritance. We may devoutly salute,
not the dead in memory of grandeur
tnat Is past but the throbbing glory
OF vital Constitution and a virile
bnl OF rights that still live to warrant
liberty under law for 100, 1000 900 free
men.
There are those who like to quote
the famous English historian. Ma
caulay, and his warning MANY years
ago that America ultimately will head
lpr disaster under some Caesar or
Napoleon because our Constitution is
al sail and no anchor Macaulay was
wrong, 80 long as we have sense enough
TO preserve our constitutional checks
and balances with Independent execu-
tive, legislative and judicial depart
ments, each safely 'anchoring' democ-
racy against liberty wrecking TYRANNY
IN the others. Macaulay was wrong.
Tor example, 80 long as we have sense
enough to preserve the integrity of an
independent Supreme Court, answer
sble only to the Constitution and the
people and immune to the passing
storms OF transient, hysterical, political
passions.
Course OF vindicatfon.
But Macaulay was right if, in re-
sponse to plausible but specious plead
ings for all-powerful executive do
minion, sought always in the name of
q people who would thus be treacher-
ously delivered to despotism. if we
ever sail without the anchor of
these protective constitutional re-
stralnts. Then indeed Macaulav
WIZ unhappily be vindicated and
some Caesar or Napoleon will seize
the reins OF government with a strong
hand and. piously pretending exag-
eerated affection for popular authority
wlli slaughter liberty on the altars of
ms own professed, benevolent inten-
tions.
The present President of the
United States did not hesitate to warn
Us appropriately few years ago.
when dire emergency was being sub
jected to emergency device. that he
ano his associates were creating in
struments Of power which, in wrong
hands could shackle the liberties of
tne people Shades of Macaulay!
Inere are no hands, no matter how
presently kind and good, that
are good enough to be trusted with
shacKles' for the liberties of the
american people The Constitution
was not born to die in chains.
Constitution Declared Indispensable.
Ins Constitution is Just as indis-
pensable in the 150th year as it was
IN the climax of the eighteenth CEN
tury. Let no complacent. ostrich
MINDED citizen ignore the sweeping
growth OF strongly centralized, au-
thoritarian government, with its at
tendant tyrannies, all around the
giooe. Let him not ignore the in
nltration of these trends at Wash
lngton, no matter how worthy their
present objectives may be deemed Ia
oe. where the greatest and most pow-
erful bureaucracy of modern times
now plans It's own perpetuation.
Let him not idly pass these sig
nincant implications when an Ameri-
can executive asks the legislature for
laws regardless of constitutional
doubts, however reasonable; when the
executive and legislative arms to-
eetner reach to control the judicial
arm and TO warp the judicial voice of
government. This would not have
been called liberalism $50 wears
ago 1t was the 'toryism' of 1887.
IL is the real 'toryism' of 1887.
whoever raises the banners of class
hatreds, or racial hatreds, or religious
natreds in free America insidiouslv
violates the spirit of the Constitution
ana invites us to our doom. Separate
our people into suspicious, warning
groups-and there will be but few
more constitutional anniversaries to
celebrate"
NEW FACULTY MEMBER