Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-03-11

continued From First Page)
It will jeopardize the entire liberal
program"
This" referring to his amendment,
us a proposal to which no liberal
can take exception and a proposal to
which critics of the President who
have been saying the matter should
be submitted to the people, likewise
should not take exception"
Asked what his position is toward
the Presidents court bill, the Senator
said:
My feeling is that as members
OF the Judiciary Committee, we all
ought to be noncommittal.
The committee, he added, is sitting
as court and has only Just begun
to hear the evidence. Questioned
further by newspaper men as to
whether his remarks could be regarded
as indicating ne preferred his con-
stitutional amendment, OMahoney re-
piled: Il feel this is a permanent
solution"
He pointed out that AZ State Legis-
latures are now in session and urged
that they be given an opportunity to
pass on the proposed amendment. He
also pointed out that % States have
Democratic Legislatures. He said
there was reasonable ground to believe
that progressive forces in four other
unclaSSified States would Join the
movement, leaving only nine other
States that would have to be obtained
for ratification.
Broadcasting from Chicago, SEN
ator Wheeler voiced the resent
ment which has manifested itself
among the liberals and Democrats
opposed to the Presidents court plan.
In his address ran an undercurrent
of bitterness because of the structures
the President, in his two addresses so
far delivered on the court matter, has
applied to the opponents OF his
measure.
President and Crisis.
The President made the startling
statement" said Wheeler, that in his
opinion a great national crisis exists
q crisis even more grave than that
which confronted this country four
years ago. The President implied
that he could not insure the con-
tinuance of democratic institutions
for four more years unless he was
given the power to increase imme-
diately the membership of the Su-
preme Court by adding six new
justices.
Crisis, power, haste and hate was
the text from which the President
preached"
Wheeler chided the President for
his campaign for reelection last Fall
the President had told the country
what great strides had been made to-
ward recovery, and now recovery had
actually come to the country There
was none of the talk, now made by
the President, of any crisis, Wheeler
said
The Montana Senator said:
Now, when many of these same
liberals, who agree with his aims, dis
agree to his packing Of the court be-
cause we believe it is fundamentally
unsound,. undemocratic and reaction
AIRY in principle, the President says
the tumult and the shouting have
broken forth aneW-and from sub
stantially the same elements Of oppo-
sition.'
The same elements of opposition
johnson of California, Norris of Ne
braSka, Nye and Frazier of North
Dakota, Borah of Idaho and that vast
host of Southern Democrats who have
supported the President whole-heart
eddy. We are classed as the same
elements of opposition as opposed him
In the last campaign"
Wheeler said the people will moi
believe these liberals are insincere If
their desire to improve social anc
economic conditions in the country.
The people will believe. in my
opinion" he continued, that thu
President has made false start ane
taken most dangerous method O.
Fighting the wrongs that may exist
They will question that the end JUST
f1es the means"
Lands replied that the balance be.
tween the three branches OF Govern.
ment had been "subtly and increas.
ingly upset" in the last IS years, anC
that the Roosevelt plan was the only
way to restore that balance.
Declaring the present Supreme
Court has set itself up as super.
legislature standing athwart the path
Of social progress, Lands added:
I'VE dare not repeat the mistake Of
Buchanan-to let the Nation, as ne
did, after the bred Scott decision
falter and tumble too long for it,
destiny. We must, If we can, find .
way to do otherwise"
The Presidents proposal to name
six new justices is the only constitu.
tional way to meet the problem short
of constitutional amendment, h,
said. He pointed out that the child.
labor amendment has been kept out o.
the Constitution for years and de.
clared another amendment might fac.
equal delay.