The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-03-06
THE PRESIDENT AND THE COURT

THE PRESIDENT AND HE COONi
President Roosevelt's argument on the
Supreme Court issue, as outlined in his
speech Thursday evening, is that the con-
stitutional law of this country does not per-
nit him, even when aided and abetted by
a subservient Congress, to do the things
he wants to do with the United States. The
Constitution and the Supreme Court for
bid these things as being contrary to the
fundamental law of the land.
Because his plans do not conform to the
rules of the game the President would
change-not the rules of the game, but the
umpires. There is no longer the pretense,
on his part or the part of his supporters,
that the umpires have not made decisions
according to the rules; but the rules do not
spit his purposes, so he proposes, not a
change of the rules to meet his views, but
proposes to select umpires subservient to
the chief executive, who will render the
sort of decisions desired by him, regard
less of the rules.
Stripped to its revolving nakedness, that
and tactics in the court fight.
In substance, the President says: 81 am
determined to do certain things in and
with this country which are not permitted
by the laws"-things which the courts
have ruled out as being contrary to the
fundamental rules adopted by the people
of the United States for making the poll
cieS of their government-'I am deter
mined on this course, and if the laws do
not permit the doing of the things / want
to DO, will find way to circumvent the
laws"
-4fhe President has finally adopted a
frank course in the matter. He started out
to camouflage the proposition, to conceal
his real views and, in measure, his inten-
tions and aims. He has now come out into
the open, throwing aside the alleged argu-
hents of the need for reorganization OF the
courts, appointment of more judges to re-
lteTe congestion of the courts, and that sort
Of thing, He now admits that what he is
after is the Supreme Court, charged with
Interpretation of the fundamental law OF
thscountry; and also admits that he is at
ter the court because its interpretations
have not always upheld his actions and
because his program includes many more
radical moves which he knows and admits
viii be contrary to constitutional law.
In other words his proposal is-Roose-
Vets program, right or wrong, regardless
of the rules of the game, regardless Of laws
and courts He takes the position that the
rules of the game-the laws-are wrong
that the fathers of our country were wrong
that the country has been going wrong fol
more than $50 years; that the only person
who is wise and right is Roosevelt. AS DR.
Glenn Frank said some days ago, he i:
drunk with power" ..a
And in this situation the only plan he
can think of and propose for. the attain
psntS of his ends is to force tried and true
men of knowledge, convictions and cour
Age off the bench of the Supreme Court il
order that he may fill their places withshi
Huppets-with men of the stamp of Frank
fprter, Corcoran and Cohen, because Ties,
are the only men who would jump at hi,
bidding and do his work. ....,~ .
In this disgraceful situation the countr!
challenges President Roosevelt to go to tn
people with his fight. He boasts of the vas
majority given him in the general election
much of which he obtained under falls
pretense, it now is clear--let him take tn
case to the people in the way provided an,
used in this country throughout, its history
the constitutional way, by the submissio,
of one or more amendments to be passe
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