Evening star., 1937-03-14
Disputes the Mandate"

To the Editor Of The Star:
In your newspaper recently you
printed letter written by j. P.
Neff entitled Court Must Be
Guided by the VIII Of the People"
The writer claims that the November
election was a mandate from the peo-
pie authorizing the President to pack
the Supreme Court or to place
sufficient men upon the court OF his
own choosing so his New Deal meas
ures previously declared unconstitu-
tional might DE sustained
Here is one Democrat who takes
issue with another Democrat. There
are millions of Democrats and Re-
publiCans who voted for Presiden-
RooSevelt's reelection who gave him
no such mandate Neither the plat
form Of the Democratic party nor the
the President in any Of his prediction
speeches ever solicited a single vote
on the above basis. The Presidens
was absolutely silent upon this court
issue he is now advocating. The
Democrats in Congress who are taking
issue with the Presidents court re-
form plan are not dlsloyal to the
Democratic platform nor TO Demo-
cratic party issues and principles. The
President is not true to the Demo-
cratic party platform nor to pre-
election issues, and the Democrats OF
the Jeffersonian type are justified in
taking issue with him on his court
reform scheme. In this he is not
following the will of the people.
The President has done more than
any other living man to destroy re-
spect for the dignity of the Supreme
Court and for fundamental law. He
and few of his socialistic advisers
are doing more than the worst
anarchists ever did in America to
foment the spirit of fear and Of
revolution by their insistence to over
throw the decisions of the Supreme
Court, and that If the radical social
| lstic policies are not carried ort the
populace will demand that they be
carried into effect by force.
1t is true that the majority OF the
people did speak at the recent cleo
ton. but they never asked the Presi-
| dent TO restore the iniQuitous N. r. A..
4 which the Supreme Court by unani-
nous vote declared unconstitutional,
Does Mr.. Nef want a clean slate for
the Supreme Court? Is the Executive
to run all three branches Of the
| Government? 1t is fortunate for the
/ country that there are enough real
/ loyal Democrats in the Senate to pre-
vent the Chief Executive from making
rubber stamp out of that honorable
| body.
the President would keep his
| promise made IN one of his pre-elec-
ton speeches and give business and
lndustTy chance to make recovery
enectlVe on its own initiative, he
would not now have to raise the
scare of another crisis in the busi-
ness world
Who IS disrespecting the peoples
rights? Not the Supreme Court, It
mas always been the guardian OF
the peoples rights and the Constitu-
ton the refuge of their security, A
supreme Court that could be manipu-
lated by party politics and policies
WHICH nave betrayed It's own party
and platform, is no longer the guard.
ian OF the Constitution nor the i'm
partial umpire for essential Justice
How can confidence be built up
IN the integrity of our highest court
and in the majesty of the Govern
ment itself when the Chief Execu-
tive and his associates call the justices
odlous names and are unwilling 10
abide by its decisions2 Such a course
engenders lawlessness and mistrust,
which sap the stability of any govern
ment. To make the justices sub
servient TO the Chief Executive or to
any other branch Of the Government
would be destructive of every con-
stitutional guarantee Of human rights
and would give the President un-
limited powers.
| GEORGE JEFFERSON Jr. -