Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-03-17

The Presidents program with re-
ference to the Supreme Court of the
United States continues to over
shadow all other national issues His
appeal to the country in the form OF
one of his radio "fireside chats is be-
ing widely discussed. Hearings on his
proposal are drawing large crowds to
the rooms of the Senate Committee
on the Judiciary Proponents and OPP
ponents of the measure are drawing
their lines for battle In other words,
another important chapter in Ameri-
can history is being written, whatever
that chapter may finally record.
In this connection it is interesting
to read the oath of members of the
SUPREME Court, it follows:
II do solemnly swear that I will
administer justice without respect to
persons, and do equal right to the
poor and the rich: and that | will
faithfully discharge all the duties in
cumbent on me as Judge according to
the best of my abilities and under
standing, agreeably to the COnstitu-
ton and the laws Of the United
States
Whatever may be the viewpoint of
any individual with regard to the pre-
sent Supreme Court issue, consider
able stress must be laid on the last
sentence of the acove oath reading
"agreeably to the Constitution and
laws of the United States" From this
it would seem that the laws of the
United States-and the laws are the
acts passed by the Congress and sign
ed by the President-have equal stand
ing with the Constitution. The Presi-
dent contends that they have not been
given such standing by the eminent
Supreme Court Justices, and here is
the basis of the current and widely
discussed issue.
Let me quote what others have said.
The illustrious Abraham Lincoln,
declared in his first inaugural:
The candid citizen must confess
that if the policy of the government,
upon vital questions affecting the
whole people, is to be irrevocably fix
ed by decisions of the Supreme Court
the instant they are made in ordinary
litigations between parties in personal
actions the people will have ceased to
be their own rulers, having to that
extent practically resigned their Gov
eminent into the hands of that emin-
ent tribunal"
The great Justice Holmes, who ever
held aloft the light of justice for ALL
said
1T must be remembered that legis-
lators are the ultimate guardians of
the liberties and welfare of the people
in quite as great a degree as the
courts"
Again Justice Holmes said:
'The first requirement of a sound
body of law is that it should CORES
pond with the actual feelings and de-
mands of the community.
1.-THE courts were intended to en-
dure for all ages to come and conse-
quently to 3e adapted to the various
crises in human affairs
These quotations from great stu
dents of our government deserve
study and thought as our people stand
at the crossroads of national affairs.
These statements were not made in
the heat of debate. They were made
by men who enjoyed national confid-
ence, and by men whose deeds merit
that their words be remembered. I
cite them now because they are time
ly
Is the President correct in his con-
tention that the Supreme Court has
not given due respect to the legisla-
tive will of the people? Are the oppon-
ents of his program correct in their
contention that the Supreme Court
has always been right? Answers to
these questions will be found when
the people on farm and in factory un-
derstand clearly the issues involved
and thunder out their views They,
and they alone, must answer. Thier
rights must come first And the effort
to put these rights first precipitated
the present momentous Issue.