Evening star., 1937-03-30

kind. Every speech made since,
whether at the fireside or elsewhere,
has confirmed this Interpretation Of
the Presidents message to Congress.
If that, in plain terms, isn't packing
the Supreme Court" for well-defined
purposes, I confess my inability to
supply better definition.
Moreover, the advocates Of the
scheme themselves reveal this pur-
pose-some of them Warily enough to
have produced merriment in the COM
mittee room, while others have
bluntly, and with evident lack of
shame, said outright that this is the
ghastly object Of the proceeding. Still
others specify some of the voided acts
they propose to revive and render
valid by the votes of the six new
justices whom the country is assured
will be selected for their bias" One
of these acts, which lost American
farmers their export markets and ne
cessitated the Importation of foreign
foodstuffs to feed our own people, was
nullified by tWo-thirds of the Supreme
Court, but by adding to the minority
the six biased" votes to be packed
onto the court this decision may be
overridden.
N. r. A. Reign of Terror"
Assailed by Speaker.
Another of the acts, voided by
unanimous vote of the Supreme Court
and proposed to be revived for re-
versal, would severely test the persua-
sive powers and great legal attain
ments of the six biased justices,
since it is difficult for six votes to
subvert nine, no matter what the dis
parity of ages All nine Supreme
Court justices threw out the so-called
N. R. A. as an "unfettered" delega-
ton Of power, as it was an amazing
thrust of Federal jurisdiction into
every conceivable private business Of
the country. Among its other vices
1t actually suspended for period the
laws OF the Nation against the depre-
dations Of monopoly and confided to
Executive discretion, under hateful
species Of coercion, involving fines and
Imprisonment, the fate Of every busi-
ness interest in the United States. It's
administration was conf1ded to man,
long a respected friend Of mine. Of
unsurpassed accomplishments, with no
selfish interest whatsoever to sub
serve; but in circumstances he was
as ruthless and harsh as human ma
ture ever gets. The act and its ad-
ministration created a reign of ter
ror in the country; and everybody ex-
cept the large industries which
profited by the enforced failure OF
the smaller hailed the decision of the
court with satisfaction.
We are told this is to be revived
along with the Guffey coal bill of
somewhat a like nature, also declared
unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court; and I am wondering II we are
to witness the same sort Of organized
propaganda in their behalf as dis
tinguished one oracle OF the NJ r. A.,
now prominently mentioned as one OF
the biased" wet-nurses Of the su-
preme bench. In his first speech this
man impudently denounced every
American citizen as Stacker" who
should not volunteer obedience to the
N. r. A. He urged the women Of the
country to pin white feathers on
every person who would not willingly
cooperate with enforcement: thus he
would have put badge of disgrace
on all men and women who would not
submit to the atrocious exactions Of
an act Of Congress which all nine
judges of the Supreme Court. young
and old alike. pronounced unconsti-
tutional. The ef1rontery Of this at
tempt to terrorize the people was in
no degree abated by the fact that
this valiant propagandist, now con-
spicuously pictured as one Of the prob
able selections for the Supreme Court
bench. sat in a swivel chair during
the whole period Of the World War
never hearing percussion cap pop
or sensing the smell of gunpowder or
getting near enough to training
camp to learn the difference between
''order arms" and forward march
With Jacobins of this type constitut-
ing the wet-nurse section Of the Su-
preme Court, what an era of peace
and contentment could the American
people confidently anticipate with the
revival of the N. R. A. and kindred
vagaries of the brain-truster variety!
What other and how many peculiar
schemes OF government are to be pre-
sented for submissive legislative action
in confident expectation that they will
meet with the favor Of the biased
half dozen who are to adorn the
bench, Is left to our imagination, be-
cause not exactly specified in the
proclaimed program. We are simply
given to understand that the Presiden,
has mandate from the people" tc
SO reconstitute the Supreme Court a.
to have it sanction whatever the
White House proposes to an agreeing
Congress, particularly if it involves
no CHECK upon unauthorized free
dom" to quote Grover Cleveland
again, or restraint on dangerous
liberty"
But we know there has been nc
such mandate from the people to
rape the Supreme Court or to tampel
with the Constitution. The Consti-
tuition belongs to the people. 1t wa.
written by great representatives Ct
the people. chosen for the purpose
and was ratified by the people as the
supreme charter Of their Government
to be respected and maintained witr
the help Of God. With the consent
and by mandate Of the people thell
Constitution provides how it may bt
amended to meet the requirements ol
the ages. 1t has always been so, ant
no administration In the history OF
the republic has attempted to flank
the Constitution by legislative short
cut so vividly denounced by Woodrow
Wilson as IAN outrage upon consti-
tutional morality
Denies Contribution
To Court Efficiency.
The people were not asked for any
such mandate. They were kept In
ignorance of any such purpose. They
were told that the liberal aims OF tht
President could very likely be achieved
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