The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-03-11
SEEN
HEARD
around the
NATIONAL
CAPIT:AL
By Carter Field i


cision of the house leaders to wait
until the senate acts before forcing
a vote in the lower house on Pres
ident Roosevelt's proposal to en-
large the Supreme court.
Privately most members OF both
house and senate say there has not
been such a dangerous vote IN
years. If they vote with the Presi-
dent they have outraged an indie
terminate number of persons, in
Guiding a good many very vocal
lawyers, back in their districts and
states. They may have provided
some likely competitor in the next
primaries with just the issue he
needed.
IT they vote against the President
it may be just as bad, or worsel
The President is liable to win out,
as he always has before-save on
few things of wholly Incompatible
political potentially. II he does
and they were against him, there
may be reprisals-and also that
likely competitor back home will
have q ready-made issue" Stand
| by the President. -
Much of this may still be true six
weeks or two months hence, or
whenever the senate disposss of the
question. But in six weeks or two
months public opinion may have
lelled. The house member will have
been hearing not just from ready
letter writer's, but from his trusted
lieutenants and friends back home,
from people he can depend on to tell
him the truth. Meanwhile he will
have been reading eagerly some of
the stories printed in the hometown
newspapers. Not SO much the edi-
torials. He can find out what the
! editors think any time. What he
will read with most interest are the
accounts OF little gatherings where
/ the issue is debated. He will note
with intense interest that John
Jones, whom he knows all about,
spoke vigorously for the Presidents
| side but that Sam Smith, about
whom the congressman is equally
well informed, took the other side.
Bar Is Opposed
He will see that the local bar
association voted heavily against
the President, and that the local
labor unions voted unanimously for
/ the President. Then it will be up
to him to have a little gum-shoe
work done. Did all the boys at that
labor union meeting really feel that
way, or did they do the usual of
following the leader? The congress-
man will have a fairly accurate APP
praisal Of that very shortly. He
win know whether this group or
that, in addition to voicing their
sentiments, really feel strongly
enough about it to carry the grudge
until next election day. Which is
the only point In the case he really
cares about.
Now senator's have always had
the opportunity, before voting, to dc
all this digging, if they were of the
ear to the ground variety, as dis
tinguished from the fortnight boys
who leap into every fight at the be-
ginning, sure of big newspaper
headlines. Always in the past a
vote of this sort is rushed in the
house, and then the senate fights
it out.
The unfair part to members of the
house in the past has often beer
that by the time the measure came
back from the senate, it was moth
ing whatever like what the house
members had voted forl Yet try
to explain that to a sore constitu
emil
This time the house members car
sit back and wait till all the ma
neuvering and compromising il
over, till the public debate has run
its course. Maybe until the pub
lie has gotten tired of it. And
the senate never voted at all
plenty Of house members would b
mighty pleased.
Wheeler's Plan
Best opinion is that the propose
of Senator Burton X. Wheeler 0
Montana that two-thirds majorit.
Of both house and senate coult
override a Supreme court opinion
holding a law unconstitutional
would prove much longer ste
toward real dictatorship-som
time in the future-that the SC
called Supreme court packing pre-
posal of President Roosevelt.
incidentally it would be far NOR
effectiye-could il be attained in
mediately--than the appointment {
six additional justices. For exam
pie, it is conceivable that such a
additional power, were it veste
in congress, might be used to pu
over a new MIRA, which was dc
clared unconstitutional by unan
nous vote of the present high court
1t is not conceivable that the ar
pointment Of six additional justice
would do that-even if every one c
the six new ones promised to de
eide questions coming before tn
court precisely as the President de
sired. The decision of the enlarge
court would obviously be nine t
six against revived NRA.