Evening star., 1937-10-12
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,

over tne appointment OF Associate JUS
tice Hugo L. Black. Without passing on
the charges attacking the constitutional
| validity of the appointment, the court
| simply refused to have anything to do
with the matter because those bringing
the charges had no direct personal in
| terest in the matter. Whether this de-
termination on the part of the court
will have the effect of laying the con-
troversy over Black finally at rest re-
mains to be seen. There are other moves
that may be made. A litigant with a
case before the court might. it has been
suggested, challenge the right of Justice
Black to sit in the case, charging that
he is not properly justice of the
Supreme Court. Even If that course
is followed, there is still doubt in the
minds of many that the court would
touch the matter of Blacks appoint
| ment.
| The court is not making martyr
| Of Justice Black, which he might
| have been considered by many New
Dealers if he had been removed. There
is very definite legal question involved,
| however, in the Black appointment.
Whether it will ever be adjudicated is
| extremely problematical. 1t has MOTH
| ing to do with Blacks former connection
| with the Ku Klux Klan.
The Black case, which agtated the
| country Tor weeks, was temporarily re-
| moved from the spotlight when Presi-
| dent Roosevelt turned every ones atten-
| ton to the foreign stuation-particu-
| larly in the Far East-by his Chicago
| speech. Now the Supreme Court itself
| has put the soft pedal on. When Con-
| gress returns to Washington there may
| be a revival of the agitation against
| Justice Black-provided other issues
| have not arisen to obscure the matter.
President Roosevelt is expected in his
| address to the people over the radio at
| $50 o'clock tonight to give soNe inkling
| as to whether he plans to call special
| session of Congress in November. He
| might even make definite announce
| ment of his plans in this respect. He
| is expected also to go to the front again
| for his legislative program-particular
| as it relates to crop control and the
wages and hours bill. His trip to the
| West is believed to have encouraged him
| greatly to press forward for this legisla-
| ton. He is not one easily to turn back
| from a course which he has adopted.
| One thing the country would like to
know is whether he plans a new
| attempt to force through Congress his
ideas about rejuvenating the Supreme
| Court by the infusion of new blood in
that tribunal. So far he has given no
indication of what he intends in this
| respect
The sudden death of Ogden Mills in
New York, an outstanding Republican,
| has removed a wise counsellor of the
G. o. P. His ability was widely recog-
nized. He had very definite ideas as
to what the Republicans should do. Un-
doubtedly he would have been called
into the national convention or con-
| ference which Republican leaders are
| now planning for next Spring. Because
of his wealth and financial connections
Mr.. Mills seemed to be removed from
the list of possible eligibles for the Re-
| publican presidential nomination in
| 1910. There are those. however, who
believed that he would have been an
able executive could he have been NOM
| mated and elected. He had strong
| personality and was a gifted and con-
| vincing speaker, with turn for wit
| dllu llulIlOI NIlitIl lew ALI HIS JdI W
today could equal.
With the near approach of November
| 2, election day, the campaign for Mayor
| of New York is increasing in intensity
| The registration figures have gone be-
| yond all previous figures in mayoralty
campaign, although they are several
| hundred thousand below the registra-
IF CT rrl,c
Dental campaign was under way If
Mayor La Guardia, who has the Repub-
lican nomination and the nomination
of the American Labor party, not to
mention the backing of the Socialists and
the Communists, is reelected it will
| be the first time fusion" candidate
has ever been able to succeed himself
as mayor of the metropolis. Usually the
Democratic organization, in that great
Democratic city, has staged a come
back after being out of Office for a
single term.
The Overwhelming number of Demo-
| cratic voters in New York City is the
basis of the confidence which the back
ers of jeremiah T. Mahoney. the party
| nominee, express today. They believe
that enough will be faithful to the party
candidate to put him across. Although
he was not the choice of Tammany for
the nomination, he has had the backing
| of the Roosevelt Democratic leaders
like Ed Flynn, boss of the Bronx. Since
| the primaries the Tammany lead
ers have declared for him and against
La Guardia. 1t is difficult to see how
Tammany would benefit from the re-
election of La Guardia, who has made
war on that organization for years
Furthermore, Tammany is regular
generally speaking, when it comes to
going to the polls. La Guardia is at
tacking Mahoney as the Tammany
candidate, the organization and ma
chine candidate, and making as much
capital as he can. Mahoney, on the
other hand, is trying to pin red label
on the Mayor and to arouse the more
conservative voters against him because
of the backing which has been given
the Mayor.
Since La Guardia has supported Presi-
dent Roosevelt and his New Deal pol
ices. his reelection could scarcely be
characterized as blow at the Roosevelt
administration. Even SO La Guardia has
the Republican nomination and the Re-
publicans will claim some credit if he is
reelected The Democratic leaders in
New York, those who are heart and
soul with Roosevelt. have taken the
measure of Tammany, which has been
in the main hostile to Roosevelt in the
| r. In oclyir lAo1