Montana labor news., 1937-03-04
UNIONS SHOULD GET
BEHIND PRESIDENT
TO ENLARGE COURT

President Roosevelt's program for
reforming the Federal judiciary
needs your immediate support. Your
vote for the President will have been
lost unless now you back him up in
his first big battle to carry out his
campaign promises.
The President pledged himself to
continue during his second admins
tration the efforts to improve the
living standards and the working
conditions of American labor. He
stands today, as he did during his
first administration and during his
campaign for reelection, for the
right of labor to organize and to
bargain collectively, for the shorter
work week, and for minimum wage
legislation.
But the barrier to these progress
sive and vitality necessary laws is
now what it has been during the
past four years-a Federal judiciary
interpreting the Constitution in
terms of the conditions that existed
forty years ago. Our Constitution
was written to preserve democracy
but the majority of the Supreme
Court is Interpreting that Constitu-
ton iii a way which prevents prog
ress and tends to destroy democracy
by making it unavoidable in modern
industrial society.
The Presidents program brought
US back from the edge of complete
economic and political collapse, in
1933-the job was well started be-
fore the Court had a chance to de-
clare his measures unconstitutional.
But we r not yet out of the woods;
only the enactment of laws to pro
tect wages, shorten hours, and guar
antee the right of collective bar
gaining can put the unemployed
back to work and prevent another
depression. The Presidents hands
are tied by the unenlightened atti-
tude of a majority of our Supreme
Court.
The Presidents program for re-
form of the judiciary would counter
balance the presence of the elderly
gentlemen upon the Supreme Court
by permitting the selection of an
equal number of younger men-of
men whose views of our basic laws
were formed under present day con-
ditions. This program is perfectly
constitutional - its constitutionality
has not been newfoundland is in
line with action taken frequently
during American history. In his plan
for judicial reform the President has
shown himself again to be able to
put his finger on the one right way
out of a major difficulty.
The heavy artillery of the eco
nomic despots has gone into action
against President Roosevelt-iust as
it did during the election campaign.
Some men in public office seem to
have forgotten already that the
President won that election by elev-
en- million votes. Supporters of the
President must now continue their
fight, under his leadership, against
the embattled reactionaries of poll
tics and industry.
Labor's Non-Partisan League, now
during the campaign, is 100 per
cent behind the President. The
question is, are you? If you meant
when you voted for him last fall,
get into action now.
Write or wire your Senators and
your Congressmen-especially your
Senators-that you favor the Presi-
dents program for judicial reform
and urge them to support the bills
embodying that program. Pass this
message on to members of labor or
CARNATIONS and to labor sympathiz-
ers in order that they may also write
their representatives. Prompt ac-
ton is absolutely necessary.
The President is fighting in your
interest. Don't go back on him nowl
Sincerely yours,
E. L. Oliver, Executive Vice
President.