The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-09
DICTATORSHIP

President Roosevelt'S revolutionary and
dangerous plan to make the federal judi
ciary subservient to the executive depart
ment, which is probably the chief topic OF
press and private comment at present, has
been received in the Carolinas with more
vigorous condemnation by individuals
than was anticipated. Locally, number
of citizens who have seldom failed to en-
dorse anything proposed by Roosevelt, are
rather vigorous in their opposition to this
latest outbreak. In South Carolina, dis
tinpuished lawyer of Greenwood, M. O..
Mcdonald, president of the State Bar As
ISOLATION, says that the adoption of this
plan will prove to be nothing less than the
beginning of the end of any semblance OF
constitutional government in the nation.
The press of the Carolinas, on the whole,
is doing a neat job of pussyfooting and
fence straddling as it considers the pro-
posal There is an undercurrent OF doubt,
fear and opposition in large majority OF
the daily papers coming to this office; but
il is clear that the press of the two States
is still blinded by the. fiction that Roosevelt
is a Democrat, that the Washington adj
ministration is Democratic, and that south
ern newspapers have been divinely COM
missioned to swallow anything that is Ia
belled Democratic, regardless of how per-
nicious and dangerous it may be to the
perpetuation of Democratic government
and the welfare of the country.
'Ephraim is joined to his idols" So
much for Ephraim.
Now, as to the Roosevelt proposal for
Reorganization" of the judiciary: The
Times-News does not propose to do any
pussyfooting in giving readers its views.
The individual reader may or may not
agree with our views. He is entitled to
hold his opinions and we are fully justi-
fed in expressing our honest convictions,
for whatever they are worth, as we under
take to serve our patrons. That is the
whole matter in nutshell.
Accepting as a fact that our readers
have gathered, or will gather, the details
of Roosevelt's plan for reorganization
of the judiciary from the news columns OF
the press, we omit them from this discus
sion, except to say that he proposes that
Congress give him power to appoint add
tional justices of the Supreme Court and
the lower federal courts and to change
judicial procedure in some particulars
Under certain conditions a reasonable
amount of judicial reform" might be de-
sirable and beneficial. That the judicia
reform" Roosevelt would give the coun
try would be either desirable or beneficial
is open to grave questioning. Right there
is the heart of the problem.
Only few weeks ago, in his usual art
full way of approaching the public, the
President announced plan for reorgan
ization and consolidation of government
departments. The public supposed tina
this was to be done to promote efficiency
and economy in administration IN gov
eminent which has run riot for four year.
in the fields of inefficiency and extrava
gance. The plan was cordially received II
all quarters by the public. 1t was received
at what the people thought was its face
value.
However, in brief time the Presiden
killed all hopeful expectations by givinl
some of the details of what he proposed
to do. 1t was then found that he was pro
posing a mere shuffling and changing o.
departments, bureaus, commissions ant
what-nots of government; that, as mat
ter of fact, not single, encumbrance o.
protubsrsnce of the administrative brancl
of the government was to be amputate