Evening star., 1937-02-21

human ffeeoom. upon tne protec.
ton of these rights depends re-
ligious freedom. Upon them de-
pends freedom of speech. Upon
them depends security from in
dividual oppression.
Our Constitution was no. alone a
statement of these rights. 1t was
q framework of Government for the
safeguarding Of these rights. Every
school boy and girl knows that the
very pillars OF that temple are the
independence of the Supreme
Court, the legislative branch. the
executive, and the division OF
powers with the States.
But these rights and these guar
antees are no stronger thar their
safeguards. And of these safe
guards none is so final and SO i'm
perative as the independence Of the
courts. 1t Is here alone where the
humblest citizen and the weakest
minority have their only sanctuary.
Self-government never dies from
direct attack. No matter what his
real intentions may be, no man
will arise and say that he intends
to suspend one atom of the rights
guaranteed by the Constitution.
Liberty dies from the encroach-
ments and disregard Of the safe
guards of those rights. And un-
fortunately it is those whose pur-
poses have often been good who
have broken the levees of liberty
to find a short cut to their ends.
These are serious times. Liberty
Is crumbling over two-thirds of the
world. In less than a score Of years
the courts in a dozen nations have
been made subjective to political
power, and with this subsection the
peoples securities in those coun-
tries have gone out of the window.
And mark you this-in every in
stance the persuaders have pro-
fessed to be acting for the people
and in the name of progress. AS
we watch the parade of nations
down that suicide road every Amer
ican has cause to be anxious for
our republic.
This is the peoples problem.
It is the Supreme Court defend
ing the peoples rights guaranteed
by the Constitution which tim and
again has protected the people
from those who seek for economic
power or political power or to sup
press free worship and free thought.
1t is the peoples rights that are
endangered. Once political power
makes use of e court, its strength,
and its moral prestige, are ire
trievably weakened. When those
are weakened the very safeguards
from coercion are in decay.
Problems Held SoIvable
Within Constitution.
1t is not that our Constitution
is a shackle on progress. 1t is
commonplace to repeat that the
growth of social ideas and mechan-
ical invention and the ingenuity
of wickedness force new problems
in our national life. So far as they
relate to government, the vast ma
jority OF them are solvable with
in the Constitution. When specific
problems arise which do require
constitutional amendment, then the
people have ever been willing to
grant it, Such changes are not
lightly to be undertaken. But the
Constitution provides an open and
broad method by which they may
be quickly accomplished.
What Is the hurry in all this?
The Nation is recovering from de-
preston. There is no emergency.
Surely year or two is no waste
in the life of great Nation when
its liberties are the stake of haste.
II historic liberalism cannot be
maintained under the present pro-
visions of the Constitution, shall
be the first to support the President
in amendment Of it.
But there are certain things that
must not change. These things are
the fundamental safeguards of hu-
man rights. We have already gone
far on the road of personal govern
ment. The American people must
halt when it is proposed to lay
hands on the independence of the
Supreme Court. That is the ulti-
mate security Of every cottage. 1t
is the last safeguard Of free men.
Ladies and gentlemen, I offer
you a watchword-hands OF the
Supreme Court.