The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-08

sitting with them on the Su
 The judge was John J. Parker of the Fourth Circuit Court of appeals, and the case was that of the Duke and Alabama Power Companies, in which the nine virtually reversed themselves to decide with Judge Parker.
 That same Judge Parker was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1880 by Herbert Hoover, but rejected by the Senate Liberals. Ever since then they have re- gretted their mistake. For Judge Parker has turned out to be a better Liberal than many of them, and the man appointed in his place-Justice Owen J. Roberts has knifed some of the most im- portant advances the Senate Lib- erals stood for.
 Senate Liberals
 If the Senate Liberals had had more understanding of human nature than of high-flown princi- pies, they would not have erred so grieviously.
 w. s. Robinson, who represent ed the power interests in the cases Iecided this week, had bet- ter insight. Talking to the op- position attorney during the hear ings,, he said:
 Parker tries to be conserva- tive, but he can't. He just hasn't got it in him."
 AS a matter of fact, John Par ker got his start as a radical in the University of North Caro- lima. Queer" was what they called him then. He refused to join a fraternity, claimed it was undemocratic, said he didn't want any advantages not open to other boys.
 Whereupon, without advantages, he made himself one of the out- standing men of his college gen. eration, a star debater, football player, and candidate for con- gress on the Republican ticket when he was only 24 years old. Being a Republican and in North Carolina, he lost; but ten years later he ran again as a Republi- can, this time for governor.
 Supreme Court Battle
 It was at this point in his career that Parker made a state ment destined to cost him his seat on the Supreme Court. Branded by Democrats with their favorite campaign epithet for Republicans -"nigger-lOver"-Parker tried to counteract its political effect by stating publicly that he wanted no Negro support.
 Participation of the Negro in politics is a source of evil and danger to both races," he said, "and is not desired by the wise men of either race or by the Republican Party of North Carolina"
 This statement, made in 1920, was dug up ten years later by Walter White, head of the As- sociatio for the Advancement of Colored People, and it hurt just enough to defeat Parker's nomina- tion for the highest bench.
 The A. F. of L. also campaigned against him because a famous de- cision of his in a labor injunction case had upheld the yellow dog" contract. To this Parker replied that he had merely followed the then precedent of the Supreme Court.
 With this combination of forces against him, Parker was defeated by a vote of Al to 39, splitting the Republican party wide open. It was the first time the Senate had rejected a Su- preme Court nomination in 36 years, and the first out-and out reversal against President Hoov- CT. And today the very men who defeated him are applaud ing Parker's prO-New Deal de- cisions.
 NOTE-Among these, Ed Mo- Grady, ex-assistant secretary of 1dOOI, IIleH lODDy1SC TOT the A. F. of L., rallied many votes against Parker, now sees eye to eye with Parker on recent decisions.
 Courteous But Frank
 Judge Parker is a tall, rather handsome man, with frank, open face, and a naive person. ality when off the bench. He is genial, hearty, makes it a prac- tice to come down to mingle in court during recesses, chatting and smoking with the attorneys of both sides.
 He conducts his court in most delightful manner, although with dignity, and the Fourth Cir cult Court has the reputation of being the most courteous in the country. If the court takes up OFF THE RECORD