Evening star., 1938-01-07

A liberal" Supreme Court, guaranteed
to President Roosevelt through retire.
ment of Justice Sutherland, means that
Congress mounts into new importance as
the countrys bulwark against New Deal
radicalism. That is the immediate re-
action in the business world, which re-
f1ected its emotions through a fall in
Wall Street prices the moment Suther-
lands announcement came over the
ticker. There's no longer room for doubt
that F.. D. RS path, as far as the court
is concerned, is now unlmpeded. unless,
of course, he trotS out another N. h. A..
which the high bench smashed by the
unanimous score of 9 to 0. Thus, for
broad, general purposes, Father Time
has accomplished for the President about
everything he sought to get by special
delivery through his ill-fated court
packing plan. Politicians share with in
dustrial leaders the hope and belief that
Congress, having tasted blood on the
court and wages and hours bills, will
not abdicate its augmented duty OF
standing between the country and
visionary legislation Matched by starry
eyed White House advisers. The Ameri-
can people, which has thanked God for
the Supreme Court periodically during
the New Deal, may henceforth have
occasion to 60 down on their national
knees in gratitude for an equally inde-
pendent House and Senate.
AS happened after the Van Devanter
vacancy, Washington is indulging In an
orgy of guesses over Justice Sutherland'S
successor. With his love for surprises.
Mr.. Roosevelt may have something up
his sleeve that will take wiseacres'
breath away just as the Black appoint
ment did. So the admirers and boosters
of Stanley Reed, Sherman Minton, Sam
Bratton and the galaxy of Dame Ru-
mor's other favorites may wake up any
of these mornings and find themselves
merely group of wishful thinkers. One
thing is dead certain. Whoever the NOM
inee is, his public and private life,
checkered or otherwise, will be X-rayed
fore and aft with unparalleled scrutiny.
The President isn't a person who likes
to be fooled twice. Those whose job
it is to supply him with the loWdoWn
will watch their step to see that nothing
even family approximating Ku Klux
Klan stain mars the escutcheon OF the
next Supreme Court choice. If the plum
goes to the Senate again-to Minton Of
Indiana-the outlook is that Paul v.
McNutt will be recalled from Manila and
appointed to the unexpired term by
Hoosier Gov. Townsend.
X
His old-time colleagues in the Senate
regret Tom Hehins failure to stage a
comeback on at least one ground. They'd
have welcomed the return to the cloak
rooms of the best story teller, especially
of Negro yarns, that ever drove dull care
away beneath the dome. Otherwise,
the Pope's archfoe will not be missed.
Cotton Tom" was heavily handicapped
by his anti-New Deal attitude, though
his opposition to the wages and hours
bill was expected to stand him in far
better stead in industrial Alabama than
it seems to have done. The administra-
ton left no doubt of its preference for
Representative Lister Hill. En- route to
Florida last month the President chose
the traditional method of showing favor
to a politician by inviting the young
Montgomery Representative for a ride
on the White House special. Hill not