Evening star., 1938-04-04

fiscation of pri-
Vate property or the destruction OF
the business system of private capital
investment.
Mr.. Roosevelt has at last met his
master - the people of the United
States. For if the first few months
of 1888 constituted, as some authors
have phrased it, Roosevelt revolu-
ton" the first few weeks of 1888 have
developed peoples revolution"
against autocracy or arbitrary power.
So widely has this spirit been
aroused that members of Congress in
both houses are feeling its effects al
ready They are not deceived by the
feeble cry of propaganda" which
administration leaders have raised
That type of smoke screen is gone with
the wind of other undertaking days,
when the public was misled into be-
leving that the New Deal had the
highest virtue and the greatest amount
of humanitarianism and hence could
do no wrong.
Today the New Deal mask has been
drawn. Fascist designs were never
perhaps deliberately fashioned, but the
unremitting effort to sweep away con-
stitutional safeguards and to operate
a one-man government was clearly
detected in the Presidents effort to
dictate to and control the Supreme
Court. Now the effect of that cam
paign has been fully to awaken the
ldblic to the present plan of the
President to make Congress subservi-
ent to him through his hold on en-
ecutive agencies and commissions
where the tenure of the jobholders
who form the nucleus of congressional
political strength, would be entirely
at the mercy of the Chief Executive.
Court Plan Recalled.
II any other President besides Mr..
Roosevelt were to put into effect the
reorganization bill, there would not
be dozen votes cast against the
measure. That's why it is absurd to
say reorganization bills have been
favored by Presidents on other occa-
sions. Before the Presidents plan to
pack the Supreme Court was an
nounced, this correspondent felt en-
thuslastic about the reorganization
plan with the exception of the two
provisions about the controller gen.
eral and the quasi-judicial commits
slons. For President Wilson once had
in wartime even greater powers
through the Overman act than MIR.
Roosevelt has sought from Congress.
The difference is. of course, that
Mr.. Roosevelt gradually, by one meas
ure after the other and particularly
by his effort to enlarge the Supreme
Court to obtain favorable decisions,
has forfeited the trust of MANY of his
fellow countrymen, who now feel that
he has no respect for constitutional
restraints and really believes in the
philosophy of a dictatorial executive.
however much he may protest that he
does not have the qualifications for a
successful dictator"
Interesting Seauels.
Now that Congress has seen the
temper Of the people, some interest
Ing sequelS may be expected For one
thing, the Nation may demand that
the President, if he is to prove his sin
cerlty about the dictatorship ambi-
tlon, should keep his hands off pri-
mary elections for Congress. AS it is, |
Mr.. Roosevelt is directly and indi-
rectly taking a hand In primary
fights. Thus. if by his presidential
lnf1uence he obtains the nomination
Tor Senator Barkley of Kentucky, how
much independence can the people |
OF Kentucky expect from Mr.. Barkley? |
Both Mr.. Hitler and Mr.. Mussolini |
hand-pick the deputies for the ma
tlonal legislative body in each of their
countries. When man owes his NOM
ination and chance of election to the
President, he is under sucl deep obli-
cation that he cannot very well oppose
the measures offered by the Eyecu-
tive. majority of Congress, hand
picked by the Executive, gives form
but not substance to constitutionalism
Then there is the use of public funds
TO award projects at the psycholog-
1cal moment to certain districts and
States, so as to give the impression
that the Presidents candidate can get
favors while his opponent cannot. If
private citizen or group of citizens
used money to get votes in that way
the chances are We would hear plenty
OF hue and cry about bribery and
corruption.
Conducti0n of Elections.
The next struggle for constitutional
democracy will turn on the manner
and method of conducting the con-
gressional elections this year. If the
members of Congress who want to
vote their convictions and want to
line themselves up on the side of the