Imperial Valley press., 1939-04-03
The Most Human
Supreme Jurist
BY CHARLES r. STEWART

William Orville Douglas appears
to be about the most human Fed
eral Supreme Court justice that
this country ever had. To be sure,
at this moment of writing he isn't
one of the justices. He's only been
appointed by the president.
President Roosevelt never made
less disputed selection A few
Mississippi senators did say
that they wished a farther west
erner had been chosen, but his
geography was the only fault found
with DouglaS-and even that fault
was found not at all vigorously
Republicans as we'll as Democrats
were suited with him. When he
was drafted from his Yale law
profeSSorShip TO place tsubse-
quently the chairmanShip) on the
Securities and Exchange Commits
sion he was advertised as a rip
snorting liberal. He himself said
that he was a pretty conserva-
tive fellow"
The remarkable thing was that
the conserva tives accepted him as
per his own estimate, and the lib
erals accepted him as per his New
Deal reputation. And each group
continues to accept him, for Su-
preme Court purposes, as per pre-
viouSly-which certainly is a testi-
monial to his fairness as SEC men,
Der and chairman.
Winning Personality
Aside, however, from Douglas
judicial qualities, his personality is
to be taken into consideration.
For In n ce, newSpapermen
practically unanimously are devot-
ed to him.
AS chairman of the SEC he al
ways has been awfully nice to the
washington correspondents. Not
long ago he was invited to be
guest speaker at National Press
Club luncheon. His talk was to be
off the record" so he could say
what he pleased. Accordingly he
introduced his remarks with story
or two. 1t was an innovation Charm
less but snappy) that made a tre-
mendouS hit with his more or less
unciyilized audience.
Now, to have that sort of chan
on the federal supreme bench ap-
peals to the capitals journalists.
Hitherto our high court Judges
have been a bit too solemn. Before
becoming judges some of them have
been interviewable enough. my
self have had pre-supreme court
talks with Chief Justice Hughes
(When he was Secretary of State)
with Associate Justice Stone (when
he was Attorney GeneraD, with
Associate Justice Reed (when he
was the justice departments Soil
citor GeneraD and with Associate
Justice Black (when he was in the
Senate).
This quartet were quite accessi-
Die IN those earlier days-When
they needed newspaper boosting.
But, once landed in lifetime Jobs,
they dried up Immediately.
They said they were compelled
to do SO for judicial reasons. Doubt
less they couldn't express them
selves concerning cases pending be-
lore them, but they won't so much
as make predictions relative to the
weather.
Court Liberalized
The Supreme Court, which Pres
ident Roosevelt msuccessfully tried
TO pack, has been e-jiggered under
his administration, anyway.
Justices Black, Reed and Frank
furter are New Dealers certainly.
Justice Douglas may be so consid-
cred, though he does say he's "pret-
ty conservative" Justices Stone
and Roberts are moderately con-
Seryative. Chief Justice Hughes is
around 40-60 liberal.
The dominance is:
-Four votes liberal. Three votes,
say, IS per cent liberal. Two votes
conservative.
Net result: approximately a rs
or 30 per cent liberal majority. The
size-up was just the other way
when President Roosevelt came in
TO office.
Left clear out on the conserva-
tive limb are Associate Justices Nc
Reynolds and Butler They must
feel lonely. But the others won't
jubilate over them-unless Justice
no,toIac dnac IJo'e vet IN ha heard