The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-11-10

THE COURT RECORD
The history o; President Roose-
velts spectacular reform Of the
United States Supreme Court now
In process OF assem- 1ly will be in
teresting reading. Forty years or
even more, may elapre before init
mate recollections OF leaders on
both sides Of that unparalleled po-
Hucil battle are unsealed for pub
lie iuspection-but every shade OF
pertinent fact and opinion will be
recorded and filed away In the
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library al
Hyde Park II the compiling agent
meets with complete success.
Harry L. Hopkins, presidential
right bower. has been spending HIS
snare moments persuading the CON
flicting key figures 10 write down.
without reservation, their versions
o. the 1887 upheaval ,hat momen-
tarily threw the executive, judicial
and legislative branches OF govern
ment into such heated debate.
Ultimately. Hopkins is hopeful
that all OF he participants or in
terested observers will make their
contribution ard pen their private
thoughts on the New Deals chal-
lenge to the ma ions highest judi
cial body.
1T seems % me says Hopkins,
"tlat the supreme Court fight will
be Of m1jor interest 10 historians
IL the years 20 come. II has &C.
CURED to me that one Of the ways
that competent and authentic evil
dence might be obtained as 10 ex-
actly what happened during the
months the bill was before the SEN
ate would be 70 ask every person
who was identified with the court
fight, on either side, to write his
recollections OF he events.
The persons who presumably
would know the course OF the bill
do not necessarily recall the Incl
dents in the same manner. There
n nothing peculiar abou, this fact.
i is we'll known phenomenon OF
History tina. contemporary observ-
ers have written quite conflicting
reports about various historical in
cidents
The same will be true OF the
Supreme Court fight. Bu- it seems
70 ne that while the actors In hat
drama are living they might be
given an opportunity OF writing
their own recollections Of all the
events. no. only leading up TO the
Introduction OF the bill. bu, the
course Of legislative history and the
part they played in IT,
Obviously 20 make the evidence
valuable, it would have to De avail
able 10 the public where the OBJ
server thought best a. a much later
date. wceu all the players would be
off the stage. Therefore he written
observations by the various pastici-
pants would be deposited in the
Franklin y. Roosevelt Library,
which is under the direction o. the
national archives, and not open for
inspection for many years 20 come.
The statemen, would, therefore, be
entirely secret-shown or seen by
no one. The historians la.er would
have to reconcile whateye- conflict
ing evidence might be found
Thus. for example. former Attor-
ney General Homer :. Cummings.
who spearheaded he Admin.stra-
tons battle, along with the late
Senate Majority Leader Joe Robin
son, will be asked to present pic
fure through eyes friendly 70 the
President, together with various
members OF the House and Senate
who supported Mr. Roosevelt
On the other side, recOllecuous
VII be sought from such ouBpoken
,1Hgressional opponents as Sena-
TOYS Burton X. Wheeler CD Mout.
jasph c. O'Mahoney Cd Wyo.
s John A. Danaher (R) Conn
1esident Roosevelt himself al
ey has dictated a partial outline
O. 4. reasons that impelled him 70
cla. ge the high court after il
lad clared a steady succession
o. SECS Deal reforms unconsdtu
-i8.a
These reasons boil down TO the
ore raj objective Of smooth
sa. the New Deal. Obvious
ly sident could not accom-
piss ~ Ranges which he desired
Il Al group overruled him.
lie ave men on the bench
Who 1nditions and needs for
reform saw them. so he set
aao1t SIX Of appointing such
me- aHH II That a. about all