Evening star., 1944-07-31

TUT II years ulluOnS OF CQen nave
been anesthetized by the billions OF
taxpayers money which the New
Deal has poured out and fascinated
by the glittering balls which the
master Snowman in the White
House has kept In the air.
And two years ago, when II
seemed the people were about to
come out Of their daze, the wal
came along. 1t offered a vast
blanket under which the New Deal.
ers could conceal innumerable
faults and escape the penalty ot
ghastly failures. Wrapping thai
blanket around their candidate
they are using it now to secure q
fourth Roosevelt term. 1t is the
clear strategy to push all domestic
matters to the rear, keep the wal
always to the front and run Mr.
Roosevelt not as party nominee
but as commander in chief.
President Sets Pace.
In this, the President is setting
the pace as shown by his dramatic
address to the convention from 9
Pacific naval base. And, he is be.
ing greatly aided in this effort BY
the CIO publicity outfit. which re.
fers to him always as commander
In chief instead of President.
Perhaps they will get away with
1t, bVt they should not. They should
not, for example, be able to keeI
from the people the facts about
what Mr.. Roosevelt has done tt
the Federal Bench In his twelve
years Of ONCE. Back in 1887, he
made an attempt to pack the
Supreme Court. This did arouse
the American people to such a de-
gree that 1t failed. Certainly, many
who had liked Mr.. Roosevelt up tc
that time have had no faith in him
since.
But, It was not until seven years
later that the full story Of what
he has done to the Federal judiciary
became clear. 1t is devastating in
dictment and it ought to arouse
great popular indignation. The
problem is, with Mr.. Roosevelt run.
ming as commander in chief, to ge,
any national attention for the facts
Many think that of all the thing.
the President has done the extent
to which he has laid political hand.
on the courts Is really the worst
He has brought the Federal Bench
to the lowest level in its history
Since 1882, he has named 81 pei
cent of the judges on the United
States Supreme, Circuit and Dis.
trict Courts-or 156 out of 259. o.
these, 153 are New Dealers, two are
Republicans and one Progressive
Republican Presidents have named
Democrats to the bench and Demo.
cratic Presidents have named Re.
publicans, but never before has any
President done what Mr.. Roosevelt
has done.
AS Mr.. Samuel Pettingill says, Its
closest parallel is to be found in
Germany.
1t is not, Mr.. Pettingill points out
that Republican, as such, makes q
better judge than a Democrat. II
Is that the packing of the Fedora,
Bench with judges of one politica,
creed, of itself, destroys confidence
in the integrity of the bench. And
If people lose respect for their judges
then the whole American system i.
damaged, because respect for the
judiciary is basic and vital.
Political Supporters.
Mr.. Roosevelt has named eight
men to the Supreme Court, every
one of whom has been his strong
political supporter. Seven of the
eight never served on an important
court. Three of them never triee
a case before the court to which
they were appointed. Mr.. Rutledge
the only Roosevelt appointee WHIT
had served on lower Federal bench
in 1887 joined in the demand t.
pack the court
In brief, his judicial sppointee,
have been exclusively New Deal ad.
herents and close political friends
Today, his Supreme Court selec.
tions are swapping and barking al
each other as never before. Ther.
is lowered respect for the court anc
lessened regard for its stability. 1t.
actions can no longer be measured
by its previous judgments.