Montana labor news., 1946-06-06
DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

cusslon. We will say these hold-oyor
senators voted against what the PEG
rle wanted. The neNt election comes
along. and though discouraged. the
people 70 forth to educate and asiiate
i'm the elections Of that year by hard
work they regain a majority IN The
house and are successful N securing
a majority in the senate. They feel
that they have now surely won. Con
uross convenes again in january. the
bill is introduced in the house. passes
goes 10 the senate. and is c%oncurred
in there. Il is then sent 10 the presi'
dent. Thu president holds office for
-four years and is act elected by the
people. The people select electors who
meet and vote for the president. Tn
der this system. we have frequently
elected a president by a minority vote
Of the people. \ very undemocratic
method OF electing president. The bill
is sent 10 the president. In the forth
coming elections they 80 forth 10 bat
tie and are successful in maintaining
a majority Of their friends i'll The
house and senate. hui the president
holds Two more years.
They wait until the ley election.
and once more grid themselves with
the armour of righteousness and win
the presidential election and are sue
cessful in holding their majority in
the house and senate. The cup Of their
JOY runneth over. The following Jan
uary arrives with congress in session
The bill the people have worked for
so valiantly is again introduced in the
house. passes. goes 10 the senate and
is passed there. 1t arrives in due time
on the desk Of the president. He signs
il. The people shout to high heaven
They have won AT last. but something
happens. For the purpose Of this dis
cussion. VIZ shall say this bill inter
feres with out big international bank
ers of Wall Street. They employ sew
eral big corporation lawyers and brine
a suit in the federal courts. alleging
the law Just passed is unconstitutional
No major civilized country in the
world gives their courts the right tt
declare a law passed by their legisla
tive body not a law. This is one o
the most undemocratic arrangements
in our federal Constitution. 1t is reall,
an assumed power. The proposition o
giving the court such power was dis
cussed in the Constitutional Conver
ton and voted down. The first 5
years of the history of our nation af,
er the adoption of the Constitution
no court ever exercised such author
ity.
For the purpose of this illustration
we will say these corporation alto
neys representing the big information;
bankers of Wall Street convince fly
members of the supreme court thu
the law is unconstitutional and fly
members so vote. four dissenting. TIL
peoples sorrow is great indeed. tt
work of years has been undone in
minutes time by Il bare majority
the supreme court of the country.
{ The next step, if the people are
o have their desires put into law is
secure a Constitutional amendment.
1t is not difficult to understand VIII
! is meant when we say that the &C
stitution of the United States is 4
greatest hindrance to democracy tn
was yer invented by man.
About 1850 the people began to a
for an income tax law. After y yea
Of education and agitation, a bill pl
yiding for net income taxes final
passed and became a law in 1892. T
ultrarich with their high powered
torneys challenged the constitution
ity Of the net income tax law in I
supreme court OF the United STATE
At the close Of the arguments for a
against. five members indicated tn
. would vote to sustain the constitute
ality of the law. four Of them indie
ing they would vote against il. T
1 nine retired that night. We hope tn
slept the sleep OF the just. BY the nc
morning one of the judges chang
his mind. and the vote stood five
1 four against. instead Of five to fC
for. II took years Of education a