The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1948-12-09
THE GREAT
GAME OF
POLITICS
By FRANK r. KENT.
Copyright by The Baltimore Sun and
reprinted in The Republican by per
MISSION.
The Douglas Boom

Since Mr.. Justice Douglass speech
before the Go convention in Portland
his ardent admirers have been at
pains to explain that it was the
Opening gun" in his campaign fof
the 1852 Democratic presidential
nomination. Though that seems a long
way off, they are in high state Of
excitement over his prospects.
Besides the justice himself, activity
in his behalf is notable among the
ClO bosses and members Of the SO
called Americans for Democratic Ac-
ton, many of whom are eX-job-hold-
ers of the Roosevelt regime and rela-
tives of the late President. Apparent
ly, it is their purpose to build Mr..
Douglas up politically during the next
three years to the point where he will
be the most formidable competitor for
the prize And, in this effort, qui' e
clearly, they are going to have earn
est encouragement from Mr.. Douglas,
whose avidity for personal political
publicity has been repeatedly demon
strated and whose White House aspif-
ations are thinly disguised.
The vigor with which this enter
prise is being promoted and the open
ness with which Mr. Douglas is CO.
operating inevitably raise the ques-
ton Of his remaining on the Supreme
Court. Concerning this there is 1
strong body Of opinion. which holds
that if Justice Douglas does not
voluntarily retire, some measures
should be found to compel his relme-
ment Among those who feel that
way, besides many lawyers, it is ua-
derstood, are a considerable number
Of judges, including some of NJ.
Douglass colleagues on the Supreme
Bench. Their view is that the Su-
preme Bench is no place from which
to conduct political campaign. It
seems difficult to dissent from this,
and the only persons who do are a.
tive proponents of the Douglas candi-
dacy.
Their reasons are as obvious as
they are political. Let the dignity
and prestige Of a Justice Of the Su-
preme Court be removed from their
hero and instantly he shrinks in size
and availability. Instantly, the DIFF
ficuI4;,- - +I,o o,+oy,,vi-, ,,.o j.,
creased. From the angle of the Doug
las promoters it is essential that he
remain on the court while they do
the promoting. All they need from
him is the close personal contact
which they always have had and an
occasional speech such as that before
the clio convention, none Of which
will interfere with lofty attitude of
nonpolitical detachment on his part
though extremely stimulating to
his promoting friends.
But this program is exactly the
most resented by those who want to
revere the Supreme Court and believe
1t important to the nation to uphold
its standards and traditions. These
contend that such program violates
the courts traditional aloofness from
politics, lowers its prestige and tends
to diminish the public confidence in
its disinterestedness and impartiality.
They regard Mr.. Douglass appear
ance before the CIO gathering as Il
rather shocking improperly, point
ing out that the CIO is one of tie
most controversial organizations in
the country and that, of course, it is
in politics up to its neck. Its leaders
were ardently for Mr. Douglas first,
for the presidential and then for the
e-presidantial nomination at the