Show BREWER gREWER ON ROOSEVELT During the course cour of some remarks addressed to the Civic Forum a recently re recently recently organized New York society Justice Brewer of the supreme court of the United States made several statements that have been construed asan as asan asan an attack on the president Friends of or Mr Roosevelt have been bitter and unsparing in their denunciation of the Justice They seem to think he was guilty of or lese le majeste In presuming pr to criticize even by inference their great reat and good patron pa tron Theodore I Among the sections of Justice Brewers speech that were objected to were It may not be generally known that the convention that framed the Con Constitution Constitution Constitution at first prescribed a presidential presidential presidential term of or seven years with a prohibition upon reelection and only as the convention was nearing its end and so far as the record shows with without without without out any discussion or suggestion of reason this was changed In Into Into into to a four years ears term and without the Ineligibility In the judgment of o men among mong whom I am one there was a mistake in that change In the light of history I think it would have been bet better better better ter to have left the presidential term term of I seven years with an accompanying In m ineligibility eligibility Applause If It that were the provision we should not now have the spectacle of our strenuous president playing a game of hide and seek with the American peo people people pIe Laughter Continuing Justice Brewer said it had been stated that President Roosevelt while governor of or New ew York discovered discovered ered the ten commandments commandments He add added added added ed Perhaps we shall all yet et say sa of o another governor of or this tate state that he has done better and has discovered the Golden Rule It was In his judgment the duty of a chief executive to en enforce enforce enforce force the law but he should not yield to popular clamor Further along Jus Justice Justice Justice tice Brewer still doubtless with the president ent in mind discussed party pledges and obligations saying For instance even in economic mat matters matters matters questions of or governmental polity he should never turn his back on the tho expressed principles of the party part which elected him In other words he never should take office on an Implied prom promise promIse promise ise Such Su h conduct is political treachery treachery treachery ery and a traitor Is always despicable Nor In respect to new questions which may ma arise after his election may he lie rightfully lead Into lines of policy polley which j he Is firmly convinced CO tend to national danger In cases caseR like Uke that duty calls upon him to be tie true to his convictions at the expense of ot present popularity There will naturally be much specula speculation tion as to the pledges Roosevelt has broken Perhaps Mr Ir felt that when Mr Roosevelt permitted him to raise a n great campaign fund for use useIn usein useIn In New York that the acceptance of the money constituted an implied pledge that the president would do dt nothing against Harriman Perhaps the great corporations the life Ufe Insurance compa companies nies and others that aided so 80 material materially ly 1 with their contributions In electing Mr Roosevelt In 1904 1504 felt that they had bad an Implied pledge of security An analysis of Justice Brewers speech both on the subject of presidential presidential presidential terms and on other matters I showed that he spoke nothing but the thet theA I A t truth The propriety propriety of such a speech from a member of the highest legal tribunal in the land la is certainly open open to question By the average citizen the supreme court of the United States Is 15 regarded as the most dignified body in inthe inthe inthe the world Also it is regarded as being as far removed from politics as any human organization can beThe be beThe beThe The framers of or the Constitution when they provided pro for life tenure of supreme court co other United States st fes Judges j dg S when hey they hedged the court about with all the dignity they could devise evi evl evidently evidently dently intended that it should be di divorced divorced divorced from f om politics While admitting that the matter of or Justice Brewers talk is right sight and proper proper while e ad admitting admitting admitting that It showed sound reasoning and splendid perception of the situation The Herald confesses that the spectacle of a judge of the supreme court making a speech is not particularly particularly inspiring Justice Brewer probably had no Idea that his speech would cause so much comment comm nt Nor Ol would It have caused comment if it had not been delivered by a member of the supreme court I |