Show AMERICAN conservatism the anil inocence InG cence of the supreme court of uio L acted states the supreme court is not an elective body and I 1 suppose that might seem to the english radical a sufficient reason for sweeping it away says the nineteenth century the judges are appointed for life by the president and they are responsible to no popular tribunal not even to public opinion they sit as a court of pure law the final authority from which in all america there is no appeal their jurisdiction strictly defined though it be is coextensive with the union it is the one instance in history in which popular sovereignty acknowledged as supreme in the long run for every other purpose and every other authority to which it has delegated power submits to a master whom it did not appoint and cannot remove and cannot escape everybody submits the states themselves sovereign as they still are for certain purposes submit congress and alie president the army and navy the people themselves all submit in the hands of the supreme court democracy itself if it seeks to pass an unconstitutional law is powerless A unanimous vote of the people a unan vote of the house and senate and the approval of the president would not make a statute law if this tribunal says it is not a law but do vou ever hear of a proposal to the supreme court why not it is not only that the court has been a great court of great judges its honesty and ability and wisdom alike recognized but because the american democracy has the good sense to see that under a written constitution like that of the united states such a tribunal is essential to the working of all its parts and that check and all powerful check though it be upon democracy it is also a guaranty to the american people that in the words of the preamble of their great charter justice be established and the blessings of liberty preserved to themselves and their posterity |