The recent decisions on the Wagner Act "have weakened the President's Srgument considerably. "If he wishes note power than he now has, then several doubtful Congressmen would desert him. Southern Deshocrats specially would grow distinelly cold to any great increase in Federal authority over the States, The President, therefore, must now combat the intellectual' doubts of Con pressmen and' Ue weakening of his Ingleal position by increasing the two potent weapons of patronage. trid pressure.
It Congressmen can be frightened into believing most of their constitu" jones want the President's. proposals pass they will vote for them un= lees their convictions are extremely strong. And (with the same excep-than) they will vole for them if they see chances of strengthening their political position ty passing out patronage plums to Influential people their districts, The President may find that he has had to make so many promises 10 get his plan adopted that its purpose (io create a more effective judiciary well as one which believes "liberal interpretation" of the Con stitution) will be defeated, Another ponsibility is that three of the older Justices will retire at the end of the present term, If that Jhappencd the President would be forced to abandon his plan however much he has grown to believe that hiis personal prestige was involved, He would be able to name three of tis own Justices and his complaint that he had by an accident been deprived. of a right enjoyed by every other President would no longer be valid. The Justices who speak of retiring are Brandeis, McReynolds and Van Devariter. The last two are "strict constructionists" whom the President could replace with those who believe in liberal interpretation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.