xt7wwp9t2q46_133 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7wwp9t2q46/data/mets.xml https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7wwp9t2q46/data/59m61.dao.xml American Liberty League 37 linear feet archival material English University of Kentucky This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed.  Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically.  Physical rights are retained by the owning repository.  Copyright is retained in accordance with U. S. copyright laws.  For information about permissions to reproduce or publish, contact the Special Collections Research Center. Jouett Shouse Collection (American Liberty League Pamphlets), "Bulletin Of The American Liberty League", Vol. 1 No. 1, August, 1935 text "Bulletin Of The American Liberty League", Vol. 1 No. 1, August, 1935 2013 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7wwp9t2q46/data/59m61/59m61_0001/bulletin1_1/bulletin1_1.pdf 1935 1935 1935 section false xt7wwp9t2q46_133 xt7wwp9t2q46 ERIQ { `AE IC4
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OI' THE
NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING WASHINGTON, D. G. —
 
VOL. 1 AUGUST, 1935 NO.1
 
- BIRTHDAY
The American Liberty League is one year old this month. During that brief period
the League has grown until its membership reaches into every state ln the Union. By
the time the League's second birthday rolls around one year hence the country will be
in the midst of a political campaign which may determine our future form of government
and the fate of those principles under which the nation has grown and prospered. By
that t1me it is essential —— and on the basis of progress so far made it may be expected
-— that the League shall be a potent force to assist the American people in making the
proper decision.
, E-‘.EE.lS...SUE "
It has become so clear that it no longer requires argument that the so-called New
Deal cannot continue under the Constitution of the United States. Having failed in
their attempt at nulliflcation by lndirectlon, advocates of the New Deal scheme of
things have been forced to adopt the more forthright procedure of seeking to change the
Constitution.
That th1s may be the next major move is clearly Indicated by President Roosevelt
himself. Following the Supreme Court’s decision ln the so-called Schechter case 1n—
valldattng NRA codes, the President made a lengthy speech to Washington newspaper
correspondents which, 1f it had any meaning at all, foreshadowed an attempt to change
the Constitution in such manner as to give the Federal government undisputed control
g over the private business affairs of gggw everymcltfzen of this nation. The impression _
that this ls what is in the Pres1dent's mind has been strengthened by subsequent utter—
ances of members of his Cabinet and other prom1nent officials of the administration.
1 Even more sinister are the implications in the Pres1dent's recent letter to
. Representative Hill of Washington with reference to the Guffey Coal Control Bill.
Advocating enactment of this bill, the President in his letter to Mr. Hill urged that
members of Congress should not let doubts as to the constitutionality of the measure
"however reasonable" deter them from voting for the bill.
This attitude can have only one meaning, namely, a desire to take away from the
Supreme Court its constitutional authority to hold invalid such acts of Congress as
may be in conflict wlth the Constitution. To do this would be to destroy the found-
ation stone upon which the structure of constitutional liberty rests.
@HAT_THg_T§§UE MEANS
It is lmportant that the American people shall realize the logical consequences
of the theories advocated by the present admlnfstratlon. These consequences were
summarized 1n a recent radio speech by Mr. Shouse (Document No. 55) as followsi .

 .. 2 -
"I wonder if my listeners tonight realize Just what Congress and the g
President could do if the Supreme Court were deprived of the power which i ,
‘ it has exercised since the foundation of this nation., J A ‘
. "IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, CONGRESS_COULD ESTABLISH A STATE RELIGION.
IT COULD PROHIBIT FREE SPEECH. IT COULD ABOLISH A FREE PRESS. IT COULD
· PROHIBIT CITIZENS FROM ASSEMBLING TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT., .IT COULD
PREVENT A CITIZEN FROM HAVING ARMS FOR HIS OWN PROTECTION. IT COULD PRO-u
VIDE FOR THE QUARTERING OF SOLDIERS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD IN TIME OF PEACE. .
’ IT COULD AUTHORIZE THE SEARCHING OF YOUR HOMES AND THE SEIZURE OF YOUR GOODS
AND PAPERS WITHOUT CAUSE OR REASON. IT COULD AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF A
A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST AT THE WHIM OF SOME OFFICIAL AND WITHOUT ANY SUP-
PORTING OATH OR AFFIRMATION. IT COULD PROVIDE FOR THE SEIZURE OF YOUR PROP-
ERTY WITHOUT`COMPENSATION. IT COULD ABOLISH THE RIGHT OF TRIAL BY JURY A
AND THE SUPREME RIGHT TO AN IMPARTIAL TRIAL. IT COULD PROVIDE FOR CRUEL
AND UNJUST PUNISHMENT AND FOR EXCESSIVE BAIL AND FINES.
’ "In other words, every protection which the Constitution has thrown
_ about the individual citizen for whose benefit it was adopted would be en-
tirely withdrawn and the people of America would be subject to the autocrat- °
ic whim of the temporary governing_body just as are many of the peoples of
° Europe today. I [ I Ig ‘
y - "If the present administration or any subsequent administration wishes
i to go before the American people with a proposition making possible such
T results, I, for one, welcome that issue."» I
  `   Y . .  YA2‘.l<>.........NA LTR LA....WYE.R§.Q9Al¤lITl`§.E A , A A
The League¥s National Lawyers Committee, under the chairmanship of R. E.
I Desvernine, is preparing legal analyses of important New-Deal acts and bills, in-
cluding the Wagner Labor Bill, the Guffey Coal Control Bill, the TVA, THE AAA, -
Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act, the Social Security Act, the Communications
Act, the Tax Bill and the general subject of government competition with private
business. A »° _ g A ° * T ’ ~ ' "
Each analysis will include a summary of conclusions prepared especially for I
laymen and a formal legal brief of all supporting authorities and arguments such · ‘
i · as might be filed in court by an attorney having a case involving the act concerned..
in The Lawyers Committee will restrict itself to the,preparation of these legal
opinions without expressing an opinion as to social, financial or political policies.
` Each opinion will be made public in full as will any qualifying or dissenting opin-
T ions, if prepared, so that full, impartial and non-partisan opinion will be availabler _
A a to eii. ‘ y A D ‘ I a g,~g I
E Each analysis will be an expert opinion as to whether or not the legislation
3 concerned conforms with American constitutional principles and American traditions.
Q The League feels that these opinions from fifty of the most eminent lawyers of the -
i American Bar, representing all sections of the country and all shades of political
E opinion should prove a real contribution to maintenance of constitutional‘government —
F and should give the American public the expert advice needed for sound public opin-
"; ion. All members of the League interested in obtaining copies of these opinions,
T? when issued, should write the LeagueQ *All interested in any aspects of the Lawyers
d Committee should write the chairman, R. E. Desvernine, 15 Broad Street, New York
i City. ` "_ ‘ r· I

 - 3*- . - g ` g .
T . RECENT LEAGUE PUBLICATIONS o - {
THE PRESIDENT'S TAX PROGRAM - (Document No. 47) A comprehensive analysis of the
measure which Mr. Roosevelt unexpectedly proposed under circumstances which
led to the conclusion that it is a political gesture rather than a serious ·
attempt to put the nat1on's fiscal affairs ln order.‘ E
EXPANDING BUREAUCRACY — (Document No. 57) A study of the present adm1n1strat1on's `
expensive vfolatlon of 1ts campaign pledges and the resulting menace to the
rlghts and liberties of citizens. ·
LAWMAKING BY EXECUTIVE ORDER - (Document No. 60) An analysis of the growth of law-
maklng by executive edict, rather than through normal constitutional processes,
as illustrated by the Roosevelt administration.
NEW DEAL LAWS IN FEDERAL COURTS — (Document No. 63) A review of decisions by the
Federal Judiciary and their effect ln checking attempts to subvert the Ameri-
can constitutional system. i .
LEAGQE_AgTIVITIES
More than 1000 Voluntary Recruiting Committees are now enlisting League members
throughout the United States under a membership plan approved by the Executive Com-
mittee. Actfvftles of the League Recruiting Committees reach 1nto every state and
we rv levee ci *¤v· A.¤.x.s.esb.e.1:.~lllll¤ls-t2.a;eaaIae..¤1;sa.....rv¤-9.¤.._¤ E§.9.E}..El.1lE1._CO@m..¥E)£2
in his logallty should ggt_1n touch_wfth Capt. Wfllfam;H;_StaytonL_§ecreta;y_gf_the
League, aténatfgnaloheagguarters. _ ‘ ` - I S
Carrying 1ts‘message to the country, the League has so far distributed more than
2,500,000 pamphlets, of which more than 500,000 have gone 1nto libraries, Including
·. school and college libraries, where they are kept on file for reference purposes.
Many requests have been received from educational lnstltutlons_for’add1t1onal copies
of League publications to be used in the class rooms.
In addition to the foregoing distributlonaof.League·l1terature, copies of pam-
phlets and press releases are supplied regularly to more than 400 leading papers _
throughout the country as well as to the corps of newspaper correspondents and the ·
bureaus of the various press assocfatfons 1n Washington. ` , · (
At the Invitation of the University of Virginia thé League sponsored a round »
table discussion, "The Constltutlon and the New Deal,“ at the annual Instltute of .
Publlc,Affa1rs in Charlottesville. League speakers and thefr topics wereg g W
N V Nicholas Roosevelt — ”Two Amazing Years"; Demarest Lloyd —'Tab1an Socialism in
the New Deal"; Dr. Walter E. Spahr — "The People’s_Money"5 Raoul E. Desvernlne — — I
I "The Principles of Constitutfonal Democracy and the New Deal"; J. Howard Pew - "Wh1ch
Road to Take?); Capt. Wflllam H. Stayton - “Today's Lessons for Tomorrow"} James W.
Wadsworth - "The Blessings of Stab1l1ty”; Dr. Nell Carothers - "Recovery by»Statute".
The addresses of speakers sponsored by the League together with a rather limited
opposition offered by those who spoke in defense of the New Deal provided the hlgh ,
llghts for this year's Institute. · . ‘ r ‘
TYPICAL COMMENT
NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE, July 23, 1935. A ` A
"In its analysis of the unprecedented growth of a vast Federal bureaucracy
under the New Deal the American Liberty League lays much stress on Mr. Roosevelt's
promises, as candidate, to reduce the Federal bureaucracy and eliminate many of
the commissions and bureaus. * * * One hundred and fifty thousand new Federal

 employees have been added to the government pay roll, and thirty-one new boards
and commissions, since March, 1933. In wages alone these have added more than
$300,000,000 a year to the Federal budget. Their total cost of operation runs
much h1gher.”
INDIANAPOLIS STAR, July ll, 1935
"A strong case against the President*s taxation program has been presented  
in analysls of its obvious political intent by the American Liberty League. It
must be clearly evident to every thinking citizen that the terrific cost of the
new deal program can only be paid by a reduction of expenditures and a general Z
increase in taxation, whlch will permit a balanced budget. Instead of a well- Z
considered application of new revenue measures, Mr. Roosevelt hastily and care-
_ lessly tossed his unexpected tax demands to a weary Congress, demanding equally
hasty enactment. The time and character of the proposal both emphasize the
political rather than the financial end desired."
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, July 21, 1935 _
"One of the most useful Jobs the American Liberty League has done was to
compile accurate figures showing the expansion of the Federal bureaucracy since
March, 1933. Mr. Roosevelt took office with the understanding that economy and
rigid retrenchment in the budgets of all departments would be his first object-
ive. A good deal was done in this direction in the early months of his Adminis-
tration. But the record as it stands today indicates that more than lO0,000
new employees have been put on Federal pay rolls in the new alphabetical agencies
alone." g
SPOKANE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW, July 21, 1935
"Voters who may incline to a constitutional amendment to forbid the supreme
c court's passing upon the constitutionality of a law of congress or a state leg-
islature, should ask the American Liberty League, National Press Building, Wash-
lngton, D. C., for a copy of a radio address, Monday night, by Jeuett Shouse,
its president. * * * He pointed out a truth which any lawyer will confirm, that
if the supreme court should be stripped of that authority, congress or a state
legislature could pass anything and call lt constitutional, and there would be
no appeal anywnere.”
MINNEAPOLIS TRIBUNE, July 28, 1935
"The American Liberty League has launched many a shaft at the new deal, but
none has come closer to a bullseeye than the one it aimed last week at its
sponsorship of a vast bureaucracy.
"Not even the adm1nistrat1on's most vigorous supporters would conscientious-
ly deny that it has wandered far from the original resolves of the President and
his party to cut down  he casts of government and to effect a simplification of
the federal administrative machine.”
(Copies of all League documents referred to herein will be supplied
upon request.) ·