xt7wwp9t2q46_137 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. 5, December, 1935 text "Bulletin Of The American Liberty League", Vol. 1 No. 5, December, 1935 2013 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7wwp9t2q46/data/59m61/59m61_0005/bulletin5_1/bulletin5_1.pdf 1935 1935 1935 section false xt7wwp9t2q46_137 xt7wwp9t2q46 QRIQ ERIC
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NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING WASHINGTON, D. G.
VOL. 1 DECEMBER, 1935 Ne. 5
W..·°~.S@lQ.2QYi.¤AE_E.Tl1S§.  
The League's National Executive Committee, its National Lawyers Committee and its
National Advisory Council will meet in Washington at the Mayflower Hotel on January 25.
Joint sessions of the Executive Committee and the Advisory Council during the day
will be devoted to consideration of plans for League activities during the coming year
and to a review of progress made since the last joint session at Chicago in June.
The climax of the meeting will be a public dinner to be addressed by speakers of
national prominence. Details concerning the dinner will be communicated to members in
the near future as soon as arrangements have been completed. At least part of the
dinner program will be broadcast over a nation-wide radio hookup. — ,
‘ THE_EUTUR§ y
As this issue of the Bulletin goes to press, the New Deal is on trial on several
counts before the Supreme Court of the United States. Probably within the next few
weeks there will be decisions determining the life or death of important elements in
the vast socialistic structure which has been reared within the past three years. Other
test cases involving other important issues are in prospect.
lf the Supreme Court should declare invalid several of the New Deal laws new on
trial, the coming session of Congress will be confronted with the test of formulating
policies in view of those decisions., This will be a task of tremendous importance. The
question involved will be whether the nation shall return to adherence to those funda-
mental principles under which it has grown great, or whether it is to be subjected to
the harrassment of further ill-advised and unconstitutional experiments. .
From many sources come impressive indications that the people are disgusted with
the play—boy trifling with basic principles under which they have suffered in recent
S years. On the other hand, the encouragement which New Deal visionaries have given to
more radical elements has unloosed forces which must not be disregarded._ , I
In the situation outlined, it is important that the American Liberty League shall be
active and effective in the advocacy of the principles which called it into being. Dur-
lng the coming months the League will have the greatest opportunity thus far presented .
to demonstrate its value to the American people.
I NATIONAL_LAWYERS CQMMITTQQ · A
The League's National Lawyers Committee made its second report on December 9 and
therein expressed the opinion that the Bituminous Coal Conservation Act of 1955 is
plainly unconstitutional. s r

 Summary of the Comm1ttee's opinion!
"(l) The Act is unconstitutional in that it undertakes to regulate activities
which are essentially and inherently local in character, and which cannot be
brought within the federal power by congressional declaration that they 'directly
affect' interstate commerce.
0"(2) The Act is unconstitutional in that it capriciously and arbitrarily
infringes upon the individual liberties of producers and employees.
"(3) The Act is not rendered constitutional by a pretended exercise of the
taxing power through the assessment of that which is not, in fact, a tax, but a
coercive penalty.
"(4) The Act is not rendered constitutional by congressional declaration
that the industry is 'affected with a national public lnterest,' and that 'the
general welfare of the nation' requires such regulation."
i i CONCERNING FREE SPEECH `
Excerpt from a letter to the League's National Lawyers Committee by Hiram J. Archer,
Director, Department of Research and Review, Suffolk Law School, Bostont
"When government lawyers whose salaries are paid from our taxes assail the
iright of the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of the laws they
frame and propagandize with government funds and facilities, and deny that the
la;yer who is not feeding from the public crib has even the right to question the
co stitutionality of those laws, it seems indeed imperative that American lawyers
unite in zealous discharge of the public trust their profession entails —- to
awaken and instruct the people in the essentials of American free institutions
and the tendencies of laws proposed by lawyers on the public payroll to remake
» those institutions.
_ ”Surely, lawyers will not long enjoy the freedom and opportunities for in-
fluential public service that are the heritage of the American Bar if they are
not vigilant and fearless in the face of the present manifest attempt in govern-
ment, university, and even the public school, to undermine our 'horse and buggy'
institutions, to throw Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill, George Washington and
John Marshall into the ashcan, and mold our institutions into a weird pattern of
irresponsible largess and social regimentation modeled upon the Prodigal Son,
Karl Marx, and the super·planner, Stalin." »
INFLATION
. a "INFLATION IS BAD BUSINESS" (Doc. No. 77}, radio address by Dr. Neil Carothers, Director,
College of Business Administration, Lehigh University, and member National Advisory
Council of the American Liberty League.
Excerpts! A
"Our government is, roughly, spending $230 for every second of every minute
of every hour of every day and every night. It has been doing this for two years.
But it is taking in less than $130 per second. It is borrowing at the rate of
$100 a second. The government will spend about $207,000 while I am talking to you
these few minutes. .............
"Some very able men believe that a vast inflation is now unavoidable, that we
are caught in the current and bound to go over the dam. Speaking here for myself

 I alone, I do not believe it. I do not yet believe that we are doomed to any d1s-
astrous inflation. But we are moving in that d1rect1on." I
"OUR GROWING NATIONAL DEBT AND INFLATION" (Doc. No. 76), radio address by Dr. E. W.
Kemmerer, Professor of International Finance, Prfnceton University, and member of
the League's National Advisory Council.
Exgerptsi
”The resort of a nation to financing by inflation has often been compared to
the resort of an 1nd1v1dual to opium smok1ng.g The first sensations are pleasant,
but the more one takes the more he wants. The appetite grows by what lt feeds upon,
and the more one indulges, the weaker become his powers of resistance. ......··.···
"Social security is no more secure than the value of the dollar in which its
beneflts are payable."
THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE
“THE REAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE" (Doc. No. 82), speech by R. E.
Desvernlne, Chairman of the League's National Lawyers Committee.
Excerptsi p r )
"I have pointed out that the vital principle of our constitutional government
is the fact that our Constitution 1s a solemn compact or contract between the
government and the people, reserving to the people certain sacred inalienable
rights and granting the government certain limited powers to provide the means for
the full en3oyment.¤r those rights consonant with the general welfare. ......... ‘..
" The conduct of those presently executing this contract on the one part dis-
closes, as I confidently believe and have tried to illustrate, that the one party--
the government--either does not understand the letter and spirit of their contract,
or, understanding it, does not intend to respect lt, or purposes to modify It with-
out the express consent of the other party--the people-—or in fact without even
telling them. That is the real/significance attd of the constitutional 1ssue."
rLEAGUE PAMPHLETS
_ WORK RELIEF (Doc. No. 78)¤ ‘
This pamphlet constitutes a record of the tragic failure of the most costly govern-
mental experiment ln all history--the experiment launched when a complaisant Congress
abdicated its proper legislative functions and gave the President of the United States a
check for $4,880,000,000 to spend as he pleased. A
Promises made at that time are contrasted with performances to date. It is pointed
out that the administration has not even scratched the surface of the unemployment problem »
and when present funds are exhausted there will probably be recurring demands for more
billions. It is pointed out that the administration has either repudlated or forgotten
the seven basic principles which the President announced would govern the expenditure of
this unprecedented appropriation. It 1s pointed out that this vast fund is susceptible
of misuse as a political campaign war chest and that there are numerous evidences that
politics have entered into the expenditure of the money.
A Section devoted to boondoggling contains an illuminating partial list of some of
the projects into which the taxpayer's money 1s being poured, such as a survey of occu-
pancy of hotel and roomlng houses ln Cleveland and a study of folk arts in New York City.

 As an alternative to the present futile and dangerous program, the pamphlet suggests I
that: ‘ ‘
"At the earliest possible moment the problem of relief must be shifted back
to the states, counties, municipalities and private agencies where it belongs
under our form of government. When it is clearly demonstrated that the resources
of a state are exhausted the Federal Government might properly loan its funds to
carry on the work. Meanwhile the administration should adopt a direct relief
policy which will be administered both economically and wisely so as not to en-
courage either idleness or dependence upon public char1ty."
THE AAA AND OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT (Doc. No. SO): I :
This study of the New Deal's agricultural program reaches the conclusion that "exist- —
ing regimentation of the farmers of the United States constitutes a definite challenge to
the American form of government." There is an exhaustive analysis of the conditions upon
which the foregoing conclusion is based. '
  ALTERNATIVES TO THE AMERICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT (Doc. No. Bl):
In this document the League cites the results of dlctatorships in Russia, Italy and
Germany as object lessons meriting the attention of the American people. With respect
to Communism, Fascism and National Socialism, the League declares that:
"The theories underlying each have something in common with the regimenta—
tion of industry and agriculture which has been attempted in the United States. _
As extreme examples of dictatorships, the governments of the three European
countries show what might be the ultimate result if steps already taken in the
United States are pursued to their logical end."
TYPICAL COMMENT `
BRISTOL (CONN.) PRESS, December 2, 1935:- ·
”The detestable and revolutionary Potato Control Act having gone into
effect the people of this country face a condition far more serious and
threatening than they seem to realize. It is the perfect flower of bureau-
cracy and an interference with personal rights and liberties that makes a
farce of constitutional guarantees if it prevails. It is as the Liberty
League says, 'A definite challenge to the American form of government.* ‘
Furthermore, the League declares, 'It is a vicious combination of Fascism,
Socialism and Communism, one that undermines basic principles of democratic °
government.’ This is not a bit too strong.” g Y ,
CHEYENNE (WYO.) STATE TRIBUNE, November EO, 19351- (
"MAYBE BARNUM wAs RIGHT"
‘ "About the public liking to be humbugged.
”The American Liberty League rings the bell loud and long on the Brain
Trusters in a new pamphlet just issued. The work relief program is referred to
as the most tragic failure of the most costly governmental experiment in all
world history.
"Not very complimentary, is it?
"Tne truth 1sn·u, at tlmes."
(Copies of League documents mentioned herein are available upon request to the League's
national headquarters. Individual copies will be supplied to non—members of the League at
at price of 5d per copy.) . I .