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Wheeler and the Court Fight

Wheeler and the Court Fight
Artist
Clifford Kennedy Berryman, 2 Feb 1869 - 11 Dec 1949
Sitter
Homer Stillé Cummings, 30 Apr 1870 - 10 Sep 1956
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 30 Jan 1882 - 12 Apr 1945
Charles Evans Hughes, 11 Apr 1862 - 27 Aug 1948
Burton Kendall Wheeler, 27 Feb 1882 - Jan 1975
Date
1937
Type
Drawing
Medium
India ink and pencil on paper
Dimensions
Image: 31.8 × 36.1 cm (12 1/2 × 14 3/16")
Sheet: 34.2 × 36.1 cm (13 7/16 × 14 3/16")
Mat: 71.1 × 55.9 cm (28 × 22")
Topic
Imaginary
Cartoon\Political
Charles Evans Hughes: Male
Charles Evans Hughes: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Charles Evans Hughes: Politics and Government\Presidential candidate
Charles Evans Hughes: Politics and Government\Governor\New York
Charles Evans Hughes: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\Secretary of State
Charles Evans Hughes: Law and Crime\Judge\Justice\US Supreme Court Justice\Chief Justice of US
Homer Stillé Cummings: Male
Homer Stillé Cummings: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Homer Stillé Cummings: Politics and Government\Cabinet member\US Attorney General
Homer Stillé Cummings: Politics and Government\Politician
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Male
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Politics and Government\Governor\New York
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Politics and Government\President of US
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Politics and Government\State Senator\New York
Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Politics and Government\Vice-Presidential Candidate
Burton Kendall Wheeler: Male
Burton Kendall Wheeler: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Burton Kendall Wheeler: Politics and Government\US Attorney
Burton Kendall Wheeler: Politics and Government\US Senator\Montana
Burton Kendall Wheeler: Politics and Government\State Legislator\Montana
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of John L. Wheeler
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.84.162
Exhibition Label
In this 1937 caricature, President Franklin Roosevelt (1882–1945; right) faces off against his attorney general, Homer Cummings (1870–1956; left), at a bowling alley. In February of that year, Roosevelt proposed legislation that would increase the number of federal judges, including those on the Supreme Court, which had struck down many of his New Deal programs. The bill would allow the president to add judges for each incumbent who was seventy or older, which would give him up to six Supreme Court nominations.
Senator Burton K. Wheeler (1882–1975; back right), a Democrat from Montana, led the opposition, bolstered by a letter from Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes (1962–1948; shown as the bowling ball) disagreeing with Roosevelt’s plan. Although Congress rejected Roosevelt’s “court-packing” strategy, within a year the Court began considering his legislation more favorably, and a vacancy allowed him to appoint a new justice.
En esta caricatura de 1937, el presidente Franklin Roosevelt (1882–1945; der.) se enfrenta a su fiscal general, Homer Cummings (1870–1956; izq.), en una bolera. En febrero de ese año, Roosevelt propuso una ley que aumentaría el número de jueces federales, incluso en el Tribunal Supremo, el cual había anulado muchos de sus programas del Nuevo Trato. La ley permitiría al presidente añadir jueces por cada incumbente de 70 años o más, lo cual le daría hasta seis candidatos para el Tribunal Supremo.
El senador Burton K. Wheeler (1882–1975; fondo der.), demócrata de Montana, encabezó la oposición, respaldado por una carta del juez presidente Charles Evans Hughes (1962–1948; retratado en la bola) en contra del plan de Roosevelt. Aunque el Congreso rechazó la estrategia de “inflar el tribunal”, en un año el proyecto de ley comenzó a ganar el favor de los jueces, y gracias a una vacante Roosevelt pudo nombrar a un nuevo miembro del Tribunal Supremo.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view