The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-20
Grisgs and - Constitufion.


Perhaps We should sympathize with
rather than eriticise Attorney General
Griggs for his remarkable argument be-
fore The Supreme Court in me case of
Hanna, Mckinley ct al yer Us ire Con-
stiEution of the United States. The mat
ter is too serious for laughter; other
wise the uirth of nations would be vast
" expanded by The perfectly original
law ana Togi1- of our distinguished Minis
ter of Justice Mr.. Griggs may be an
able lawyer. We are bound to think so,
because If he had not established repu-
tation as enc, the trusts never would
have supported his aspirations for the
exalted position he holds But, if his
standing as an expounder OF the Consti-
tuition were to be determined by his pre-
sentetion OF the Administration case
against that document. it is TO be doubted
thai he would ever hereafter be regard
&c seriously or as other than thing of
bumor at any bar in america.
We are driven to the conclusion, then,
that our much-admlred Criggs is enlisted
in such a hopeless cause that the best
he can make out of 1t is represented in
weak attempts to garble the language of
deeisions-as he was caught in doing by
Judge Harlan yesterday-and in the in
conceivable nonsense OF his Grafton gen
orally We viii not dignity It with the
name OF argument. We have already re-
viewed the line OF contention adopted by
this gentleman sufficiently TO place its
singularity fully before our readers What
Ae said in the closing hours of his pain
ful effort did not evolve anything par
ticularly new. But, II he had been sur
prising before, on yesterday he was more
SO than ever. AS a sample OF his al
legged mental processes on the occasion
last alluded TO, the following may be of
interest. Arguing that the Constitution
mast not be construed ineongenientIy to
the Administration and its friends, the
trusts and monopolies, Mr. Gage said:
SIS the Unites- States 50 tied Sy this Constitu-
non that II cal seYeT acquire an island OF the
sea, belt across the isthmus, a station for 4
naval base unless II instantly admits TO eitizensip
those who happen 70 iniIsbt the soil at the time?
II II Is within the power OF the Government to
exclude such aliens rs It deems undesirable why
Is II not within its power 10 define what persons
may become citizens by eession of territory? Did
-our ferefstheTs hamper rs like that? Il 50. this
Constitution Is Iaisshapen as Richard the
hlnchbsck. sent into the world before his time
scarce hall made up. and that so lausely and IN
fashionable that nations laugh at u as we halt
This sounds very much like q play to
the sallery. and quite out of place il go
dignifed a presence as the Supreme Court.
Il also discioses a contempt Tor the Con-
stitution which may be common to off,
Gals OF the Administration, but which will
strike the average citizen as improper and
indecent in one in high station, and espe-
eially expected and sworn to respect and
support it. But. that consideration aside.
the insineerity Of the attempted argument
is too apparent to require comment II
the opinion OF most lawyers and educated
men in this country that all persons Da-
tive born or naturalized Americans. are
citizens OF the United States IN a cons.i-
tutionaI sense. Yet that alone does moi
entitle thsH 10 the enjoyment Of certain
rights exercised by citizens OF States. We
presume that person born in the Dis
triet Of Columbia and WHO never has left
it. is citizen Of the United States.
though he has not the Suffrage. not even
TO he extent that Il is allowed to the
people Of other American organized ter
ritOries- n shOrt, Congress cannot in
eonfiss With the Constitution prescribe