The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-22
WOMEN SHUT OUT
American Bar Association De-
cides That Fair Ones
Are Not Eligible to Membership
i'm the Organization.
ACTION rs NOT FINAL.
ACTION is NOT FINAL.
Committee Will Draft Amend
ment to Constitution.
Congressman Littlefield Delivers
the Annual Address.

Denver Col, Aug 22-The general
council Of the American Bar association
has decided that women are not eligible
for membership in the association under
the present constitution. This decision
was reached in the case of Mrs. Jane B.
OFT Of Dyersville. Ia, who had applied
for membership. The council was almost
evenly divided on the question. It was
finally decided to let the matter go over
a year and then take up the question OF
appointing a committee to draft an
amendment to the constitution which will
ma Ike women eligible
The feature of the morning session to-
day of the American Bar association was
the annual address which bears about the
same relation to the proceedings Of the
bar association that a baccalaureate ser
mon uoes 70 9 co1ege common cement
Congressman Charles E. Littlefield of
Rockiand, Ne, had the honor Of deliver
ing the address today
Mr. Littledeld spoke on the 'Insular
Cases. These cases, he said, considered
IN the same manner in which the results
We're reached, the incOngruityy of the re-
expressed by the different members of the
court are without parallel in our judi
Taking up the first case, known as De
Lima vs. Bidwell stating the opinion of
the same, the speaker said Justice Brown
did not announce the conclusion and judg
ment of the court affirming the judgment
OIL the court below, but rendered only his
own Referring to the opinions Of Justices
White, Shiras and McAenna, in the same
case the speaker said:
Technically speaking there is no opin-
ion OF the court to sustain the judgment.
If the Dooley case, known as Dooley
VS.. United States, is controlled by the
Downs case said Mr.. Littlefield, there
would seem to be no good reason why it
should not have been decided. That it
was not. raises the inference that it
would be decided adversely to the govern
ment or that there was a greater differ
ence of opinion than usuel with refer
ence to it. Mr.. Justice Gray is the only
one who indicates his position in this
case"
Mr.. Littlefeld considered the other cases
which had been passed upon and said in
the unsettled condition of the court it was
hardly worth while to speculate as TO the
result of these cases. His conclusion as
to Porto Rico's status is briefly:
SO far as the operation of the constt-
tuition concerned this territory was
to all legal intents and purposes a part of
the United States 1t alters not how the
constitution reached the territory so far
as this case was concerned, SO long as it
was there
Mr. Littlefeld then discussed the thir-
teenth amendment to the constitution as
It has been construed by the supreme
court in Porto Rico and the Philippines.
He quoted the amendment and gave a
history of the case. Then he said refer
ring to slavery as it existed in the United
States.
.aThe negro can not be driven out of
the south. He is vastly the superior of
the Filipino physically and until the
Philippines produce a Fred Douglass or
a Booker T Washington he has nothing
to fear in Intellectual comparison
After Mr.. Littlefield had concluded his
address reports of standing committees
were received.