The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-03-06
JUSTICE IiRuH on
nT|-|MPfR|iusM
His Speech Before the
Loyal Legion Much
Discussed.
DELEGATE WILCOX AND HIS Wife
ARE MAKING A GOOD IMPRESSION
At THE NATIONAL
CAPITAL
A Number of important Amendments
to the Organic Act Of Hawaii &c.
ing Considered in Washington
Land Commissioner Brown.
From a stan Correspondent

From a Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. IS.-Mr. Jus
tice Harlan's speech at the Loyal lie
gion banquet few evenings ago con
I tinues to be the absorbing topic oi
! conversation. The justice assures q
reporter for one of the local newspa
pers. who called upon him for thai
| purpose. that his remarks had no -e
I lation to the question involved in the
| celebrated cases now before the Su
preme Court OF course this is true.
For Mr.. Harlan to have said anything
| else to the reporter would have been
tantamount to saying that he had fore
Swallowed in an impromptu speech al
a social banquet his decision on the
most famous case that has arisen in a
generation. Supreme Court justices
are very cautious about giving the
slightest information or intimation as
TO what their decisions are likely TO
be- The late Attorney General Gar
land relates in his book an incident
which illustrates this: He was once
walking TOWARDS the Supreme Court
on an opinion day with a justice. to
whom he casually remarked that he
supposed they would be detained
some time in court that day. To this
the Justice replied that it was remark
able how the crocuses were coming
out in the park so early in the spring.
In other words, even what little could
be inferred from the length of the
court session that dav he did not pro-
pose to intimate to Mr. Garland. N
such circumstances it is not to be ex-
pected that Mr.. Harlan would publicly
acknowledge that his remarks before
the Loyal Legion banquet had foresha.
dowed his action. 1t is notable, more
over, that he does not question the &C.
curacy with which he was quoted and
he is safely put down as strong adj
vocate of the doctrine that ''the flag
follows the constitution
Mr.. Harlan's remarks furnish, in
any event. hint. and one that is too
significant to be disregarded. What
ever the decision of the court, his per-
sonal position seems likely to be of
great interest to the public. He is
the oldest justice on the bench in
point of service, having been appoint
ed by President Hayes. During the
tendency of the present cases his at
titude has frequently been discussed
and in most instances with regard to
trifling incidents. The appointment
of his son as Attorney General of Por-
to Rico may have indicated the solicit
tude felt of his course: and. yet, no
one who knows Justice Harlan sus-
poets that il would really influence his
action. Moreover. prominent Re
publican Senator said to me yesterday
that it was not absolutely certain
that the President would be displeased
if the court brought in decision
necessitating change of policy in The
Philippines. While no administration
would openly let its willingness to
have its work undone be known, there
are occasions when administrations
do not look with disfavor upon a re-
versal of their policies when they do
not do it themselves. The same Sem
ator said to me that those who pos
sess inside information, know that it
will take $4,000 fighting men twenty
five years to put down the insurrec-
ton in those islands, and, it is also
known. that the people of the United
States are not going to stand any
thing of the sort.
To return to Justice Harlan-his
impromptu speech before the Loval
Legion was no trifing incident. The
fact that it was impromptu and de-
livered late in the evening makes it a
much surer test of his real opinion
than would have been a carefully pre-
pared magazine article. Mr.. Harlan
made a straight-out anti-imperialistic
speech, so his hearers say. When he
declared it to be the purpose of the
founders of the Republic that Con-
gress should not have authority over
any part of the earth's surface, ex-
cept within the limitation of the con-
stitution. he came pretty near the
position of Mr. Carlisle. His speech
throughout was teeming with express
sions. strong and eloquent. as to the
rights of man as man. and certainly
no theories could have greater rele-
vancy to pending issues.
The Hawaiian Delegate.
Delegate Wilcox of the Territory of
Hawaii continues to make friends. Ii
is now pretty well understood here
that he not only represents practically
all OF the native Hawaiians, but very
many of the white people of the Ter
ritory as well-in party sense. 1t is
also known that he was elected by the
unpurchased votes of the people, as a
protest against the Dole administra-
ton. and in spite of the aggressive
work of the wealthy and intelligent
corporate influences In Honolulu.
There is a general disposition here
Mr.. Wilcox in every way possible. and
in view of this feeling. he will I'M
doubtedlv be able TO accomplish more
for the Territory than II he were a
live up-to-date American politician
of glib and voluble tongue. Mrs VIII
cox has made some warm friends
among the upper set Her charming
naivete and bon femme render her
peculiarly attractive and interesting
She petronixes the French milliner
and has made the acquaintance OF the
city's fashionable modiste: her gowns
are expensive creations. but are In
excellent taste and are carried with
natural grace which would be the en-
w OF the parlor boarding school On
the avenue. In the theatres and at so
cfal functions Mr.. and Mrs. Wilcox
attention.
am sorry that bill win soon be
which. II It passes. will
In the future prevent. the Hawaiian |
Delegate from receiving ANYTHING like |
80 large = Sum for mileage as he re- \
Gently drew. The Alaskan bin recent |