Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-10

Ringing Address by Justice to Vir-
GINA Bar Association.

The address delivered before the Virginia
Bar Association at Hot Springs, Va. yes
terday by Justice Brewer of the United
States Supreme Court, was the feature OF
the last day, in fact. of the entire session.
In the eighteen years of its history the as
ISOLATION has never been more profoundly
stirred. Many pronounce 1t the ablest and
most important address to which the body
has ever listened. The speakers subject
was Two Periods in the History of the
Supreme Court: The Period of National
Stability Extending From the Foundation
of the Government to the Civil War, and
the Period of National Enlargement Which
Extended From the Close of the War to
the Present" ---.-.-
The address a protest against the
Capitalization of power at Washington and
plea for greater individuality and sense
of responsibility of citizenship. A most
striking portion of the address was that
which referred to the recent insular cases
in which 1t was decided that the national
government has the power to acquit and
hold free from constitutional limitations
and subject to colonial control territory out
side the limits of the organized states.
Now / submit this inquiry" said Justice
Brewer. Did the candid. intelligent men
who drafted this Constitution, and the peo-
pie who adopted it, having just finished
seven-year war to free themselves from
colonial subsection to Great Britain, intend
to vest the government they were creating
with the power to hold other territory in
like colonial subsection? I can but look
upon 1t as an imputaton upon either the
integrity or the intelligence of the trainers
of the Constitution that this nation should
establish for other lands that same colonial
subsection to relieve themselves from which
had been waged such an earnest and ex-
hausting war.
After referring to attempts to secure uni
formity of legislation upon insurance and
divorce, Justice Brewer said: rs there not
danger in this Capitalization of building up
the party machine and the party boss, and
giving them power such as has never
been dreamed of in this country? How
strenuously. even now, the party whip Is
swung over the heads of representatives and
senator's. Take the recent statehood legis-
lation. 1t is not open to doubt that while
the lower house almost unanimously be-
lieved in the admission of Oklahoma and
Indian Territory as a single state. the ma
mission of Arizona and New Mexico, yet
the party whip was swung over their
heads, and a bill passed the House pro-
yiding for two new states, one composed of
Oklahoma and Indian Territory and the
other of Arizona and New Mexico. and
nothing prevented the accomplishment Of
that purpose but the opposition of the
Senate
Justice Brewer declared that English
colonies have far more freedom of govern
ment In local matters than do our states.
The only business of general interest
transacted by the association yesterday was
the adoption of a resolution providing for the
purchase of the home of Chief Justice Mar
shall at Richmond, at a cost of $4,000 or
American Bar Association to join in the
purchase of the home.
I The annual convention close, last night
with a banquet.