The Denver star., 1915-07-17
Spirit of John Marshall Harlan


When, on June 1915, the Supreme Court of the Unit
ed St3tes handed down its decision killing the Infamous
grandfather clause in Maryland and Okaho
the spirit of John Marshall Harlan scared the wings
oe Triumph, amidst the applause of all but absolutely
united that fairly shook the good old Ship
of Stale from Our comment in chief upon
this eRocha decision therefore take form dig
ni6ed han quote from what had say elsewhere
the It'd of Mr.. Justice Harlans death.
Writing in the Clarksburg (W. W Clarion of October
26, Io3l, spoke, in part, as follows:
lore than other figure in the public life of the
ton the days of the martyred Lincoln be truth
fully slid of Justice Harlan that he knew what men,
And he knew what in he alert to
safeguard and nvoate the liberties of the people
When infrequeny did arise he did
not hesitate stand absolutely alone his defense of the
Consta and the rights of the people he them
1t wasfrom this attitude of Justice Harans that he became
known as the great dssenter.
"Notable Justice Harans handling of the law in
Meals yet in the Civil that he
rights of American citizens under the
of the United States The Civil Rights under Act
of Congress- passed give further effect the Thirteenth
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, which design
ed to raise the black in this country the full meas
of american citizenship When the Supreme Court
speaking through Justice Bradley declared that
stisuta il then that Mr. Justice Harlan and
said:
81 resist the conclusion that the substance and
spirit of the amendments the Constitution have
been sacrificed by subtle and ingenious verbal criticism.
1T the words of the law but the internal of it
that makes the law the letter of the law the body the
and of the law the SOUL In his dissent
ing opinion these he did later in the income
Justice Harlan placed before the masterpiece
in destructive augmentation Toward the close of his
remarks he said: If the constitutional amendments be
according the intent with which, as conceive
they adopted, there be- in this republic any
beings practical subsection another class
with power the latter dole the former just such
privileges they may choose to grant. As Mr. Justice
resumed his in the Supreme Court that October
day 1881 there who sat there whether as
Associate Justice of the Court who
convinced deep his heart that he had listened the
eternal truth
Was ever demonstration more hawess, complete
Behold the Court itself thirty and eight months
later by Mr. Chief Justice White, speaking:
There from the conclusion that to hold
that there possibility for dispute the subject
would be but declare that the Fifteenth Amendment
only had the setexecutng which it has been
coenzed from the beginning but its provisions
wholly imperative susceptible of being rendered
applicable by form of embodyne
csed Judgment and resting dscenibe
than to prohibitions of the amendment by
atinp standard voting which face in substance
but rehabilitation conditions which, when they prevailed
the past had destroyed by the sefoperatve force
of the amendment.
Spirit of ohn Marshall Harlan. "be with yet lest we
foroet lest we forpet -WAsHINGToN SUN.
GERS The two men de- back and offered to redeem
=. s-.. l>,, ,bav their tickets. They fused