Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-01-17
STATES RIGHTS.

STATIGS' RIGHTS.
1t Is Il source Of qualification to
those American citizens Of color, who
take the time to think and obscr We
to note that the same treatment that
has been accorded to black citizens for
more than a decade iii The matter OF
constitutional rights and privileges
l. now being melted to. white citizens
All of their efforts to secure positive
rulings upon vital questions of citi
zonship have been cvaded by the Su-
prcmc Court of the United States and
tho plain provisions Of the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Constitution have
been nullificd.
But not this same tribunal in the
face of the apparent public sentiment
In favor OF prohibition Is as absolute
and as disappointing In it's, ruling |
against the whiskey dealers as 1t has
been during all Of these years against
the colored citizens. AS an evidence
OF this, the Washington, D.. c., Post
in its issue of tho 14th inst, says;
Another point was scored by the
p1ohibitionistS when the United Stat
es Supreme Court denied permission
to the Retail Liquor Dealers Associ.
alton of N. j., to institute original
i: ocecdings in that court to test tho
constitutionality OF the Eighteenth
amendment to the Constitution How
ever, the merits Of the contentious
brought forward by the liquor dealers
were not touched upon, the court mere
ly considering the question OF juris-
diction.
This was a plain case OF "sidc-step
ping the question on Il legal point.
But the Retail Liquor Dealers Asso--
cation having accorded to them the
same kind OF treatment to which the
colored folks have become accustom-
cd may como again. Under the usual
routine Of the courts, thcy may reach
tho Supreme Court OF TIE United
States In anywhere from eight to ten
years under the usual procedure, and
then their respective interests and
property may have been destroyed
The Post says:
This means that the suit contempt
lated by the New Jersey interests must
INn I,f., Itph i,,t I,0
up to the Supreme Court in the usual
order. The request of the State of
Rhode Island for permission to bring
an original action remains to he
passed upon, there being a legal dis
tinction between the proposal from a
citizen Of n State and 4 State itself.
Whether the action is brought origi
nally i'll the United States Supreme
Court or whether it comes up to that
tribunal from the lower courts, i.
may he taken as certain that tho
! questions raised by The State OF
! Rhode Island and by the New Jersey
! liquor dealers will DO decided event
ually for they involve the fundamcn
tai issue of States rights and to what
extent those rights have been coded
! one OF the two remaining issues upon
which the antiprohibitiontsts have
ground for basing hope that in the
end constitutional prohibition will be
overruled. The other Is the question
whether ratification by the States
must be submitted to the voters Of
those States which have the referen
DUN law
But 1t Is apparent that tho Supreme
Court does not wish to pass upon
these questions. States Rights were
supposed to hare been buried at Apo
mattox, but 1t Is having resurec-
ton In Rhode Island, a State that
was present at the funeral obsequies
and was most active in throwing dirt
upon the lowered casket. Now 1t has
been busy digging up the remains ana
Ia foremost in asking that 1t be per-
mitted to raise these sasae remains
80 that they may be gazed upon again
by wondering world.
Great and Right principles are eter-
nal. Statesmen ara wanted at VAST.
irgton and able jurists are needed
upon :he benches OF some Of the
courts In this country. One thing VIC
know is that He holds the destinies
OF nations in His hands and that "the
same measure ye mcte, tho same shall
bo measured IN yos1 ooof,>