THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT
AND THE STATES
Da Capo Press Reprints in
AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL mSTORY
GENERAL EDITOR: LEONARD W. LEVY Claremont Graduate School
THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT
AND THE STATES A Study of the Operation of the Restraint Clauses
of Section One of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
by
Charles Wallace Collins
SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC 1974
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Collins, Charles Wallace, 1879-1964. The Fourteenth amendment and the states.
(Da Capo Press reprints in American constitutional and legal history)
Reprint of the ed. published by Little, Brown, Boston.
1. United States. Constitution. 14th amendment. 2. State rights. 1. Title. KF4558.14th.C64 1974 342'.73'04 74-5437
This Da Capo Press edition of The Fourteenth Amendment and the States is an unabridged republication of the first
edition published in Boston in 1912.
Published by Da Capo Press, Inc.
Springer Science+Business Media New York 1974 Originally published by Plenum Publishing Corporation New York in 1974
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 978-1-4757-1444-9 ISBN 978-1-4757-1442-5 (eBook)DOI 10.1007/978-1-4757-1442-5
THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT AND THE STATES
THE
FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT AND THE STATES
A STUDY OF THE OPERATION OF THE RESTRAINT
CLAUSES OF SECTION ONE OF THE
FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES
BY
CHARLES WALLACE COLLINS, M.A. SOMETIME FELLOW IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
MEMBER OF THE ALABAMA BAR
BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1912
Copyright, 1912,
By LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY,
All rights reuTfied
~rlnltrs 8. J. P ."'KBILL ell Co., BOSTON, U.S.A.
TO
MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER
PREFACE
THE studies here presented are the outgrowth of a paper read before the Government Club of Harvard University in February, 1911. Some of them have within recent months appeared, in substantially their present form, in certain of the academic and legal journals.
In the preparation of the statistical material the author has made no use of the current digests of decisions, annotations to the Constitution, nor of the indices to the Supreme Court Reports, except by way of comparison of results. He has gone directly to the body of the Reports and given each case a personal examination.
Much repetition will be found throughout the work. This may detract from its logical unity, but it is hoped that it may serve some purpose. The true nature of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is little known. The processes of its operation are intricate and complex. This reiteration, therefore, of certain salient features may not be amiss in serving to render more familiar a subject that, although not new historically, has been scantily discussed.
The author's thanks are due to the editors of the following periodicals for the courtesy of extending to him the copyright privileges for the use of the material
vii
VUl PREFACE
in the chapters mentioned below: The American Law Review for Chapters V and VI; the Yale Law Journal for Chapter VII; the Columbia Law Review for Chapter VIII; and the South Atlantic Quarterly for Chapter X. The author desires also to express his appreciation of the privileges extended to him while in the Library of Congress.
CHARLES WALLACE COLLINS.
WASHINGTON, May, 1912.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PRE)'ACE
TABLE OF CHARTS.
TABLE OF CASES CITED.
TABLE OF LAWS CITED.
CHAPTER I
P"'9B
vii
xiii
XV
xix
INTRODUCTION. 1
Political and social conditions at the close of the Civil War-Enactment of the War Amendments to the Constitution - Status of the South - Attitude of the Republican Party - Purpose of adopting the AmendmentOpposition of the Democratic Party - Enforcements Acts by Congress - Constitutional ideal of the Radicals.
CHAPTER II
THE DILEMMA OF THE SUPREME COURT 21
Loss of control of Congress by the Radicals - Overthrow of the Radical ideal for the Amendment by the Supreme Court - Early conservative interpretation by the Supreme Court- Attempt to limit litigation thereunder to the negro race - Ifailure to stem the tide of general litigation.
CHAPTER III
THE PRACTICAL SCOPE OF THE AMENDMENT 29
Spheres of State activity affected-The all-embracing scope of the Amendment - Present attitude of the Supreme Court- lllustrations of the operation of the Amendment-The encroachment of paternalism-Relation of the larger State problems to the Amendment.
ix
x TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER IV
THE SOUTH
The Amendment no longer a Southern problem - Confusion on this point explained - Geographical distribution of litigation under the Amendment - The struggle in the West-The fight of the interests against State reforms.
CHAPTER V
LITIGATION INVOLVING THE NEGRO RACE
Relation of the negro race to the adoption of the Amendment-Relation of the negro race to the operation of the Amendment - Digest of all cases involving the negro problem under the Amendment.
CHAPTER VI
RESULTS TO THE NEGRO RACE
Analysis of litigation under the Amendment involving the negro race - Phases of the race problem presented - Limitations on the Federal Government in relation thereto - Police power of the States to deal with the negro- Legality of the color line - Exclusion of negroes from juries - Citizenship and the negro - The failure of the Amendment to change the social status of the negro.
CHAPTER VII
FEDERAL INTERVENTION
Synopsis of instances of Federal intervention under the Amendment- Summary statement of each case decided adversely to the States - Clauses of the Amendment involved-The path of intervention historically traced - Statement of the principle of intervention.
CHAPTER VIII
STARR DBOISIS
Stare decisis and the Common Law - Relation to the Amendment - Failure to define the Amendment - In-
PA.GE
36
63
81
110
TABLE OF CONTENTS
herent difficulty of defining the Amendment- Vagueness of "due process of law" and "equal protection of the laws" - Actual operation of stare decisis analyzedIllustrations of tacit reversals by the Supreme CourtImpossibility of defining the Amendment.
CHAPTER IX
THE CORPORATIONS AND THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Absence of corporation problems at time of adoption of the Amendment - Corporations declared to be persons under the Amendment- Vast increase of corporate litigation under the Amendment-The Amendment an instrument of the public service companies - The Twilight Zone defined and discussed - Illustrations of the effect of the Twilight Zone - Perversion of the Amendment by organized capital.
CHAPTER X
THE FAILURE OF THE FOURTEENT.H AMENDMENT AS A CON
STITUTIONAL IDEAL
Constitutional law and the social organism - Abnormal condition of the country when Amendment adoptedAbnormal method of adoption -No new ideals of justice expressed in the Amendment - Purely a party measure - Abnormal operation of the Amendment - Obstructs local self-government-Paternalistic in its effects on the people of the States - Relation of the States to the Federal Government-The Amendment a burden to the Supreme Court - The rise of the Twilight Zone - The corporations the chief beneficiaries.
CHAPTER XI
. Xl
PAGE
126
139
PROPOSED REMEDIES 163 The appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under
the control of Congress - Proposed limitation of writs of error to State courts- Proposed prohibition to the Federal district courts the power to enjoin the States - Pro-
xii TABLE OF CONTENTS
posal for unanimous opinions of the Supreme Court when declaring State laws void under the Amendment.
APPENDIX A .
The Text of the Judicial Code of 1912 relating to injunctions.
ApPENDIX B .
The Text of the War Amendments-Article XIIIArticle XIV - Article XV.
PAGJC
177
180
ApPENDIX C . 183
S~tistical summary of opinions delivered under the Fourteenth Amendment, 186~191O.
APPENDIX D .
Remarks of Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr., on the power of the Supreme Court to declare acts unconstitutional.
ApPENDIX E .
Chronological table of cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States under the Fourteenth Amendment.
184
188
ApPENDIX F • 207
Summary chart of all Decisions by the United States Supreme Court under the Fourteenth Amendment.
INDEX • 209
TABLE OF CHARTS
CHART No. I .
Showing geographical distribution of litigation under the Amendment.
CHART No. II Chronological table showing the number and character
of Federal interventions under the Amendment, 1868-1911.
CHART No. III Territorial operation of Federal intervention under the
Amendment, 1868-1911.
CHART No. IV
Summary table showing certain phases of the operation of the Amendment in relation to stare decisis.
CHART No. V. Table showing parties seeking relief from State activity
under the Amendment, 1868-1910.
CHART No. VI
Statistical summary of opinions delivered under the Amendment, 1868-1910; showing sphere of State activity questioned, Federal question involved, parties seeking relief, and final disposition.
CHART No. VII Summary chart of all Decisions by the United States
Supreme Court under the Fourteenth Amendment.
xiii
P ..... GK
37
82
105
125
138
183
207
TABLE OF CASES CITED PAGlIS
Adams 'V. New York, 192 U. S. 585 32 Allgeyer 'V. Louisiana, 165 U. S. 578 98, 107 American Sugar Refining Co. 'V. New Orleans, 181 U. S. 277. 91 Andrews 'V. Swartz, 156 U. S. 272 . 54, 65 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. 'V. Matthews, 174 U. S.
96 122,123 Austin 'V. Tennessee, 179 U. S. 343 32
Bacon 'V. Walker, 204 U. S. 311 Barbier 'V. Connolly, 113 U. S. 31 Beatty 'V. Benton, 135 U. S. 244 Berea College 'V. Kentucky, 211 U. S. 45
33 24
53,64 60,65,70
86 Birrell 'V. New York & Harlem R. R. Co., 198 U. S. 390 Brownfield 'V. South Carolina, 189 U. S. 426 57,65
95,135 51, 65, 73, 92
Buck 'V. Beach, 206 U. S. 392 . Bush 'V. Kentucky, 107 U. S. 110
Carter 'V. Texas, 177 U. S. 442 56,65,74,92 Cemetery Co. 'V. San Francisco, 216 U. S. 358 33 Cent. of Ga. Ry. Co. 'V. Wright, Compr., 207 U. S. 127. 93,108 Chapin 'V. Fye, 179 U. S. 127 . 33 Chicago, Mil. & St. P. Ry. 'V. Minnesota, 134 U. S. 418. 102, 107 Chicago, Mil. & St. P. Ry. 'V. Tompkins, 176 U. S. 167. . 104 Civil Rights Cases, 109 U. S. 3 52, 64, 119 Cleveland Elec. Ry. Co. 'V. Cleveland, 204 U. S. 116 90 Connolly 'V. Union Sewer Pipe Co., 184 U. S. 540 . 87,107 Cotting'V. Kansas City Stockyards Co., 183 U. S. 79 98, 107 Covington Turnpike Co. 'V. Sanford, 164 U. S. 578 . . 103 Cummings v. Board of Education, 175 U. S. 528 56,65,69
Davidson 'V. New Orleans, 96 U. S. 103 Davis 'V. Burke, 179 U. S. 399 . Davis v. Massachusetts, 167 U. S. 43
xv
26,112 32 32
XVI TABLE OF CASES CITED
Del. L. & W. R. R. Co. v. Pennsylvania, 198 U. S. 341 • Dewey v. Des Moines, 173 U. S. 193 Dobbins v. Los Angeles, 195 U. S. 223 •
Fallbrook Irrigation Dist. v. Bradley, 164 U. S. 157 Felts v. Murphy, 201 -0:. S. 123 Franklin v. South Carolina, 218 U. S. 161
Gas Co. v. Peoria, 200 U. S. 49 Gibson v. Mississippi, 162 U. S. 565 Giles v. Harris, 189 U. S. 475 . Giles v. Teasley, 193 U. S. 146
PA.GBS
93 89,107
88
25 33 62
88 54,65 58,64 58,64
Gulf, Colo., & Santa Fe Ry. v. Ellis, 165 U. S. 150 Gulf, Colo., & Santa Fe Ry. v. Ellis, 87 Texas 19 .
99,120,132 • 121
Halter v. Nebraska, 206 U. S. 34 • Harding, Ex parte, 219 U. S. 365 • Heath Mfg. Co. v. Worst, 207 U. S. 338 Hodges v. U. S., 203 U. S. 81 . Holden v. Hardy, 169 U. S. 366 Houston & Texas Cent. Ry. Co. v. Texas, 170 U. S. 243 Howard, Ex parte, 105 U. S. 578 .
Interstate Ry. Co. v. Massachusetts, 207 U. S. 79 .
Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U. S. 11
Lake Shore & Mich. South. Ry. v. Smith, 173 U. S. 684 L'Hote v. New Orleans, 177 U. S. 587 .
33,169 • 117
33" 69,64,167
112 99
117
33
32
104 32 33 Lieberman II. Van de Carr, 199 U. S. 552
Lochner v. New York, 198 U. S. 45. Lockwood, In re, 154 U. S. 116 Londoner v. Denver, 210 U. S. 373
86,108,135 32
Louisville Ferry Co. v. Kentucky, 188 U. S. 385 L. & N. R. R. Co. v. Cent. Stock-Yards Co., 212 U. S. 132 L. & N. R. R. Co. v. Gaston, 216 U. S. 418 .
92 94
101 97
97,109 Ludwig v. West. Union Tel. Co., 216 U. S. 146
Madisonville Traction Co. v. Mining Co., 196 U. S. 239 Marbles v. Creecy, 215 U. S. 63 Martin v. Texas, 200 U. S. 316
85 61,64 59,65
TABLE OF CASES CITED
Memphis fl. Cumberland Tel. Co., 218 U. S. 624 Minn. & St. L. R. R. Co. fl. Beckwith . Minor fl. Happersett, 21 Wall. 162 • M. K. & T. Ry. Co. fl. May, 194 U. S. 267 Mo. Pac. Ry. fl. Humes, 116 U. S. li20 . Mo. Pac. Ry. 11. Nebraska, 217 U. S. 196 Moore, In re, 209 U. S. 490 . Moyer '11. Peabody, 212 U. S. 84 Muhlker'l1. N. Y. & Harlem R. R. Co., 197 U. S. li44 Munn '11. lllinois, 94 U. S. 123 Murray '11. Louisiana, 163 U. S. 101
xvii
PAGES
90 128 33 32
25,27 100, 107, 109
118 114 86
169 65, 66
Neal 11. Delaware, 103 U. S. 370 61, 66, 73, 92 New Orle.ans '11. New York Life Ins. Co., 216 U. S. 617 . 96 Norwood fl. Baker, 172 U. S. 269 . 89,107
Oklahoma 11. Kansas Natural Gas Co., 221 U. S. 229 87 Old Wayne Life Ins. Assn. fl. McDonough, 204 U. S. 8. 98
Pace 11. Alabama, 106 U. S. 683 . li1, 64, 69 Pembina Mining Co. 11. Pennsylvania, 126 U. S. 181 . 128 Petit '11. Minnesota, 177 U. S. 16li . 32 Plessy 11. Ferguson, 163 U. S. li37 . 45, lili, 6li, 70, 71,72 Postal Tel. Cable Co. fl. New Hope, 192 U. S. lili 91 Prentis fl. Atlantic Coast Line, 211 U. S. 237 • 171 Prout 11. Starr, 188 U. S. 637 . . 103 Pullman Co. v. Kansas, 216 U. S. 166 96, 109, 118
Raymond Treas. 'U. Chicago Traction Co., 207 U. S. 20 Reagan '11. Farmer's Loan & Tr. Co., 1M U. S. 362 Reagan '11. Mercantile Trnst Co., 1M U. S. 413 Reduction Co. 'U. Sanitary Works, 199 U. S.306 Reetz 11. Michigan, 188 U. S. 606 .
.30,93,108 101,107
101 33 32 72 Roberts '11. City of Boston, 6 Cush. 198
Rogers '11. Alabama, 192 U. S. 226 Roller '11. Holly, 176 U. S. 398
68,66, 74, 92 8li
St. L. & Iron Mt. Ry. 'U. Taylor, 210 U. S. 292 163 Santa Clara County 'U. Sou. Pac. R. R. Co., 118 U. S. 394 128 Scott '11. McNeal, 1M U. S. 34 84 Sec. Mut. Life Ins. Co. fl. Prewitt, 202 U. S. 246 • 118
xviii TABLE OF CASES CITED
PAGES
Selliger 11. Kentucky, 213 U. S. 200 94 Sentell v. New Orleans & C. R. R. Co., 166 U. S. 698 31 Silver 1I. L. & N. R. R. Co., 213 U. S. 175 103 SHz 11. Hesterberg, 211 U. S. 31 33 Simon v. Craft, 182 U. S. 427 • 32 Slaughter House Cases, 16 Wall. 36. 21, 23, 45, 46, 47, 53, 113, 119 Smith, Charley v. Mississippi, 162 U. S. 592 . 54, 65 Smyth v. Ames, 169 U. S. 466 103, 107, 134 Sou. Pac. R. R. Co. 'V. California, 118 U. S. 109 96 Sou. Ry. Co. v. Greene, 216 U. S. 400 . 97, 108 Sperry & Hutchinson Co. v. Rhodes, 220 U. S. 502 32 Strander'V. West Virginia, 100 U. S. 306 . 45,49,65,73,92, 107
Tarrance v. Florida, 188 U. S. 519 . T. H. & Ind. R. R. Co. 'V. Indiana, 194 U. S. 579 Thomas 'V. Texas, 212 U. S. 278 Twining v. New Jersey, 211 U. S. 92
Union Transit Co. v. Kentucky, 199 U. S. 194 U. S. v. Cruikshank, 92 U. S. 542
Virginia, Ex parte, 100 U. S. 344 Virginia 11. Rives, 100 U. S. 313
Williams v. Parker, 188 U. S. 491 . Williams v. Mississippi, 170 U. S. 213 Williams v. Arkansas, 217 U. S. 79 West. Union Tel. Co. v. Kansas, 216 U. S. 1 • Welch'l1. Swasey, 214 U. S. 91 Winn, In re, 213 U. S. 458 Wisner, Ex parte, 203 U. S. 449
Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U. S. 356 Young, Ex parte, 209 U. S. 125
57,65 . 100 61,65
114
94 22, 48, 53, 64
45, 50, 65, 74, 92 49, 53, 65, 117
32 55,65
33 96, 109, 118
32 118 ll8
89,107 • 102
TABLE OF LAWS CITED
State laws declared unconstitutional in whole or in part by the Supreme Court of the United States, under the operation of the Fourteenth Amendment, appear in small capitals.
ALABAMA.
Sec. 4189, Code of 1880 SECS. 2391-2400, CODE OF 1907, VOL. 1 .
ARKANSAS.
LAWS OF 1907, P. 744
CALIFORNIA.
PAGES
51,64 97
96
Los Angeles ordinance, Aug. 26, 1891 88 Los ANGELES ORDINANCE, Nov. 25, 1901 88 SAN FRANCIBCO ORDINANCE, MAY 26 AND JUNE 28, 1880 89
COLORADO.
DENVER CHARTER OF 1893, ART. 7, SECS. 3, 29-31 91
DELAWARE.
CONSTITUTION OF 1831, SEC. 1, ART. 4. REVISED STATUTES OF 1853, SEC. 109 .
GEORGIA.
POLITICAL CODE, SECS. 804-805, 812-814, 847, 855, 874,
51 51
879 92
ILLINOIS.
Constitution 1870, Art. 9, Sec. 1 LAWS OF 1893, P. 182 PEORIA ORDINANCE, SEPT. 4, 1900.
INDIANA.
93 87 87
LAWS OF JAN. 27, FEB. 24, AND MARCH 4, 1897 . 99 xix
xx TABLE OF LAWS CITED
KENTUCKY. PAQB8
CON8TITUTION, SEOS. 213-214 . 101 II REVISED STATUTES OF 1852, P. 75 52 Revised Statutes, Sees. 835-839 85 REVISED STATUTES, SEO. 4020 AND SEO. 4077 B!l' BBIl. 94 LA W8 OF 1890, REDUOING TOLLS 102 Law of March 10, 1900 103 Laws of 1904, Chap. 85 60
KANSAS. Laws of 1885, Chap. 155, p. 258 LA W8, MARCH 3, 1891 GENERAL STATUTES, 1901, P. 280
LOUISIANA. Laws of 1890, No. 111, p. 152 • LAWS OF 1894, No. 66 • LAW8 OF 1898, No. 170.
122 97 96
55,65 98
New Orleans ordinance 1898 under Laws of 1898, No. 171 95 90
MICmGAN. LA W8 OF 1891, No. 90, SEC. 9
MINNESOTA. General Laws, 1887, Chap. 10 . RATE LAWS OF 1905, 1906, 1907
NEBRASKA. LAWS OF 1905, CHAP. 105, SE08. 1, 6 Rate Law of April 12, 1893
NEW YORK. LAWS OF 1892, CHAP. 339 LAWS OF 1897, CHAP. 415, ART. 8, SEC. 110
omo. CLEVELAND ORDINANOE, JAN. 11, 1904 •
OKLAHOMA.
Laws of 1907, Chap. 6'1
• 104
101 102
100 103
85 86
90
68
TABLE OF LAWS CITED
PENNSYLVANIA. LAWS, JUNE 20, 1883 LAWS OF 1891, P. 229
SOUTH DAKOTA.
Laws of 1897, Chap. 110
TENNESSEE. MEMPHIS ORDINANCE, SEPT. 24, 1907
TEXAS.
XXi
PAGB8
98 93
• 103
90
Constitution of 1869, Sec. 6, Art. 10 99 Laws, April 3, 1891 . 101 SAYLES SUPPLEMENT TO CIVIL STATUTES, P. 768, ART.
4266 a . 121
UNITED STATES.
Acts and Resolutions, 41st Congress, 1st Session, p. 294 . 16 Acts and Resolutions, 41st Congress, 2d Session, p. 95 16, 49 Acts and Resolutions, 41st Congress, 3d Session, p. 45. 16 Civil Rights Act of 1875, Secs. 1 and 2 18, 52, 53 Judicial Code, Sec. 237 164, 165 Judicial Code, Secs. 262-266 . . 165 Revised Statutes, Sec. 709 164, 165 Revised Statutes, Secs. 716, 718, 719, 720 165 Revised Statutes, Sec. 1977 49 Revised Statutes, Secs. 1977-1999, 5508, and 5516 60 Statutes at Large, Vol. XVIII, p. 335 18
WEST VIRGINIA. LAws OF 1872--73, CHAP, XLVII, SEC. 1 49