Constitutional Law in 1919-1920

This review aims to include all the decisions on constitutional questions rendered by the Supreme’Court of the United States during the October Term of court which began in October, i919, and ended in June, i92o.1 The treatment for the most part contents itself with exposition. The footnotes give references to articles and editorial notes in recognized law journals commenting on the cases here reviewed and on the more important constitutional decisions of other courts.2 The classification of the cases and the arrangement of topics are not satisfactory, but no alternative seems distinctly superior. A classification on the basis of the clauses of the Constitution under which the cases arise would have decided demerits. Under the Fourteenth Amendment we should have to jumble together complaints against judicial procedure, tax laws, police measures, exercises of eminent domain and other governmental action. It seems preferable to follow established distinctions between various governmental powers and to let them set the plan for the main structure of the classification.