U.S. Supreme Court UNITED STATES v. SPRAGUE, 282 U.S. 716 (1931)

[Page 282 U.S. 716, 734]

no limited and special operation, as is contended, upon the people's delegation by article 5 of certain functions to the Congress.

The United States relies upon the fact that every amendment has been adopted by the method pursued in respect of the Eighteenth. Appellees reply that all these save the Eighteenth dealt solely with governmental means and machinery rather than with the rights of the individual citizen. But we think that several amendments touch rights of the citizens, notably the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Nineteenth, and in view of this, weight is to be given to the fact that these were adopted by the method now attacked. The Pocket Veto Case, supra.

For these reasons we reiterate what was said in the National Prohibition Cases, supra, that the 'Amendment, by lawful proposal and ratification, has become a part of the Constitution.'

The order of the court below is reversed.

The CHIEF JUSTICE took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.