The Oyez Project: 1922 Term

Adkins v. Children's Hospital (No. 795)

In 1918, Congress enacted a law which guaranteed a minimum wage to women and children employed in the District of Columbia. This case was decided together with Children's Hospital v. Lyons.

Gitlow v. New York (No. 19)

Gitlow, a socialist, was arrested for distributing copies of a "left-wing manifesto" that called for the establishment of socialism through strikes and class action of any form. Gitlow was convicted under a state criminal anarchy law, which punished advocating the overthrow of the government by force. At his trial, Gitlow argued that since there was no resulting action flowing from the manifesto's publication, the statute penalized utterences without propensity to incitement of concrete action. The New York courts had decided that anyone who advocated the doctrine of violent revolution violated the law.

Massachusetts v. Mellon (No. 24)

In 1921, Congress enacted The Maternity Act. The Act provided grants to states that agreed to establish programs aimed at protecting the health and welfare of infants and mothers. Frothingham brought suit as a Massashusetts taxpayer, claiming the Act would result in "taxation for illegal purposes." This case was decided together with Frothingham v. Mellon.

Meyer v. Nebraska (No. 325)

Nebraska, along with other states, prohibited the teaching of modern foreign languages to grade school children. Meyer, who taught German in a Lutheran school, was convicted under this law.