Eckloff v. District of Columbia’s Empirical Analysis
135 U.S. 240 · 1890
Citation profile
12 federal appellate · 30 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 56 later decisions (8 by the Supreme Court) — most recently February 1971 · most notably District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co. (1953), District of Columbia v. Hutton (1892)
12 federal appellate · 30 state decisions — followed in 14 states
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Most-quoted passages
The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 56 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
““But our conclusions are not controlled by this construction alone. . The court below placed its decision on wrhat we conceive to be the true significance of the .act of 1818. As said by that court, it is to be regarded as an organic act, intended to dispose of the whole question of a government for this District. It is, as it were, a. constitution' ■ for the District. , It is declared by its title to be an act to provide ‘ a permanent form of government for the District.’ v The word permanent is suggestive. It implies that prior systems had been temporary and provisional. As permanent it is complete in itself. It.is the system of government. The- powers which are conferred are.organic powers. We look,to the act itself for their extent and limitations. It is not one, act in a series of legislation, and to' be made to fit into the provisions of the prior legislation, but is a single compléte act, the outcome of previous experiments, and the final judgment of, Congress as to tfie system of government which should obtain. It is the constitution of - the District, and its grants of power are to be taken as new and independent grants, and expressing in themselves both their extent.and limitations. Such was the view taken by the court-below; and such we believe is- the true view to-be taken of the statute.” 135 U. S. 243 , 244.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority“no person shall '• be appointed to office, or hold office in the police force £of the District of Columbia] who cannot read and write the English language, or who is not a oitizen of the United States, or who shall ever have been indicted and convicted of crime; and no person shall be appointed as policeman or watchnian who has not served in the army of navy of the United States and received an honorable discharge”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority“shall have authority to employ such officers and agents, and to adopt such provisions as may be necessary to carry into execution tfie powers and duties devolved upon them by this act,”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.