The Nevada picayune., 1885-07-02

exists, as we think it unqucstlona- bly does. then the exercise of that power would not be centrallZatlon, nor even tending toward it. Be cause centralzatiol is not, and in the very nature of things can not be. ill the exercise of constitu- tional power. Whatever authority was given by the framers of the Constitution of the United States, and adopted and ratified by the States, may be lawfully exercised by Congress without the charge of centralization, and should be exer- cised when deemed cXpedient. Centralization is the exercise of power by the National government not granted by the Constitution. And as long as the States are sey- eralIy protected from the exercise of such ungranted power there IS no
 encroachmcnt upon any right re- served to them respectively, and it is wrong and illogical to denounce the exercise by the National gov ernment of powers expressly dele
 gated to it as usurpation and cen l traliZation. In such cases there
 may arise questions as to eXpedi-
 ency, but thtre can be none as to
 the Constitutional exercise of the powers granted.
 It seems to be further thought
 that the exercise of the power to
 tax the income of railroad corpor
 ations by the National government
 would interfere with the right of
 the State 10 do so fit should see
 fit. But this is clearly a mistake.
 The right exeycised by the Nation al government to tax carriages did not interfere with the right of any l Sttte to tax them also. In the event the government should levy
 a direct tax upon the polls and the lands of the United States, no one
 would contend for a moment that the State would not also have the right 10 levy a land and poll tax upon all of the same lands and polls
 within it's limits. Whisky and to-. baeco certainly, and probably some other articles, are taxed both by the State and National governments. The State gov. ernmeuts and the National govern. ment are each inGeponden of the other as to their modes and objects of tayation-the United States be- ing limited alone by the National
 Constitution, and the States by their respective Consultations. If the National government, under the Constitution of tie United States, Las the power, which no one will deny, to tax property which is at the same time taxed by the State, certainly the income of railroad corporations would be as
 liable to such taxation as any other property,
 And the power being unQues- toned, much may b3 said in favor of the expediency of such tax by the National government. The great cry of the people, which is not without justification, is that a great part of the wealth of the country is being absorbed by these huge corporations, which, as a gen. eral thing, are uttsrly healtless and consc.encelcss, aad gather their wealth by coiniug the sweat of their laborers into gold; and which, while accommodating million after million, often compel their em ployes to toll for wages barely suffi- cient to preserve themselves and ] their families from starvation. In 1 fact these corporations are becom. ing too strong for the States to deal with them single.handed, and ! it will require the combined effort i of the States and the National gov ernment to compel them to contri- bute from their over. .gorged treas uries their due share toward "the { common defense and general we'- fare of the United States and the | several States through which they pass, Barricaded behind their | chartered privileges, they seem to feel themselves exempt from the | duty of helping to bear the public ! burdens, Gnd authorized 10 snatch ! with an unprecedented hand all the ! profits arising from the labor of the Nation. Under this State of case
 with the power to do so clear in 1 the hands of the National govern