The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-03
DIRECT TAX VETO.
Cleveland Thinks the Bill
Unconstitutional.
EVIL EEsrLr or ruE SURPLUS.
All Federal Taxes Cas1e~sea Daxing
the Var MsgAs se E~fsnass
en- This rrIncipss.
EVIL EEsrIr or rnE sUErEus.

. -
Land this afternoon sent - eengress YnesA
sage vetnsng gae dzrerE tax ~ After
describing the hils in sz0SAsl AM wsx7nv 4
fal hsssory Of the nsasss1. he savs. -sThs
conee1e1 eaeet of tae hzls 81 . take f-essn
money aow in the tErxsnry something
more than 81 90 ecG o.. Il the perns nsage
allowed Is slos ineladsds more fhaa sas.-
ece.eao and par back ~ the respective
states and 70 cities the Sans fhSsr citizens
pssd more than Is yezrs age urzan dlreee
tax seTied b the government as the
United states foz defense and s3fefy. Ills
my belief that this appropriation sf pubic
funds = not wirhSn the constitutional
delezafes authority conferred 81 the coza-
stsfutlen upon the general government
The statement OF the p2rpoSe fer which
snouey mAg be lawfully raised Is ssxatsea
III Any form declares azxa gae EE2s OF the
sh5ess fos which Il nay - exp need. All
lassss aaaa asses tnaf the s.s.x ~ fysslsiF
and e0F-esssly collected 1t eanraof Be
caained. therefore. Dos is + pretended that
any debt exists against she government
ane n taytr OF any state or individual By
The exaett0a of this TAX. surely. then. the
appropriation directed b. this bill cannot
ge @ sasstsec ax the payment OF debt OF the
..Ihe disbursement OF tbs noaey ciea-sy
has 10 relation 70 the COMMON defense.
On the contrary. X is A refsayrnent az
money raised AID long aED expended oy
the goyernment 10 r'royiae for the COM
mon defense. The expenditure cannot
property be advocated On the ground that
the general welfare OF tnc United states is
thereby provided for oy promoted. This
general welfare OF the Eaited states. as
used q the constitution. only lustifies sp
propnatso1s for national objects and foF
purposes whica have 80 90 with the pros
nation.
..Bns II the constitutional question In
yolved IN the consideration os this bill
should be determined in its fayor, there
are other objections remaining which pre-
vent KY assent TO its p<oyisians.r The
President EeTe eurfneratRS n number Of
defects IN the btli. among shem the follow
ing ne fact that the eatfre tax was not
paid furnishes no reason that would not
apply 20 nearly every case where taxes are
levied There are always delinqueRts,
and While the more thorough and COM
plete collection OF taxes i a troublesome
problem Of the government, failure TO
sosve the problem nas never been held 70
cali Tor q return OF taxes actually col
lecte1. The deficiency in the collection
OF this tax is found almost entirely in tae
insGrrectlonary states. While that part APP
=
rule. fully paid, and threttfogrrhs or foHr-
tftfis OF the noney which IL is proposed
In this bill 70 return would be paid into
The TREASURES o. The loyai states. BUT
no valid reason for sgch payment is found
IN TIE tact that the government al hrst
could Rot, and afteryard for reasons
probably valid. did not enforce the eoliee
gion IN these states.
There were many federal taxes which
were not paid by the people in the rebei-
icus states, and II the non-payment by
taem of this direct tax entitled the other
states IL donation Of the share of
said taxes paid by the.f citizens, why
should not the income tax and many other
internal taxes paid entirely by
citizens OF the loyal states be also paid into
the treasures OF these states.
TIE considerations which recognize sec
tioslss divisions of the Loyalty OF the differ
ent states ~ the time this tax was laid
should not enter into a discussion of the
merits OF this measure. The loyal states
should not be paid the iarge Sums OF money
promised them by the bill because they
were loyal and other states were not, nor
the government be paid the small sums
promised them because they were In re-
beiucn and thus preventx& the collection
OF their entire quota and heeG1se this con-
cesssn 10 them IL necessary 10 Justify the
proposed larger gifts to the otner states
AAC f[oPAc VI t4at 10y al StALtS u14Q LllS f{l-
rect tax as they bore other burdens in sup
port of the government. and believe the
tax payers themselves are content
In the light of these considerations am
opposed 20 the paying of money out OF the
federal treasury 10 enrich the treasures of
the states The baneiul effect OF the sur
plus IN the treasury of the general govern
ment is daily seen and felt I do not
think. however, that this Surplus should be
reduced or its c0ntagfon spread through
out the states by methods such as are pro-
vided in this BILL
Another objection to the bill, says the
president, is its unfa.rness ana unjust dis
crininstion IN the operation of plan of re-
fmbursement He continues; 'sThe exist
ence of surplus in the treasury Is no
answer to these objections. IL Is still the
peoples money, and q better use can be
found for IL than the distribution of il
npon plea Of reimbursement OF
plan to reduce and prevent the recurrence
of large surplus can easily be adopted
enc that. instead of creating injustice and
inequality promotes justice and equality,
by leaving In the hands OF the people, and
for their use, money not needed by the
government to pay debts and provide for
the common defense and general welfare
of the Udited states. The difficulties IN
the way of making Just reimbursement
OF this direct tax, instead of exposing the
imPerfectness of the bill under considera-
ton, furnish reasons why the scheme il
proposes should not be entered upon.
~ am constrained. upon the eensidera-
tons herein presented. to withhold my as
sent from the bill herewith returned be-
cause believe IL 10 be without eousiitsi-
nonal warrant. because am OF the opinion
that there exists no adeq1ate reason. either
in right or equity, for the return OF the tax
OF said bill herein mentioned, and because
believe 1fs exseTtinn Fnf1g5 raszea arrnsA
injustice aud unfairnesS.
GROVER CLFyELASD.n