The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-21
THE DEMOCRATIC CRISIS.
Shan the Party ne Betrayed or Pre,ervsdt
No Income Tnx!


Jro- ne Cincinnati ENQUIRER.
Senator Smith OF New Jersey has placed the
country under great obligations for the facts
he has marshalled and the wise conclusions he
has drawn from them In opposition to the pro-
posed income tax. How any Democrat can
support that odious measure after reading
Mr. Smiths argument is incomp rehensible.
lie challenged 1t as unnecessary. unjust. un-
successful. unpopular. un-Democratic. and un-
worthy OF an intelligent Government supposed
to represent free and enlightened people. He
enforced each one Of these reasons with ear
nestness and power He dlssected the meas
ure and exhibited its despotic provisions in
all their naked ugliness. He dwelt upon the
power It would give to a deputy collector to
increase the amount Of any citizens list or
return Of income II he has reason to believe
that the same IL understated. Neither the
President nor the Supreme Court. nor the
Senate. nor the House Of Representa-
tives. nor all combined. has authority
equal to this" said the Senator from
New Jersey. He continued: What rea-
son 10 required to enable q representative
OF the United States to thus pronounce a citi-
zen guilty Of perjury? Only that which is suf-
flcient unto ITSELF Nothing more. 1t may be
the libel OF q rival. It may be personal
grudGe. II may be refusal to contribute to a
campaign fund. The officer is the Judge. And
II no IL not satisfied with mere increase. or IL
the campaign contribution is not large
enough. he may. at his convenience. suspect
fraud. and thcreupon It shall be his duty to
make list to suit himself according to infor-
nation obtained by examination Of such per-
son or OF his books or accounts, or any other
evidence. and to add so Der cent"
The man who can find any defence whatever
for such legislation as this is incapable OF dis
tinguishinR between despotic tyranny and
free republican institutions. IL has all the
arbitrary flavor OF the British Coercion act for
Ireland The reconstruction acts OF the Repub-
lican party were mild in comparison with 1t.
From III. Philadelphia P.Eis L,sls-.
Senator Smith OF New jersey has Joined
hands with his colleague. Mr.. Mcpherson. and
Senator Hill In strenuous aptag onism to the
reimposition Of that most unpopular Of all the
war taxes. the tax on incomes. Mr.. Smith,
who spoke. 1t Is stated, with not only fine ora
torical effect. but with the com pelling force OF
sentient ideas and Just principles began his
admirable speech with the declaration that he
should do everything in his power to defeat the
levying Of this obnoxious tax for the reasons
that It was unnecessary. unjust. unsuccessful
unpopular. un-Democratic. un-Am erican. and
unwise.
Here certainly are reasons enough for oppo-
sition. Senator Smith might have said that
the income tax scheme not only Disseminated
between classes. but that It created classes by
o deliberate act OF the national legislature.
In this country there Is now no governmental
recognition OF the existence OF classes. but an
income tax. levied as It is proposed to levy this
one. would constitute such offensive class
recognition. II II were Objectionable in moth
Ing save In that It should be defeated.
Speaking with reference to the sectional
character OF the income tax. Senator Smith