The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-07-31
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04OA "OOAN "@
stitutional, and the war between the
States would, in my judgment, have
been ayerted. In the light Of history,
however, it may be said that it was a
grave defect in the Constitution II IL
intended to allow the nine gentlemen
constituting this court to be the huaI
Judges of our fate upon the gravest
political questions that have vexed the
nation. Of course the United States
pays the Judges of the Supreme Court,
though they sit as the final arbiters be-
tween the States and the Union, So
YOU see the States allowed the three
branches of the government, that Is to
saw all who should sit in judgment on
the dearest lights and interests, to be
paid by the opposing party in the con
troversy! They would have been suh-
GENTLY protected if they had just only
paid their Senators, the constitutional
representatives and guardians of State
sovereignty. l am paying more atten-
ton to where the money m from
than is usual among constitutional
studeLt is. Even an ass knoweth his
masters crib, and an officer of the
United States, though he owes also
allegiance to his State, will be most apt
to remember that government which
pays him his salary.
"You are in favor of States rights, J"
exclaims some objector, who has cob
webbed his brain with now unproft
able discussion of secession. No, l am
in favor of the rights of the States of
local self government, Of the natural
variety of individuality-of respecting
the autonomy Of the State governments.
I believe that the Union is funded
upon the State and can have no other
solid foundation. All history teaches
that Capitalization is the broad road of
national destruction in all ages. Ma
tionaI decay and death follow the coag-
ulation of wealth and population in the
heart Of the great cities, The nation
becomes a huge monopoly-the parent
and partner of all other monopolies-a
monopoly whose grasping greed over
foods it's heart with its life blood-its
currency and circulation ceases.
A stong government! For shame!
Is any union strong Or permanent but
one of love and justice? Love never
faileth. 1t is greater than faith, it is
longer lived than hope which Springs
eternal from the human breast" 1t
will destroy the eagles of force and the
carton birds of fear which gather about
the spoils of despotism.
I have said taxation is the usual
cause of war. 1t is the road by which
greed AMI monopoly march to the de-,
struction of liberty. Our forefathers
had just gone through eight years of
peril and suffering and bloodshed on
account of it, when they began to
frame the Constitution. They knew
the evil; now let us see their remedy.
There are but two kinds Of taxation
known to the Constitution, direct and
indirect. Direct taxes were such as
were apportioned among the several
States according to population. The
other kind Of taxes allowed to the
Federal Government were the indirect,
that is such as are collected at the
ports and called the tariff. But another
species of taxation was invented out of
a little unsuspicious looking clause in
the Constitution Among the enum-
ermated powers Of the general govern
ment that clause reads: ''Shall have
power to pay and collect taxes" mean
ing, as the people thought, the kinds
of taxes described in the Constitution.
But the Supreme Court decided other
wise, as we shall presently see and
thereby opened that Pandora's box of
evils known as the Internal Revenue,
which in an hundred years we have
not been able to close.
The first question that came up be,
tween the States and the United States
was when Hamilton pushed a bin
through both branches of Congress to
apportion the taxes and representation
without regard to the States bounder-
les. Washington decided for the States
and vetoed the bill.
About this time the Supreme Court
tackled an amendment to the Constitu-
ton by allowing a State to be sued by
a private individual. This created
great excitement, and resulted in the
18th amendment to the Constitution,
the last the friend of civil liberty were
ever able to make. This amendment
saved North Carolina from paying the
special tax bonds.
Washington. in the next question