The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-08

wA,HtSGroS. April Tho iniquit.
cui income tax will 20 into the statutes
Of United States, but in such dis
,or.ed form that it's Populist authors
aud Democratic sponsors and pushers
will scarcely recognize tho measure.
From disclosures made here it is
known tha. the court has arrived at q
decision on the measure, but only aitcr
many days Of discussion aud crimina-
ton aud recrimination on tho part OF
tho two factions into which 1t was di.
rid.d, one faction contendins agsins.
the eonstitutionality OF tho general
principles OF tho income tax and the
other taking the opposite position.
|. 10 said here by well.iutormod men,
sud their information is obviously due
10 vast "loak" from the private cham
bersoi tho court. that tho decision OF tho
court will be made public some day
this week, probably Monday. possibly
later.
These things are positively known
here now: That the income tax has. on
the whole, been sustained, but by n
sharply divided and not by uhani.
nous court; that the administration
will be sorely disappointed to find that
the chleiest revenue measures OF tho act
have been destroyed by the COURT G.,
,ha. incomes derived from rents and
from bonds issued by national, state,
county and municipal governments are
exempt from tax.
There has been much anxiety ex.
pressed by treasury officials lest the de.
cision should be as forecast. They are
ina quandary to know what will be the
eject on the revenues from tho law by
the exemption OF incomes from rents
and a,ase and municipal bonds.
There is much curiosity to know how
the information as to the decision was
obtained. There will undoubtedly be
an investigation by the court, the mem.
berI OF which are highly indignant, and
there may be an endeavor TO bring the
correspondent who got the uews before
the court for contempt
There is one curious feature TO the
comea that are exempted by the court
from the payment Of the tax arc such
Is are usually those OF rich people. and
those who will have to pay tho tax are
those who derive their incomes from
business and manufacturing. In other
words, the tax as construed By the court
will be ono on industry, and not on ac-
cumulations OF wealth. This makes it
all tho more obnoxious.
When the frs. vote was taken as to
the general principle OF the constitu-
:onalisy OF law OF Congress taxing in
comes, it was found that the cour. was
.vsnly divided. Only eight justices
heard the arguments, Mr.. Justice Jack
son being too i'll to appear in court. The
rote disclosed tho Fact that Chic: JUS
dee Fuller and Justices Field. Gray aud
Brewer were opposed 10 tho law in toto.
Justices Harlan, Brown, Shiras, aud
White voted to sustain the law as
zaole. They believed and supported
:s.ir opinions by convincing argu-
zsnt sha. while particular portions OF
the law were clearly unconstituti snal,
:hs general effect OF an income tax could
aot be considered as opposed to the
principles laid down in the constitu-
,ion.
The first meeting OF the highest cour.
In the land developed surprising. and
s.la.her natural, diversity OF opinion.
While four Of the judges were in favor
oi upsetting the income tax law alto
gs,hs.. the other four were just as
strongly convinced that it should stand
na wacle, but wanted certain portions
s.ricken out.