Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-05-31
KILLED THE INCOME TAX.
The Dissenting Justices Con-
de9HM The Decision in
Strong Language.

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because it is not apportioned ac-
cording to representation.
Justice Harlan declares that:
1.-THE decision strikes at the very foundation
the decision OF the court, incomes cannot be
taxed otherwise than by apportionment among
the States on the basis simply Of population
No such apportionment can pos
sibly be made without doing monstrous, wick
ed injustice to the many for the benefit OF the
favored lew in particular States.
II this new theory OF the constitution is justi'
fed by the fundamental law, tho American
people cannot too soon amend their constitu-
tion. The practical II not the
direct effect of the decision to-day Is to give to
certain kinds Of property position of tavorit-
ism. an advantage inconsistent with the fun
damental principle OF our social organization,
to invest them with power and influence that
is perilous to that portion of the people upon
whom rests the larger part of the burdens Of
the Government, and who ought not to be sub
.jected TO the dominion OF aggregated wealth
any more than the property of the country
should be at the mercy of the lawless.
Justice Jackson bitterly denoun-
ced the action of his cOnfreres, and
added:
what is to be the end OF the application Of
this rule, this new rule adopted by the court?
A tax laid by the General Government against
all moneys on hand or on deposit upon every
citizen of the country at a given rate. When
laid, few persons come before the court and
say My deposits were derived from the pro
ceeds of farm produce. or from bonds and Sc
a Nh
this law In my judgment the principle an
nounced in this decision practically destroyed
the power Of the Government to reach in
comes. There Is real difference between
changing the existence OF the power to tax in
comes from real and personal estates and at
1taching such conditions and requirements to
its exercise as Will render 1t impossible or in
capable of any practical operation"
Justices Brown and White de-
clared the decision to be a practi-
cal surrender to the moneyed class
les. Justice Brown said:
Respect for the constitution will not be In
spired by a narrow and technical construction
which shall limit the necessary powers OF
Congress. The decision involves nothing less
than the surrender OF the taxing power to the
money class. While | have no doubt that Con
gress will find some means Of surmounting the
present crisis. my fear IL that In some moment
of national peril this decision will rise up to
Illustrate its win and paralize its arm. hope
1T may not prove the first step toward submer-
gence of the Liberties of the people in sordid
despotism of wealth."
Justice White said:
From first to last the opinion OF the MAORI
'ty was hut u series OF contradictory PROPOSE
stions. one eating up and destroying the other.
The Injustice OF the conclusion points to the
error OF adoptingit. 1t takes invested wealth
and reads IL into the constitution As favored
land protected class OF property. whilst 1t leaves
the occupation of the minister, the doctor, the
professor. the lawyer. the inventor, the author,
the merchant and all the various forms of
human activity upon which the prosperity of
"A people muct'depond subject to taxation with
out apportionment The absolute inequality
and injustice of taxation by reference to popu
lation and without regard to the amount of the
wealth taxed is so manifest that to admit the
power to tax and limit to this mode substanti
ally denies the power itself, since 1t imposes
restriction which renders its exercise practi
,cally impossible"
1t is gratifying to know that
four out of the nine justices of the
Supreme Court still sympathize
with the people. But the decision
will have far-reaching effects. 1t
will set the people of the land to
thinking seriously, and great
changes in our political, social and
economic systems may spring
therefrom. For many years all
over this broad land millions of
honest, Woodworking citizens have
struggled to keep their heads above
the waters of debt and poverty.
Such condition ought not to ex-
list in these United States. But it
is with us, an evil that will not
down. 1t has been brought about
by the legislation engineered, yes,
purchased, by bondholders and
Insurers generally. They have les
sened the supply of money and in
creased the value and volume OF
debts until there are now S25 of
debt for every 81 of money and
our annual production of gold and
silver will not suffice, if coined, to
pay a fraction of the interest on
debts; and still they scheme to
contract the currency of the coun-
try still further, in order to still
further appreciate the value of
their gold money of ultimate re-
demption.
1t is just the same all over the
country as it is in the Supreme
Court of the United States. The
rich people, the interest gatherers,
and plutocrats generally dodge
taxation in every way they can.
Mortgages in Idaho county draw
from ten to eighteen per cent. per
annum; and when proposition is
made to tax these poor and strug-
CLING money lenders on this form
of wealth, what howl goes up to
the high heavens. and what threats
are made that if mortgages are
taxed they will foreclose them and
withdraw their wealth from the
State and go elsewhere The
Fourth of July talk that this gov
eminent is based upon the princi-
pie of Exact and Equal Justice to
All" is poppycock and rot, and it
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