Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-09

regarding the taxing Of incomes derived
from state and municipal bonds and rents,
stands in exactly the same condition as 1t
did before last Monday. The other por-
ions OF 1t have not been passed upon one
way or the other, and suits to test their
legality may be brought by any one who
cares to do so and wishes to carry the issue
up again to the Supreme Court"
Back Into the Political Arena.
A public man of prominence, entitled to
be heard on any subject of importance,
said to a representative of The Star
today while discussing the decision of
the Supreme Court in the case Of the. in
come tax:
I'm my Judgment, the most important
thing connected with the decision Is that
1T necessarily throws the whole question
back into the political arena One may de-
plore this, but it is nevertheless a fact.
The question must be settled there, and
will be settled there. But 1t will not be
settled as promptly as some people seem
to think. AS shrewd and ordinarily as far
seeing a man as Senator Hill expects the
next Congress to repeal the law. Well,
I'll be bold enough to~tell the Senator that
the next Congress will do nothing of the
kind. The next Congress VIII not dare to
repeal the income tax on the eve Of pres
idential election. Eastern democrats would
be very glad to see the republicans make
that move, but the republican leaders are
to blunder so broadly. The fact Is that
throughout the entire west the income tax
Is as much favored by republicans as by
democrats. and 1 know of some well in
formed eastern men who declare that
fair sounding of sentiment IN their section
would disprove the oft-repfated assertion
that the east is solidly against the tax.
These men are not themselves in favor of
the tax. They rather regret, 1 do, the
raising of the issue. BUT they think it
unwise to shut ones eyes to the plain
facts, no matter how urWelcome. The is
sue has been raised, ana the action of the
Supreme Court simply adds to its interest,
and not until the people have in some way
had an opportunity to pass upon 1t at the
polls will it be satisfactorily disposed of"
'.Is it your idea that the Issue will enter
into the hext presidential campaign" was
asked.
A Presidential Issue.
I'm some form, undoubtedly. I don't see
how it can be avoided. The leading point
of Mr.. Hills conten ton in the Senate last
year was that neither party had declared
for such legislation. 1t was well taken, al
though it availed nothing. Neither party
had declared for an income tax. and neither
party expected in November, 1892, that any
revenue would be raised by such means.
But the tax has been imposed, the case pro
and con developed both by the legislators
and the lawyers, and now II viii be for the
people. by some expression at the polls to
ratify reject the action taken. So far as
the next Congress is concerned the republic
can leaders will be fortunate If they can
succeed without committing themselves
definitely in transferring the question to
the stump in the national race There will
be possibilities of trouble for them. Sup
pose some eastern democratic opponent of
the tax should introduce bill repeating
the tax, and insist upon debate and vote.
1t would test the capacities Of the best par
liamen tarans to head him off or to dispose
Of his measure without meeting 1T sduarely.
AS have already said, the republicans will
not care to meet the question fully then.
They are divided
Mr.. Reed IN the House will be no more
strongly opposed to the tax than Mr.. Teller
in the Senate will be in favor of it. The
part of safety and discretion will be to
handle it, II TT all, with extreme care until
something in the nature OF instructions
from the people has been received. In
structions cannot be formulated before
November, 1896, and you will see that the
question practically goes ever until then.
| believe. moreover, that 1t will be handled
very teaderly, whether en- the stump or in
Congress. 1t ought to be. 1t is very
dangerous question. because of lending it
self so easily to the uses of class agitators.
1t cannot be presented to a popular audi
ence as it has just been presented to the
Supreme Court. The fine distinctions re-
lating to what taxes may or may not be
levied under the Constitution would all be
lost crowd. The only point the advo-
cate of the income tax would care to make
from the stump would be to show that the
man of means would pay the tax. That
alone would recommend it to the crowd
OF course l don't mean to say that all the
advocates of the tax are class asitators
Some of the ablest and wisest of our pup-
lie men think that incomes ought to pay
their proportion of the public burdens, and
they indorse the law now OIL the books
But there are men who favor the tax
simply because the prosperous have 1t to
pay, and they are likely to use the theme
on the stump to stir up feeling against
n ha
times. For this reason the question is full
cf possibilities of danger. But, whether the
danger he great or small, the question is
up, and it is going to be no easy matter to
dispose CT it,
Does any compromise occur to you?"
Must BE Met Mt the Polls.
None, unless the law itself may be ac-
cepted as compromise. 1t runs, you
know, but for five years. Its friends op-
posed the putting of any limit of time at
all to 1t. They fought not only for the
revenue It would yield, but for the prin-
ciple involved. They have won on both
propositions. Revenue will be collected
from the tax, and the tax is approved, for
the present at least, as constitutional. The
other side might agree to let the matter
rest, with the reflection that when the law
expires the condition of the Treasury De-
partment will not be likely to call for it's
re-enactment, and so the difficulty will he
erded. But this course is not probable
There is great deal involved, and, as l
have already pointed out, the question is
one appealing too strongly both to prop
erty owners and to agitators to be allowed
to drop or go by default. 1t will have to
be met at the polls. and believe that it
will be met there early as in the next
presidential election
Suggesting an Extra Session.
1t was said this afternoon that President
Cleveland had received a number of tele-
grams within the past twenty-four hours
from business men in different parts of the
country Urging him to call an extra ses-
sion of Congress to repeal that portion of
the income tax law which still remains
valid. The claim is put forward in sup
port of this demand that as 1t now stands
the law applies exclusively and burden
somely to a class of people whom it was
never intended to discriminate against,
and releases from its operation the very
class that was expected to and looked upon
to furnish the most favorable subjects
for Its operations.
Prominent democratic politicians are
said to have also urged the President to a
repeal Of the law. holding that the exc
cution of the law in its present emascu-
lated state and with its glarfngly ununi-
form features would raise storm of re-
sentiment among the people against the
party that brought the law into being.