The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-05-22
THE INCOME TAX.

The income tax question is settled, the
supreme court of the United States hav-
ing declared it unconstitutional, by a
vote of five to four. While this decision
lnterferes seriously with the revenues of
the government, that matter can be
easily remedied. Congress can easily
provide for more revenue when it meets,
but it can never restore confidence in
the supreme court of the United States.
For more than hundred years our
supreme court has been looked upon by
the entire civilized world as the most in
dependent, the most upright and the
most perfect judicial body in the world.
The recent decision besmirches that
grand reputation. It is not that the de-
cision was against the income tax that
does this, but the manner In which that
decision was reached. 1t will be re-
membered that Justice Shiras, at the
1lrst trial of the case, was in favor of the
4eonstitutionAiity of the tax, but upon
the second hearing of the matter. when
It was certain that Justice Jackson
would throw the weight of his option
In favor of the law. Justice Shiras sud-
denly reversed himself, thus making the
court five to four against the law, in
stead of five to four in favor of it, as the
decision would have been had he stood
BY his expressed convictione. Un-
charitable people; people who are ac-
quainted with the ways of politicians,
people who know how the great aggrega-
tions of wealth accomplish their pur
poses, will find but one explanation of
Justice Shira's sudden flop, and that is
undue influence e1erted in such man.
ner as to increase Justice Shiras' in
come. The decision is but another step
towards anarchy and strange as it may
aeem that step is deliberately taken by
the highest tribunalin the land. The
common every day man will find some
difficulty in following the niceties of dis
tinction made by the learned legal lights
who ornament the supreme bench. The
common every day mind is incapable of
grasping the intangible essence of the
law, that finds it constitutional to levy
tax under the name of internal rev.
enue on the direct product of the soil, as
It does in the case of tobacco, and in the
same breath finds it unconstitutional to
levy tax under the name of income
when the income is derived from the
rents and profits of the lands upon which
the tobacco is grown. The common
every day citizen cannot recognize the
distinction between a tax levied directly
on incomes, and tax levied indirectly
as it is in the tariff.
The United States raises 5000, ,000, 900
annually by tax. How? By customs
duties she taxes articles of consumption,
and the higher duty the greater tax she
levies on the incomes of the consumers.
The result is the same as direct tax on
incomes. only the tax is levied in pro-
portion to the amount consumed.
The supreme court decision is, how
ever, final and must be submitted to.
The proper thing now to be done is to at
once take the initial steps for submitting
an amendment TO the constitution, pro-
viding for the taxing of incomes. The
system by which the government raises
ats revenue is a bad one, in that it taxes
y man not according to his ability to pay,
not in proportion to the benefits he de.
rives from the government, but just in
proportion to the amount he consumes
1t is per capita tax. pure and simple
Nat. Blum has arrived in Portland