Middletown transcript., 1895-05-25

among the Republicans of Delaware
in their efforts to elect a Senator, not
unfrequently was heard the remark
from Democr; is:
"The Republicans Of Delaware have
proven themselves unable to rule this
State as the Democrats in Congress
have proven that they are incompetent
to govern this Nation"
Without admitting the first part OF
the declaration, we have had additional
proof this week of the correctness OF
the latter part. OnMonday the Supreme
Court decided that the Income Tax
part Of the new tariff law, passed by the
Fifty-third Congress, is unconstitu.
tional, and thus s30, 900, 900 of contem.
plated revenue is cut off flom the
United States Treasury. 1t leaves the
Treasury in very bad plight, and sets
The Administration before the country
in much worse light.
Without the least partisan bias, it
must appear remarkable to every
thoughtful mind that in the main fea-
ture OF the law, namely the right to
tax the income from rents and of
State, county, and municipal bonds,
the court was unit in declaring it un-
constitutional. The Democratic Chief
Justice, appointed by President Cleve-
land during his first term, and the other
Democratic Justices were of the same
opinion as were their Republican
brethren on the bench, that President
Cleveland and the Democratic party
leaders had indeed threatened the lib
critics Of the people in their vain efforts
to reform the Mckinley Tariff Law.
Of all the presumably able constitu-
tional lawyers on the Democratic side
Of the United States Senate, where the
great fight was made, including our
own Senator George Gray, David B.
Hill, of New York, was the only man
who understood the situation and op-
posed it. The others, either because
they knew no better or yielded to the
party lash, which is equally discredita-
BILE, joined in forcing upon the country
this unconstitutional law. Is not that
fact the strongest argument that could
be advanced to prove the latter part of
the proposition, heled even by many
Democrats, that the Democratic party
is not competent to run the affairs of
this government A candid and
thoughtful answer should be given.
Cutting out the income from rents
and from State, county and municipal
bonds, on which the Supreme Court
was unit, there was little left Of the
law or Of the revenue that its advo-
Gates should lament that the whole has
been declared unconstitutional by
vote of to A. Chief Justice Fuller,
and Justices Field, Gray, Brewer and
Shiras Joined in the decision.
Like other Democratic ideas Of gov
ernment, theoretically an income tax
upon what a man is able to pay, upon
the ready cash he receives and not upon
the property he holds which may be
source Of expense rather than of
revenue, is the most equal and just,
possibly, Of ali taxation. But practi-
cally it is like the great convocation Of
mice, called to decide what should be
done to. prevent the threatened ex-
of the family by the cat.
Every child knows that the decision
was to ''bell pussy" but the ablest
Democratic mouse was not competent
to point out the way Of doing it.
No patriotic citizen, whether Re
publican, Hill Democrat, or Cleveland
Democrat, or Mugwump, rejoices at
the plight Of the Administration or
the condition Of the Treasury, and
there is no satisfaction in the ''I-told-
but the present situation
should be lesson to party leaders that |
they should look before they leap. The |
people Of the country have had les
son, for the past two and half years,
On the effects of tariff reform on the |
business Of the country.