New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14
ANARCHISTS ~ OFFICE.

Mr. +. Il. Whitney First Assistant Attorney
General of tie United States, commenting upon
the recent decision of the Supreme Court regard
ing the income tax. makes some extraordinary
declarations if a published interview is correct.
lie is reported saying:
If the income tax should he eventually declared
void the remedy of the people Is very pain 1hey
can secure the passage Of a constitutional amend
ment, wipng or the direct clause Of the Consutu-
ton The rich are unduly favored. and the
poor are unduly oppressed 10y taxes upon articles OF
consumDtion unless the wrong is rlghteI by an IN
come tax l believe, therefore, that ultimately we
shall have a National income tax. whatever be the
final decision OF the court about this law
Undoubtedly Mr. Whitney sets forth the only
mode by which the kind of tax he wants can be
secured. No matter what may be the decision
of the court in the cases yet pending. or in Inc
event Of rchcarng on the eases partly decided,
Mr. Whitney must pcrforcc admit that the APP
portiOnmcnt provision of the Constitution as to
direct taxes does have some force. IT does eN-
cludc beyond a question, tho direct taxation or
property in its largest modern aSgrcSallons. II
the end is desirable. if it is in the least true that
lust and equal taxation for the support of the
National Government cannot be attained 10y in
direct taxes. then unqucstionaby constitutional
amendment will be necessary To get at the sort
of taxation Mr. Whitney advocates.
The Tribune does not believe it the part Of n
good citizen. and still less Of responsible law
officer OF the Government, 10 strive 10 stir up
hatred and strife between the rich and the poor
I'm this manner 1t is base and unworthy spirit,
characteristic OF demagogucs of the lowest type,
which labors to inflme the envy and passion OF
the many who have to live by their earnings
against the few whose enterprise or good fortune
has secured them income from capital. civil
society can never exist in peace and prosperity
unless these two great forces, labor and capital,
work tremendously together The man who
would light the flames of war between them is
essentially an Anarchist, and an enemy of public
order. good government and the welfare Of his
feow-men.
II IS peculiarly unheflttinG that n law officer
of the Government should enter upon crusade
against one Of the fundamental compromises OF
the Constitution. II W. from the inception OF
the Government stipulated between the Federal
and the State governments that the latter only
should have the power of direct taxation, ana
this for the obvious reason that the people OF 'ach
State can themselves best determine IN what
mode they wish their burdens 10 be oqualiz'd. \
Federal law which would work equality and JUS
tice in Ncw-York would work the sroSScst injuS-
lice in Texas. and vice versa. Infinitely better
than any National Congress, the people ~ each
State know how a tax upon property affects dli
fcrent classes OF citizens in that state, ana
whether it operates justly or not. The Federal
Government was assigned 10y tho Constitution
an exclusive field Of It's own for rcycnu" pur-
noses. and 1t IS simply revolutionary to attempt
70 break down the States Ivy encroachnS upon
the only field left 10 them for the raising OF such
revenue as they need The man who urges such
q change is unit - represent the Constitution
Of the United States rs 4 law officer Of The COY
ernment
The contest IS between the Republican prin-
chile OF indirect taxation. by which the rich. who
use imported goods largely. are compelled 10 pay
for that luxury, and the Democratic theory,
which taxes sugar and whiskcy and rents and
incomes in order TO make diamonds free and 10
lower the duties on accs and satns. kid gloves
and fine woollcns When the Republican prn-
ciple controls taxation the wealthy citizen pays
largely because he chooses 70 buy foreign made
Injuries. while the poorer people get the iull
benefit Of competition between domestic manu-
facturcrs in the cheaper goods. Bu, The Demo
cratic policy has taken or S'o0OOUo OF the
taxes on imported Injuries and imposed taxes
on whskcv and sugar expected 10 yield S'u,OD.-
900. thereby directly burdoning The millions who
labor and as a poor prctcncc OF equalization IN
poses an unconstitutional tax on incomes.