The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-29
! BUGLES.
Sounded With Clarion Notes,
on the Income Tax i
Bill.
The Old Party Politicians
Fight Shy of the De-
cisi0n.
But the Peoples Party Leaders Speak
Out With Fearless
ness.
Belief That the Key Note Is Sounded,
Of the Coming Political

Battle.
rom the Minneapolis Penny Press.
The income tax decision is the upper
Slost topic, especially in political cir
les, and speculation is more than rife
to what will be the result. In a
pund among the old party politicians
lie Penny Press" found them as rule
Exceedingly cautious as to predictions
nd probable effect Republicans and
Yemocats realized in that the even di-
ion of the supreme court as between
lie two parties. it was which and
pther as to where the political respon-
ity would rest. Conservative men
e having 1t understood that they
making no party criticism, ac-
wledged that they were disappoint-
and some even admitted that they
fearful of the bad effect on the
TRY, as tending to widen the gap
differences already too plainly Wis
between the classes.
bhn Day Smith said that he regret
the decision exceedingly for many
sons. ExRepresentative E. E.
18th said that he supposed it was wise
approve the decision as good law,
he did not wish to discuss its pro-
ETY. or political bearing. VIM. Grim
aw asked in answer to a question:
low long will the people stand this
ng, anyhow" Then he began to talk
bout the periods of decline and down
fall Of the great nations which have
ruled the earth.
B. F. Nelson voiced the views of sew
eral Democrats in the following:
II have been against income tax from
the first. I think it was a species of
unequal taxation, and that's a thing
which our constitution provides against
You probably noticed, by the position
which the supreme judges took upon the
matter, that it was not considered as a
political issue. There were Democrats
and Republicans on both sides of the
QHaestion."
le dissenting views of Justice Har-
Ian as given in the penny Press" were
commended by men of all shades of
opinion, and declared to be surprising
statement to come from the highest tri-
bunal in the land.
But If the old party men were chary of
comment the recognized Peoples Party
leaders were the reverse. None of them
were afraid, to speak out in meeting, as
the following will show.
willard j. Hull, the Populist orator,
said: Another straw in the current
leading on to the destruction of the Re-
public has floated by. At this stage of
seething unrest the decision is ominous
Not since the famous bred Scott decis-
ion, which was only wiped out by the
most sanguinary struggle in the annals
Of war, has anything like the interest
occurred which this action of the Su-
preme court will arouse. It is a bold
move to screen the wealth holders of the
country by a purely technical construc-
ton Of the constitution, and finds no
parallel in the abuse of power since the
colossal and dangerous fortunes of the
few began to pile up. Four dissenting
opinions by Justices Harlan, Brown,
jackson and White were filed, sharply
criticising the finding of the majority.
But is is indeed a fine distinction that
lies between the pen stroke of an auto
crat like the Russian Gear, that can
overturn the legislation of his empire
with impunity, and the vote of one man
in all the 65.OO0,000 of people in this re-
public, which decides the fate of so i'm
portant an far reaching an enactment.
The income tax law was an attempt to
compel the wealth holders to pay a share
Of their income to the support of the
government. 1t was effected only after
q bitter struggle between the plutocra-
tic and patriotic wings of congress. and
the great mass of the people hailed it as
one of the measures destined to lead the
way out of the national bankruptcy into
which the country has been plunged
But all of this has gone for paught."
Having referred to the dissenting
opinions, quoting that of Justice Brown.
Mr. Hull said:
What more is required to stamp this
iniquity with the brand of eternal IN
fanny? 'Salus populi est suprema lex
(the welfare of the people is the supreme
law) seems to have become lost maxim
in the propaganda of swinish capitalism
whose only creed is more! more! more!!
and which with hellish purpose reaches
out and covers with its grasping claws
even the ermine of the highest judicial
body in the world"
Sumner Ladd-In country like ours.
and in fact in all states and in all times
are. two tendencies; one is the manifesto
ton of the hopes, the ambitions, in 9TH
er words, the greed Of the privileged
class; the other tendency is the manifes-
tation Of the protest of the non-privileg-
ed or subject class against the most OBJ
noxious Of the acquired or so-called vest
ed rights of the privileged class and the
further Entertainments of that class
against the public welfare and the lib
critics of the people These two ten
denotes have constituted the class strue-
giles of history, and the most moment
Gus epoch making historical events have
been the outcome OF these class strua-
giles. and what we call political liberty
which the American people have in some
measure, and which is rapidly gaining
ground everywhere in the civilized
world, is evidence Of which tendency is
the stronger; but the struggle will 20
on until not only perfect political lib
erty but also economic freedom will be
attained.
In this country the federal constitu-
tion, usually Haunted as the palladium
Of our liberties, constitutes, in the opin-
ION Of many, Z barrier to progress, and