St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-19
AN ANARCHY BREEDER

When the decision of the supreme
court on the income tax cases way
published the GLOBE called atten-
don to what it regarded as the most
important and far-reaching portion
OF the decision-if it were really a
point i'm the case passed on, and not
merely an obiter dictum of the
court-the sixth division of the
synopsis. Beside this, in compare
tive import, the decision exempting
the rents and issues of real estate,
sweeping as that was, is dwarfed
into insignificance.
The sixth head was this: "That
the understanding and expectation
ait the time of the adoption of the
constitution was that direct taxes
would not be levied by the general
government except under pressure
of extraordinary exigency, and such
has been practiced down ITO August
10, 1894" Whether this was the por-
tion of the opinion on which all the
judges were agreed, or that on which
they were equally divided, does not
appear, but if ut is the opinion of a
majority of the court then the sooner
that fact is ascertained and some
corrective applied the better it will
be for the people and the future of
this country.
We are glad ito see that ATTORNEY
General Olney takes the same view
of this remarkable dictum that the
~ ~
hearing. "The Importance" says the
attorney general, ito the govern
ment of the new views of, its tax
ing powers, announced in the opinion
of the chief justice, can hardly be
exaggerated" Carried to their
logical conclusion they practically
exclude from the operation of the
power all the real estate of the
country and ali of the invested per-
sonal property" Defined and ap-
piled, it declares that there is in the
organic law of the land, not ex-
pressed, not TO be read, not written
in words, but there by understand
ing and expectation, the inviola.ble
agreement that the real estate, the
invested personal property, the
wealth invested i'm improvements at
tached to and merged in the realtv.
shall forever be exempt from con-
trlhutlng to the support of the fed
erai government. 1t fastens upon
this country forever the system of
taxation that lays its tribute on
what men must have to support life
and leaves free of burden the prop
erty OF men. 1t says to the poor
man that in proportion as he and his
Iamlly consume, in that proportion
ne shall he taxed equally with tho
| rich man.
NO wonder that the attorney gen.
eral says that the Importance of this
| opinion cannot be exaggerated -,
| NO more fatal blow was ever str,1clx
at republican institutions than is
this opinion delivered by a chief ius-
ice who rates himself a Democrat
Ii II is to be the law for all time
IN this country that accumulated
! Wealth is to go scot free of fedora,
burdens, and that the mouths and
peiiles and backs of the people. re-
gafuless OF property, must bear
them, 1T MS indeed high time that it
should be known, so that active
measures may be set on foot To
either reform the court that holds
such views or to have that "under-
standing and expectation" wiped out
of the constitution.
me decision is an anarchy breed
er. Coming on the heels of the in
terpfetaitfons of the interstate Iaw
IN me labor cases, it will inevitably
add TO the discomfort of the great
Wage-earning masses of the country
with its cool announcement to them
lipal uhey must be taxed on their
liecessarles OF life while the wealth
ana property of their employers shall