The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-08

tion of the last Congress notwith-
standing it had only an ostensible ma
iority in the Senate and he then pass
ed rapidly to his subject by declaring
that the Wilson law would have afford
ed ample revenue for the support of the
government but for the Supreme court
decision declaring the income tax un-
constitutional. "That the court should
have rendered such a decision" he
said, was a matter of surprise-of
surprise to every intelligent lawyer in
the country and especially to those of
us in Congress who were engaged III
formulating the legislation"
'In my judgment" he continued.
mo judgment has ever in the history
of the country been rendered which has
done so much to destroy the influence
of that tribunal and excite the distrust
on the part of the people of this coun-
try"
The country had, he said, been used
to rely upon the operations of this
court because its judgments were sup
posed 10 be above the caprice, preju-
dices and sudden changes which might
characterize the decisions of the lower
court not so far removed from outside
i
reversed its own decisions, for a hun
dred years i'm a question vitally affect
ing the interests of the entire popula-
tion and placing the government in the
attitude of violating the Constitution
during the entire history of the Tn
ion must, he declared, be a matter OF
sincere regret.
Mr. Vest declared that he would not
trust himself in the Senate to say what
he would be tempted to say of this
operation but would leave it to mem
bers of the court to stigmatize it as it
deserved. With this introduction he
had extracts read from the dissenting
opinions of justices Harlan and Brown
saying that if he had made the declar-
alton contained in these opinions he
would be charged with partisan malice
and Misrepresentation, but coming as
they do from this high source they
certainly constituted a most powerful
arraignment of this court of last re-
sort.
Mr. Vest was most severe in his di
rect characterization Of the conduct of
the Justice who changed his opinion
after the first decision before the sec
ond was rendered. He would not, he
said. attempt oenter into that justices
motives, butthat Justice he did not
know who he was, had been mainlyr re-
sponsible in fastening the sordid des-
potsm of wealth upon the country
by his change Of front. Certainly he
had the right to change his mind, but
ii was a matter OF regret that he had
not seen proper TO put his reasons on
record for this far-reachine and terss-
BILE decision.
Mr.. Vest said he did not believe that
the terrible effect OF the decision had
been aprehended by the people of the
country.
/ greatly mistake If the time does not
come when neither soft words nor
honeyed phrases viii prove a sufficient
apology"
II was bcyond credability that a
Vanderbilt with his hundreds of mill
lions should have TO pay no more than
the poorest of men, and that the army
and navy must be used to support him
in his rights rs msst be the case If the.
decision was To stand. He predicted
that the time would come when the
truth of Justice Browns opinion
would be everywhere recognized. that
the decision of the Supreme court had
fixed for all time the freedom from
Federal taxation of the ''sordid wealth
of the land"
FIe reviewed the records of the last
three administrations. Though he
differed with the head of his party in
many things, he declared that no adj
ministration in the history of the
country had been more successful
than the Cleveland administration
from 1S85-'S9
lie admitted that his side was di
yided on the subject of silver. The
country was divided. There was, he
said. an irrepressible conflict in the
land, as irrepressible as that which re-
suited in the clash Of the armies OF the
North and South.
II trust" Mr. Vest said, that the
issue will not be submitted 10 the arbi-
trament of violence, but the conflict
between those who believe in the use
of silver as a money of ultimate re-
demption along with gold and those
who believe in the single gold stand
ard To evade it was impossible. The
quicker it was decided the better il
would be for the public and private
life of the land"
Recurring to the financial question
Mr.. Vest admitted that the financial
influence of the world was against sill
yer. When the President had sent his
Venezuelan message to Congress, it
had been received with acclamation
by the people and ne had heard the
hostile guns booming in this cham
ber. How had England responded?
Not with shot and shell. and sabre
stroke and battleships, but by throw
ing our securities on the market.
The power OF money was to be used
TO crush us On Monday when the
Secretary of the Treasury had issued
his circular (his only complaint was
that it was not issued sooner) notify
ing the country that the bonds should
go to the highest bidder, Wall street
was dissatisfied. Two syndicates had
cornered the gold paper said
$400,0O0,0O0 They were opposed to
selling bonds to the public. 1t was
humiliating that the most intelligent
people on the globe, whose heritage
was continent, should when they
undertook to protect their financial