The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-08-19

against us lnOSe VINO are Inc Eeneucl;lrIeS
of government favoritiSm. They have read
our platform Nor arc we surprised to
learn that we must in this campaign face
the hostility Of those who find & pecunlary
advantage in advocating the doctrine OF
noninterference when great aggregations OF
wealth arc trespassing upon the rights OF
individuals We welcome such opposition.
1t is the highest Endorsement which
could be bestowed upon us. Ncarc content
to have the cooperation Of those who desire
to have the government administered With
out fear or favor. It is not the wish OF the
general public that trusts should spring
into existence and override the weaker
members of society. It is not the wish OF
the general public that these trusts should
destroy competition and then collect such
tax as they will from those who are at
their mercy Nor is it the fault OF the gen
eral public that the instrulnentalltles OF
government have been so often prostltuted
to purposes of private gain. Those who
stand upon the Chicago platform believe
that the government should not only avoid
wrongdoing, but that it should also rre-
vent wrongdoing, and they believe that
the law should be enforced alike against
all enemies of tho public veal. They do
not excuse petit larceny, but they declare
that grand larceny is equally D crime. They
do not defend the occupation OF the high
way1nan who roos the unsuspecting trav-
eler, but they include among the transgress-
crs those 7i1o, through the more polite ard
less hazardous means Of legislation, appro-
pirate to their own use the proceeds OF the
toll of Others The commandment, thou
shalt net stcai, thundercd from Sinai and
reiterated in the legislation CT all nations
is no respectcr CT persons. 1t must &c ;;p-
piled to the great as well as the small to
the strong as we'll Us the weak. to tie cor
porate person created by law as we'll as to
the person Of flesh and blood created by
the Almighty No government is worthy
of the name which is not able to protect
from every arm upliftcd for his injury the
huublest citizen who lives bene;th the
flag. It follows as Il necessary corti fusion
that vicious legislation must bc rcnedled
bv the people who suffer from the effects CT
suck legislation and rot By those who en-
JOY its benefits.
(
The Chicago platform has been con-
demned by some because it disseI:tS from
an opinion rendered by the supreme cour5
declaring the income tax law Cnconstitu-
tional Our critics even go so far as to ;E-
ply the name anarchist to those who staEd
upon that plank of the platform 1t must
be remembered that we expressly rccog-
nize the binding force Of that decision so
long as it stands as a part CT the lew CT
the land. There is in the platform no sag-
gestion of an attempt to dispute the ;u-
thority of the supreme court The party is
simply pledged to use "a1l the constitu-
tional power which remains after that dc
cision or which may come from its reversal
by the court rs it may hereafter be consu-
tuted." Is there any disloyalty in That
pledge?. For { hundred years tic suDrcI:c
court of tic United States has sustained
the principle which urdcrlics the i:?ccE:o
tax. Some 90 years ago this same cocrt
sustained without 4 dissenting voicc az ln-
come tax law almost idci:tic&: With tt:c
one recently oyerthrown. Has rot future
court as much right to return 70 tie I'.t.i-
cial precedentS Of Il century us the present
court had to depart from the:ns When
courts allc,y rehearirgs. they admit that
error is possible. The late decision against
the income tax was rendered by; (. majority
of one after 4 rcheaTiEg.
While the money question oVersiiaGcws
all other questions in Importance l desire
it distinctly understood that I shall offer
no apology for the income tax plank CT the
nc+ t.,%-
law sought to appoTtion the burdens OF
government more equitably among these
who enjoy the protection Of the govern
mcnt At present the expenses of the fed
eral government, collected through internal
revenue taxes and import duties, are eSpc-
cially burdensomc upon tic poorer classes
of society. A law which collects from some
more than their share Of the taxes
and collects from other citizens less than
their share is simply an Indirect means
of transferring one mans property to an
other mans pocket, and while the process
may be quite satisfactory to the men Who
escape just taxation it can never be salts
factory to those who are overburdcned.
The last income tax law: with its exemp-
ton provisions, when considered IN con-
ncction with other methods of taxation IL
force, was not unjust to the posscssors CT
large incomes, because they were not com
PEELED to pay total federal tax greater
than their share. The income tax is not
new, nor is it based upon hostility to the
rich. The system is employed in several
of the most important nations of Europe,
and every income tax law Eow upon the
statute books in any land, so far as [ Lave
been able 20 ascertain, contains an c2enp-
ton clause. While the collection of an in
come tax in other countries docs not make
it necessary for this nation to adopt the
system, yet it ought to moderate the Ian
guage of those who denounce the income
tax as an assault upon the well to do.
Not only shall I refuse to apologize for
the advocacy Of an income tax law by the
national convention, but [ shall also refuse
to apologize for the exercise by it of the
right to dissent from q decision Of the SUI
premc court. In {. government like ours
every public official is (. public servant,
whether he holds Office by election or by
appointment. whether be serves for Il term
Of years or during good behavior, and the
,,co-,1o bovc ., ritrbt to (rtiCl co his Officl1i