Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-01-16
FOR FREE COINAGE.
Senator Vest Advocates it as the
Only Remedy
For the Financial Ills That Now Amics
the Nation-Synopsls of the Sena-
tors Speech In Reply to
Sherman.

WASHINGTON, Jan. SIN a three
hours speech in the senate yesterday
afternoon Senator George G.. Vest, of
Missouri, advocated the free coinage of
silver to remove the financial ills of the
nation and remedy the blunders- OF the
administration.
The senator first reviewed the decision of
the supreme court annulling the income tax
law then the tariff legislation o. the two parties
and concluded with a review of the position of
the parties on the financ al question. He
arralgned the supreme court for the income
tax decision; he laid the responsibility for
tne lack of revenue at its door, when it
exempted the ''sordid wealth of the land
from taxation He attacked the president
ana the secretary OF the treasury for their
proposition to retire the greenbackS and place
circulation in the hands of the national banks;
declared the conflict between bimetallism and
me gold standard was irrepressible and that
the sooner it was decided the better 1t would be
for public and private life.
Touching the annullment of the income tax
oy the supreme court Senator Vest said:
The Wilson act, which was enacted by both
houses of congress, and became a law without
the signature oil the president. would have fur
hlshed ample revenue to conduct this govern
ment with small surplus besides II that law
had not. to between $40 600 600 and $50 900 coo
OF taxation. been declared invalid by the SUI
preme court of the United States, there would
have been no deficit in the treasury as every in
teiligent man must concede That the supreme
court made this decision was a matter of sur
prise to every intelligent lawyer in the United
states. and especially to those of us engaged in
the legislation of the country. 1 shall observe
the laws of decorum and of comfy between the
shall not conceal my opinion of that decision
OF the highest tribunal of the land
The senator reviewed the history Of the u
p-eme court regarding the constitutionality of
an income tax from the Hilton case in 1876
down TO the Springer case in 1866 He held
that the supreme court in unbroken line of
decisions had held that an income tax was con-
stitutional
Mr.. Justice Brown. of the supreme court
from whom / differ politically. lawyer of
eminent ability and unquestioned integrity. in
lis dissenting opinion summarizes all the
cases from the Hilton case to the Springer
case. showing. that the supreme court had
again and again affirmed the power of con-
EreSs to levy an income tax upon the proceeds
OF real and personal property without appor-
tionment-
Referring to the opinions Of Justices Brown
ald Harlan. the senator continued:
If had made the declarations which have
come from these two justices of the supreme
court. should be charged with partisan malice
and misrepresentation. Coming from dis
1nguished lawyers holding the highest judicial
positions in the country, of life tenure, and re-
moved from personal and political motive. 1
submit that these declarations constitute the
most fearful arraignment of this cour: of last
resort found in the judicial annals of the coun-
nor shall trust myself into conjecture as TO
the reasons that caused one member of the
court after agreeing. on deliberate argument.
as to the conStitutionality of the largest pOr-
ton of the law. in two weeks afterwards. upon
a motion for rehearing, 10 reverse his opinion
and fasten upon the country the Soriid deSpot-
ism of wealth. This Justice unqueStlonably
had the right to change his opinion 1t is the
highest prerogative of a judicial officer
But must say most res pectfully that il is
matter of regret that he did not see properto
put upon record the reasons that caused him
to make the change: that he did not stand be-
fore the American people as the only member
of that court really responsible for this far
reaching and terrible decision. The name of
that justice is unknown. 1t is known alone to
him and to his judicial associates. Not even
vidual justice changed the decision after the
case was first argued. The reasons that con-
trolled him are lost to the profession and to the
country and It Is simply matter OF conjecture
to why in a case like this. the most impor-
tant possibly that ever came before the su-
preme court of the United States. he allowed
his name and his reasons to be buried in OBJ
scurity."
The senator's reference to Justice Shiras,
whose name was yelled under the reference to
an unknown justice. created quite q sensation
on the floor. Continuing. Mr.: Vest said:
The senate OF the United States has been
ridiculed and maligned because of executive
sessions. What would be thought of a member
great question like that before the supreme
court and did not have the manhood to stand
responsibility for that RESULT can imagine
how the storm of opprobrium, the charges of
pendent press against a senator who would
dare to hide his name in order to escape re-
SponSibility for public act
Mr.. Vest here had a colloauy with Senator
Hill regarding the constitutlopality OF the in
come tax, and the opinion of lawyers regard
ing it before the last decision Of the supreme
court Mr.. Vest reSuming the thread of his
discussion said:
Il do not propose to speak at length in re-
gard to the effect Of this decision. My sole OBJ
Ject is to repel and repudiate with all nv power
the assertion that congress is guilty of either
ute. say that every Intelligent lawyer con-
cluded that the question had been judicially
determined. To have doubted that the supreme
court would have followed the decision of 100
wears would have been reflection upon the in
faIli md n ri III
nal In the individual SeltshneSS that always
comes in times of great depression. while gloom
and disaster and great issues have been i'm
pending over the country. classes of our people
have not understood the full effect of this ter
rible decision
1T has marked new era in our history. and
I much mistake the American people if the
time had not come when hen neither soft words
gies for the doctrine announced by the supreme
court, The people OF TINS country Will never
them by the supreme court, in opposition to
its decisions of an entire century. That Mr..
Vanderbilt with his hundreds OF millions of
dollars. should pay no more for the support of
the general government than the poorest man
The army and navy OF the United states
the military and financial resources OF the
Government must be used to defend Mr. VAN
derblltS untold millions and yet he pays SIM
PLY internal revenue taxes and tariff import
duties upon what he may choose to consume.
and the Door man does the same. He pays
more to support the army and navy than do
or any other citizen of this country, without
The people of the United States will never
concede that either the state national ad-
miuistration. should be fixed upon a basis like
this The decision say has not attracted the
attention that hereafter must be given to it
The time will come when the prophetic Ian
every intelligent and thoughtful man through
out our wide domain that this adjudication of
the highest tribunal in the land has fixed upon
the country the sordid despotism of wealth..
Taking the charge made by Senator Sherman
81 do n .
manage the affairs of the ration, the speaker
showed that when Mr. Cleveland retired from
the presidency in 1879 the treasury was over
flowing. and that when Harrison retired in 1898
the treasury was bankrupt He showed that
during the four years of Cleveland'S first ad-
amounted only to s79.5o15 0i. He proceeded TO
show that under the republican administration
and the Mckinley tariff law the surplus fell
of the revenues fell OF and a state of bank
ruptcy enSued. In HarriSonS administration
the gold exports. instead of only Ss9OOO.OO0 and
a fraction. as under CleveandS four Years.
amounted to S2l3.7Si.75 $50. The senator proved
that here where the exporting OF gold and
the panic began. The great evil which is now
being complained of is the exporting of gold
even as described by Mr.. Sherman. only lit
tie over S79 O0OOO0 in gold went out OF the coun-
try while under the Harrison administration
something over S213.0O00O0 in gold was taken
out of the country. Even in the present adj
ministraticn of Mr.. Cleveland. the records
show thatbut 1851 ,06SOSs in gold has been ex-
ported from this country.
I'm iSS9-9O. flushed with the victory OF IS. the
republican party came back here under the i'm
nression that they owned the country for an
the fate of their organization upon three bills.
a,;,a 6-Sf WAS the force bill, Massachusetts,