The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-08-20

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ARTHUR sEwALL
tuted TO purpose Of private gain. Those
lieve that tn government should not only
avoid wrong,o ,oing, but that 1t should also
prevent wrongdoing; and they believe
that the law should be enforced alike
against all enemies of the public veal.
They do not excuse petit larceny, but they
declare that grand larceny Is equally a
crime; they do not defend the occupation
of the highwaymen, who robs the un-
suspecting traveller, but they include
among the transgressors those who,
through the more polite and less hazard
Gus means of legislation, appropriate to
their own use the proceeds of the toll OF
others. The commandment, Thou Shalt
Not Steal" Numbered from Sinai and re-
iterated in the legislation of all nations, Is
no respecter of persons. 1t must be ap-
piled to the great rs well as the small; to
the strong as well as the weak; to the cor
porate person created by law as well 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 uplifted for his injury the
humblest citizen who lives beneath the
flag. 1t follows as u necessary conclusion
that vicious legislation must be remedicd
by the people who suffer from the effects
of such legislation and not by those who
enjoy its benefits.
The Chicago platform has been con-
demned by some because IL dissents from
an opinion rendered by the surreme court
declaring the income tax law unconstitu
tional. Our critics even go so far as to ap-
ply the name anarchist to those who
stand upon that plank of the platform. 1t
must be remembered that we expressly
recognize the binding force of that decis-
ion so long as IL stands as a part of TIE
law of the land. There Is in the platform
no suggestion of an attempt to dispute the
authority of the supreme court. The pari '
Is simply pledged 10 use ''all the constitu
tional power which remains after that de
cision, or which may come from its revcr-
sal by the court as 1t may hereafter be
constituted"
Is there any disloyalty in that pledge ?
For 100 years the supreme court of the
United States has sustained the principle
which underlies the income tax. Some 20
years ago this court sustained, without u
dissenting voice, an income tax law almost
identical with the one recently over
thrown; has not "a future court as much
right to return TO the judicial precederts
of a century as the present court had 70
depart from them? When courts allow re-
hearings thcy admit that error is possible;
the late decision against the income tax
was rendered by majority Of one after
rehearing.
While the money question overshadows
all other questions in Importance desire
it distinctly understood that l shall offer
no apology for the income tax plank of
the Chicago platform. The last income
tax law sought to apportion the burdens
of government more equitably among
those who enjoy the protection of the
government. AT present the expenses of
tho federal government, collected through
internal revenue taxes and import duties,
are especially burdensome upon the poorer
classes of society. A law which collects
from some citizens more than their share
of the taxes and collects from other citi-
zens less than their share, is simply an in
direct means of transferring one mans
property to another mans pocket, and
while the process might be quite satisfac-
tory to the men who escape just taxation
1t can never be satisfactory to those who
are overburdened. The last income tax
law, with its exemption provisions, when
considered III connection with other meth
DDS of taxation in force, was not unjust to
the possessors of large incomes, because
they were not compelled to pay total
federal tax greater than their share. The
Income tax is not new, nor Is 1t based upon
hostility to the rich. The system Is EN-
ployed in several of the most important
nations of Europe. and every income tax
law upon the statute books in any land,
so far as / have been able to ascertain, con-
tains an exemption clause. While the col
lection of al income tax in other countries
nj "a IN ffaVs hi NOT Ion,
to adopt the system, yet it ought to mod
crate the language of those who denounce
the income tax as an assault upon the
well-to-do.
Not only shall refuse to apologize for
the advocacy of the income tax law by the
national convention, but shall also re-
fuse to apologize for the exercise by il of
the right to dissent from decision of the
supreme court. In government like
ours every Dublic official Is a public
servant, whether he holds office by election
or by appointment, whether he serves for
a term of years or during good behavior
and the people have a right to criticise his
official acts. Confidence is everywhere
the parent OF despotism; free government
exists in jeaIousy and not in confidence'--
these are the words of Thomas jefferson,
and / submit that they present "A trueT
conception of popular government than
entertained by those who would prohibit
hn unihNordDle cOlnllelt upon u court uG-
cision Truth will yindicate ITSELF only
error fears free speech. No public official
who conscientiously discharges his duty
as he sees 1t will desire to deny to those
whom he serves the right TO discuss his
official conduct
Now let me ask you to consider the
paramount question of this campaign
the money question. 1t Is scarcely neces-
sary to defend the principle of bimetai-
lism. No national party during the entire
history of the United States has ever de-
clared against it, and no party in this
campaign had the temerity TO oppose II.
Three pnrties-the Democrats, Populists
and Silver parties--haye not only declared
for bimetallism, but have outlined the
specific legislation necessary to restore
silver to its ancient position by the side Of
gold. The Republican platform expressly
declares that bimetallism is desirable
when it pledges the Republican party TO
aid in securing il as soon as the assistance
of certain foreign nations can he obtained.
Those who represented the minority senti-
ment in the Chicago convention opposed
the free coinage Of silver by independent
action on the ground that, In their judg-
ment IL would retafd or entirely prevent
the establishment OF international BIZ
metallism, 10 which the efforts of the
government should be steadily directed"
When they asserted that the eff orts of the
government should be steadily directed
toward the establishment OF international
bimetallism, they condemned mOnometal-
lism. The gold standard has been weighed
In the balance and found wanting. Take
from Il thu. powerful supoort Of the money
changing oiasses ana II cannon srnnu Ior
one day In any nation in the world 10
was fastened upon the United States
without discussion before the people, and
Its friends have never yet been willing TO
risk verdict before the voters upon that
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