The Irish standard., 1896-08-15

2 1880
property to another mans pocket, an
while the process may be quite satisfac
tory to the men who escape just taxation
it can never be satisfactory to those VIII
are overburdened.
The last income tax law, with its ex
emption. provisions, when considered il
connection with other methods OF taxa
ten in force, was not unjust to the pos
SCISSORS of large incomes, because the.
were not compelled to pay total fedora
tax greater than their share
The income ak is not new, nor is
based upon hostility to the rich. TIL
system is employed in several OF the mos
important nations Of Europe, and ever.
income tax law now upon the statut
books in any land, so far as have beef
able to ascertain, contains an exemptio,
clause. While the. collection of an in
come tax in other countries does no
make it necessary for this nation to adop
the system yet it ought to moderate tn
language OF those who denource the in
come tax as an assault upon the well-to
do.
Not only shall refuse to apologize TO
the advocacy Of an income tax law by TIL
national convention, but shall also re
fuse to apologize for the exercise by i
of the right to dissent of a supreme court
In government like ours every public
official is a public servant, whether h
holds office by election or by appoint
ment, whether he serves for term o
years Or during good behavior, and thu
people have a right 10 criticise his officia
acts. Confidence is everywhere the par
ent Of daspotism; free government exist:
in jealousy and not in confidence" These
are the words of Thomas Jefferson, ant
submit that they presented truer con
ception of popular government than tina;
entertained by those who would prohibit
decision. Truth will vindicate itself
only error fears free speech. No public
official who conscientiously discharges
his duty as he sees it will desire to deny
to those whom he serves the right to dis
cuss his official conduct.
- QUESTION OF FINANCES.
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 bimetal.
lism. No national party during the en-
tire history of the United States has eve,
declared against it, and no party in this
campaign has had the temerity to op-
pose it. Three parties-the Democratic
PopUlist and Silver paIties-have not
only declared for bimetaliism, but have
outlined the specific legislation neces-
sary to restore silver to it's ancient posi-
tion by the side of gold.
The Republican platform expressly de-
al hat
it pledges the Republican party to aid in
securing it as soon as the assistance OF
certain foreign nations can be obtained
Those who represented the minority
sentiment in the Chicago convention op-
posed the free coinage of silver by the
United States by Independent action, on
the ground that, in their judgment, it
would retard or entirely prevent the es-
Enlistment of international bimetallism
to which the efforts of the government
should be steadily directed" When
they asserted that the efforts Of the gov
eminent should be steadily directed to-
ward the establishment of international
they condemned monometal-
lism.
The gold stan dard has been weighed in
the balance and found wanting. Take
from it the powerful support of the mon
ey-owning and money-changing classes
and it cannot stand for one day in any
nation in the world. It was. fastened
upon the United States without discus
sion before the people, and its friends
have never yet been willing to risk a
verdict by the voters upon the issue.
There can. be no sympathy of co-opera-
ton between the advocates of q univer-
sal gold standard and the advocates OF
Between bimetallism--
independent or International
and the gold standard there is an impas-
sal BILE gulf.
is this quadrennial agitation in favor OF
bimetallism conducted in
good faith, CT do our opponents really de-
sire to maintain the gold standard per-
Are they willing to con-
TESS the superiority of a double standard
when joined in by the! leading nations OF
the world or do they still insist that gold
is the only metal suitable for standard
money among civilized nations? lf'they
are in fact desirous, of securing bin1etal-
lism, we may expect Ihent t6t point out
the evils of gold standard and defend
bimetallism as system. If, fonthe other
hand, they are bending their energies
toward the permanent establishment OF
a gold standard under cover of a decla-
ration in favor of international bimetal-
lism, am justified in suggesting that
honest money cannot be expected at the
hands of those who deal dishonesty with
the American people.
What is the test of honesty in money
It certainly must be found in the pur-
chasing power of the dollar. An abso-
lutely honest dollar would not vary in
it's general purchasing power; it would
be absolutely stable when measured by
average prices. A dollar which increases
in purchasing power is justaas' dishonest
as dollar which decreases in purchas-
ing power. 81.
Prof. Laugh]:n, now of the University
Of Chicago, and one Of the highest gold
standard authorities, in his work on BIZ
not only admits tina, gold does
expressly asserts "that there is no such
thing as standard aof value Tor; future
payments. either in gold Or silver which
remains absolutely invariable."i
He even suggests that a multiple stand
ard, wherein the unit s;..'based upon the
selling prices of a number of articles of
general consumption would be more
lust standard than either gold or silver,
or both, because 'ta long time contract
would thereby be paid at its maturity by
the same purchasing power as was given
in the beginning
:. It cannot be successfully claimed that
or bimetallism, or any
other system, gives an absolutely just
of value. Under both mono
metallism and bin,etallism the govern