The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-08-22

6I1u CACku&ISC priv tkGkCS@tO N4AAC Lie ElC4
richer and the potent more powerful-the
humble members of society. the farmers
m-:hanics and the daylaborers-who have
neither the time nor the means Of securing
ike fayors for themselves. have q right to
complain OF the injustice Of their govern
meat" Those who support the Chicago
platform indorse ali Of the quotation from
Jacksonville latter part as well as the
foFaler part
We are not surprised to find arrared
against us those who are the beneficiarie<
Ct government favoritism-they have read
our platform. Nor are we surprised e
learn that we must in this campaign face
the hostility OF those who find Il pecaniary
advantage in advocating the doctrine of
noi.interferenc- when great a~ggre.ations
Of wealth a-e treSpassing upon the rights
OF individuals. Ne welcome such oppa-
sition. il is Tie highest endorsement which
coild be bestowed ilIsoif Us. We are con
tent 70 have the cooperation of those who
desire to overcome tie government admin
istration without lear or favor. IL is not
the wish OF the great public that trusts
f.4otIid spring 4 existence Il override
the weaker members af society. it is not the
wish Of the general pm bic that these trusts
shousd destroy competition aud then col
lect such taxes as they will from those who
art NJ their mercy. o is it the wish of the
genera. public that the Observation-Disclosures
OF government have been 50 often prosti-
1uteft to purposes Of private gain. These
who stand upon the Chicago platform he
iieSe that tine government should not only
avoid wrong .loiisg. bat that it should also
prevent wroEe doing: and they believe that
the Law should b. enforced alike against
all enemies af III public veal. They 10
not excuse petit larceny. but they declare
that grand larceny is equally a crime: they
do not defend the occ lpatloif of the high
wayman who rob> the unsGspeetIng tray-
eier. but fneF include among the trans
greS~ors those who. through the more Pc
lite and less hazardous means of legisla-
ton appropriate to their own use the pro-
ceeds Of the toll of others. The command
ment Thou shalt not steal. thundereG
from Sinai and reiterated III the legislation
OF al nations. Is no res ecter of persons. It
must be applied To the great as well as the
small, TO the strong as we'll as the weak:
to the corporate person created by law a.
well as 70 the person of flesh and blood ere
ated by the Almighty. It follows as
a necessary conclusion that vicious legis-
lation must be remedied by the people
who suffer from the effects of such leg
lslation and not By those who enjoy its
benefits.
The Chicago platform has been con-
demned by some because it dissents from
an opinion rendered by the supreme court
declaring the income tax law u%nconstitu-
tional. Our critics even 60 so far as to APP
ply the name anarchist to those who stand
upon that plank of the platform. 1t must
be remembered that we expressly recog.
nize the binding force of that decision 50
long as it stands as a part of the law of the
land There is in the platform no sugges.
ton OF a plan OF an attempt 70 dispute the
authority of the supreme court. The par
ty is simply pledged to use .'all the consti.
tutiOnal power which remains after that
decision or which may come from its re-
versal by the cou as it may hereafter be
constituted Is there any disloyalty in
that pledge:
Fol 100 years the supreme court OF the
United States has sustained the principls 1
which underlies the income tax. Some %
years ago this same court sustained, with |
out a dissenting voice. an income tax law |
almost identical with the one recently |
overthrown. Has not a future court a.
much right to return to the judicial
presidents of a century as the pres il
court has to depart from thems When
courts allow rehearings they admit that
error is possible. The late decision against
the income az was rendered by q majority |
of one after a rehearing.
While che money question oyershadows
all other questions in Importance, / desire |
1t distinctly understood that l shall offer |
no apology for the income tax plank OF
the Chicago platform. The last income tax
law sought to %apporfion the burdens OF
the government more equitably among
those who enjoy the protection OF the
government. At present the Expense OF
the 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 taxes and collects from other citi-
zens less than their share is simply an in
direct means of The transferring OF orc
mans property to another mans pocks i,
and while the process may he quite salts
factory to the men who escape Just taxa
ton. it can never be satisfactory to those
who are overburdened. The last ~incen.a
tax law with its exemption provisions.
when considered in connection with other
methods of taxation in force. was not I'm
just TO the Possessofs Of LARGE incomes be
cause they were net compelled to pay a to-
tai Feder-. tax greater than their
share. The income tax is not new. nor i
based upon hostility to the rich. The
system is employed in several of the most
important nations OF Europe and every III
come tax Law now upon the state hooks in
any land, SO far as / save been able to as
certain. contains an exemption clause
While the collection Of an income tax IL
other countries docs not make it necessary
for this ration 70 adopt the system. yet
it ought to moderate the language Of those
who aenounce the income tax As an assault