The Irish standard., 1896-08-15
The Answer to His Notification Speech Tells the Coun
try in Clarion Tones What it Must Do
Intrests of the People Are lore Regarded Than the
Interests of the Wall Street Brokers. ..
1t is the Beginning of New Era in the Financial
Affairs of the Nation. <ss.

| the law and that government officials
shall not. in making, constructing or en-
| forcing the law, discriminate between cit.
j liens. assert that property rights. as
we'll as the rights Of persons, are safe in
| the hands of the common people.
Abraham Lincoln, in his message sent
/ to congress in December, 1861, said: INC
men living are more worthy to be trusted
than those who toll up from poverty
none less inclined to take or touch ought
which they have not honestly earned"
I repeat this language with unqualified
approval and join with him in the warn
ing which he added, namely: Let them
beware OF surrendering political power
which they already possess and which
power, II surrendered, will surely be used
to close the doors of advancement against
such as they, and to fix new disabilities
and burdens upon them, till all of liberty
shall be lost
Those who daily follow the Injunction
in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread are now. as they ever have been,
the bulwark Of law and order, the source
of our nations greatness in time of peace
and it's surest defenders in time of war.
But have only read part of Jaskson' S
utterance. Let me give you his conclu-
sion: but when the laws undertake to
add to those natural and just advantages
artificial distinctions-to grant titles,
gratuities and exclusive privileges--to
make the rich richer and the potent more
powerful-the humble members of so
ciety, the farmers, mechanics and the day
laborers, who have neither the time nor
the means of securing like favors for
themselves, have right to complain of
the injustice Of their government" Those
who support the Chicago platform en-
dorse all the quotations from Jackson, the
latter part as we'll as the former part.
We are not surprised to find arrayed
against us those who are the beneRciar-
les Of government favoritism-they have
read our platform. Nor are we surprised
to learn that we must in this campaign
face the hostility of those who find pc
cunlary advantage in advocating the doc
trine of non-interference when great ag-
gregations of wealth are trespassing up
on the rights of individuals. We well
come such opposition. 1t is the highest
Endorsement which could be bestowed
upon us.
We are content to have the co-opera-
ton Of those who desire to have the gov
eminent administered without fear OF
q
public that trusts should spring into ex-
.istences and override the weaker members
of society; it is not the wish of the gen
eral public that those trusts should de-
stroy competition and then collect such
tax as they will from those who are at
their mercy; nor is it all the fault of the
general public that the instrumentalities
of government have been so often prosti-
tuted to purposes or private gain. Those
who stand upon the Chicago platform be-
lieve that the government should not
only avoid wrong doing, but that they
should also prevent wrong doing; and
they believe that the law should be en-
forced alike against all enemies of pub
lie veal. They do not excuse petit lar
ceny, but they declare that grand larceny
is equally crime; they do not defend
the occupation of the highwayman who
robs the unsuspecting traveller, but they
include among the transgressors those
who, through the more polite and less
hazardous means of legislation, appro-
pirate to their own use the proceeds of
the toll of others
The commandment, Chou shalt not
steal" Numbered from Sinai and reiter-
ated in the legislation of all nations, is no
respector of persons. It must be applied
to the great as we'll as to the small; to the
strong as we'll as to the weak; to the 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 it is not able
to protect from every arm uplifted for
his injury to the humblest citizen who
lives beneath the flag. 1t follows. as a
necessary conclusion that vicious legisla>
ton must be remedied by the people who
suffer from the effects of such legisla-
ton, and not by those who enjoy it's ben
efits. The Chicago platform has been
condemned by some because it dissents
from an opinion rendered by the supreme
court declaring the income tax law UNI
constitutional. Our critics even go 50
far as to apply
THE NAME ANARCHIST
to those who stand upon that plank Of
the platform. It must be remembered
that we expressly recognize the binding
force of that decision SO long as it stands
as part of the law of the land. There
is in the platform no suggestion Of an at
tempt to dispute the authority Of the
supreme court. The party is simply
pledged to use "all the constitutional
power which remains after that decision
the court as 1t may hereafter be consti-
tuted."
Is there any dis.oyalty in that pledge?
For a hundred years the supreme court
of the United States has sustained the
principle which underlies the income tax
Some twenty years ago this same court
sustained without dissenting voice an
income tax law, almost identical with.
the one recently overthrow; has not a
future court as much right to return to-
the judicial presidents Of a century ago
as the present court had to. depart from
them? When courts allow rehearings
they admit that error is possible; the
late decision against the income tax was
rendered by majority of one after a
rehcaring..e While the money question
overshadows all other questions in inn
partance, / desire it distinctly understood
that I shall offer no apology for the
income tslxtplank of the Chicago plat
form. The best income tax law sought 10
stf:B3rtsoH the burdens of government
.niase equitahly among those who enjoy
81 protection of the government.
e i ct present the expenses of the federal
81, veIn fnenf, collected through internal
.la y s1l;,a takes and import duties, are es-
NIGHTLY b.,Idensome upon the poor class
esi ofaociesy. "A law " hich elects from
sssc,1eestIt zens more than their share OF
The taxes and collects from other citizens;
less than their share is simply am ntli-.
rect 81 sferri II one mans
ass