People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-09-03

IL
strong as well a, 10 the weak. 20 the, cor
pOra,e person eseated by law, as well al
TO the per on of flesh and blood created by
the A IN ghty. No governmentissworthy
OF the name which is not able 70 protect
from every arm upiiiied for his inju Y the
humblfst citizen who lives beneath the
flag 1t follows as a necessary conclusion
thai vicious legislation must be Iemeded
by The p-op.o who suIer from the effect:
Of such legislation, and not by those who
enjoy its b neiits. The Chicago platform
hai been condemned BY some because il
dissents from an opinion rendered By the
supreme court declaring the income tax
law unconstitutional. Our critics even &C
so far as to apply the name anarchist tC
those who stand upon that plank Of the
platform.
No Apology for Income Tax Plank.
1t must be remembered that we express
ly recognize the binding forces of that de-
cision so long as it stands as part of the
law of the land. There is in the
platform no suggestion Of an attempt
TO dispute the authority of the su.
preme court. The party is simply
pledged to use "all the constitu
tional power which remains after that de-
cision or which may come from its re-
versal By the court as it may hereafter be
constituted" Is there any disloyalty in
that pledge? For hundred years the SUI.
prene court OF the United States has sus.
tanned the principle which underlies the
income tax. Some 20 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 precedents of century as the
present court had to depart from them.
When a court allows rehearing, they adj
NIT that error is possible. The late decis-
ion against the income tax was rendered
by majority Of one after a rehearing.
While the money question overshadOws
all other questions in importance, desire
1t distinctly understood that | shall offer
no apology for the income tax plank of
the Chicago platform. The last income
tax law sought TO apportion the burdens
OF the government more equitably among
those who enjoy the Protection of the gov
eminent. A present the expenses of the
federal government, collected through in
ternal revenue and import duties, are es-
pecially 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 may be quite satisfactory
to the man who escapes just taxation, it
can never be satisfactory to those who are
overburdened. The Last income tax law,
with its exemption provisions, when con-
sidered in connection with other methods
OF taxation in force, was not unjust to the
pOssessOrs OF large incomes because they
were not compelled to pay a total federal
tax greater than their share. The income
tax is not now, nOl has it been based upon
hostility to the rich. The Sys EN- is en-
ployed in several of the most important
nations Of Europe, and every important
tax law upon the statute books in any
land, so far as l have been able to ascer-
tain, contains an exemption clause. While
the collection OF an income tax in other
count les does not make it necessary for
this nation to adopt this system, yet it
ought to moderate the language of tho g
who denOupce the income tax as an as
sault upon the well-todo. Not only shall
l refuse to apologize for the advocacy of
an income tax levy by the national con-
yentiOn, but | shall also refuse to apol-
ogize for the exercise by it of the right 10
dissent from a decision of the supreme
pOurt In 1;l-o o,,,.. ......--
public official is public servant, whether
he holds office by election or by appoint
ment whether he serves for a tenn of
years or during good behavior, and the
people have a tight to critici his
official acts. Confidence is everywhere the
parent of despOtism, free government
exists In Jealousy and not in confidence
these are the words of Thomas Jefferson
and Isubmit that they present truer con-
ceptiOn Of popular government than that
entertained by those who would prohibit
an unfavorsble comment upon a court
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 discuss his
Official conduct.
The Currency Question.
Now let me ask you to consider the par
amount question of this campaign-the
money question. 1t is scarcely necessary
to defend the principle of blmetallism. No
national party during the entire history
OF the United States has ever declared
against 1t, and no party in this campaign
has had the temerity to oppose it. Three
parties, the Democrats, the Populists and
the Silver party, not only declared for bi.
metallism, 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 lis desirable when II
pledges the Republican party to aid in So
curing 1t as soon as the assistance of GER
tam foreign nations can be obtained.
Those who represented the minority sen.
timent in the Chicago convention opposed
the free coinage Of silver by the United
States by independent action on the ground
that in their judgment 1t would retard
or entirely prevent the establishment of
international bimetallism to which the
efforts of the government should be stead
lily directed"
When they asserted that the efforts of
the government should be steadily d.
rected toward the establishment of inter.
national bilnstallism they condemned
monometallism. The gold standard has
been weighed in the balance and found
wanting: Take from 1t the powerful sup.
port OF the money owning and the money.
changing classes and 1t cannot stand for
one day in any nation In the world Il
was fastened upon the United States with.
out discussion before the people and its
friends have never yet been willing to risk
a verdict before the voters upon the cues.
ton. There can be no sympathy or CO.
operation between the advocates Of uni.
versal gold standard and the advocates OF
Dlmetallism. Between bimetalli,m-
whether independent or international
and the gold standard there is an impass-
able gulf. Is this qusdrennial agitation
IN favor OF international bimetallism con-
Quoted in good faith or do our opponents
really desire to maintain the gold stand.
ard permanently Are they willing TO
confess the superiority of double stand.
ard when Joined by the leading nations of
the world or do they still insist that gold
is the only metal suitable for standard
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