The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-08-13


 tical with the one recently overthrown Has not future court as much right to return to the judicial precedents of a century as the present court has 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 rehearing.
 While the money question overshad- ows all other questions In importance, l desire it distinctly understood that l shall offer no apology fo the income tax plank of the Chicago platform. The last income tax law sought to appor- tion the burdens of government more eauitably among those who enjoy the protection of the government At present the expenses of the federal gov ernment, collected through internal revenue taxes and Import duties are es- pecially burdensome upon the poorer classes of society. A law which col lects from some citizens more than their share of the taxes and collects from other citizens less than thelr share, is simply an indirect means or transferring one mans property to an other mans pocket, and while the pro- cess may be quite satisfactory to the men who escape just taxation it can never be satisfactory to those who are overburdened.
 "The last income tax law, with it's exemption provisions, when considered 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 new, nor is it based upon hostility to the rich. The system Is employed in several of the most important nations of Europe. and every income tax law now upon the statute books in any land so far as have been able to ascertain, con- tains an exemption clause.
 While the collection of an income tax in other countries does not make 1t necessary for this nation to adopt the system, yet it ought to moderate the language of those who denounce the in- come tax as an assault upon the we'll to-do. Not only shall refuse to apolo- gize for the advocacy of an income tax law by the national convention, but I shall also refuse to apologize for the exercise by it of the right to dis sent from a decision of the supreme court. Tn government like ours every public official Is public servant. whether he holds office by election or by appointment, whether he serves for nf xeaf, ba havior, and the people have a right to critisise his official act
 Confidence is everywhere the parent of despotism: free govalnment exists in Jealousy and not in confilence'-these are the words of Thomas Jefferson, and submit that they present q truer con ception of popular government than that entertained by those who would prohibit an unfavorable comment upon a court decision. Truth will vindicate itself; only error fears free speech. No public official who conscientiously dis charges his duty as he sees 1t, will de- sire 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. It Is scarcely necessary to defend the principle of bimetallism. No national party during the entire history of the United States has ever declared against it. and no party in this campaign has had the temerity to oppose it. Three parties, the democratic, populist and silver par ties have not only declared for bimetal- hyYf hst islation necessary to restore silver to it's ancient position by the side of gold
 The republican platform expressly declares that bimetallism is desira ble when it pledges the republican party to aid in securing it as soon as the as- sistance of certain foreign nations can be obtained. Those who represented the minority sentiment in the Chicago convention opposed the free coinage of silver by the United States by inde- pendent action on the ground that, in their judgment, 1t would retard or en- tirely prevent the establishment of in- ternational bimetalism, to which the efforts of the government should be steadily directed When they asserted that the efforts of the government should be steadily directed toward the establishment of international bimetal- lism, they condemned monometallism The gold standard has been weighed in the balance and found wanting Take from it the powerful support of the money-owning and the money changing classes and 1t cannot stand for one day In aey nation in the world, It has fastened upon the United States without discussion before the people and it's friends have never yet been willing to risk a verdict before the yot- CTS upon that issue
 There can be no sympathy or co-op- eration between advocates of a univer- sal gold standard and the advocates of bimetallism. Between bimetallism- whether independent or international and the gold standard there is an inn passable gulf Is this quadrennial agi- tation in favor of international binet- allism conducted in good faith, or do our opponents really desire to main- tain the gold standard permanently? ? Are they willing to confess the superf- ority 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? If they are in fact, desirous of securing bimetal- lism, we may expect them to point out the evils of gold standard and defend bimetallism as a system.
 If, on the other hand, they are bend ing their energies toward the perma