The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-15
Fur 4 TAX On INCOMES
Governor Culbcrson Suggests L
Should BE Levied.
DECISION OF THE SUPREME COURT
Wuuid Likely Not re the same II
the Ntnttcr Mere Again carried
In for Decision.
tclsIoN OF THE SUPREME COURT

Austin. Texas, AprIl ll--ou the 9Th ius,
Governor Culbcrson wrote the following let
| Ter TO Congressman Bailey democratic
leader in the house Of representatives..
Hon. j. w nailey, House OF Representa-
lives, Washington, d. G.
| Dear Sir! The present necessities of the
| Federal government, due In part TO the con-
troyelsy with Spain, suggest the proprioty
| of congressional aellon to levy and collect
4 an income tax.
The report of the secretary OF the treas
| nfy shows that for the fiscal year eulod
| June 40, 1897, there MAS u deficit of SlS.~
| oa2, t5i. For the fiscal year 1925 this olii-
| 0ial estimates the deficit al SIS 900 900, aud
| for the year 1889 at S2l6,7,SS5. In addltioa
| 10 the expenditures upon which those enor-
nous deficiencies are based congress has
already appropriated 100000, 900 for National
| detcnsns IN the present CRISIS nt this sum
| II is saie Wa e0p,u 900 has already been IN
pended OF obligations incurred, and there Ia
| little doubt that the whole amount VIII b.
| soon absorbed, 10 meDt these expenses. IA
| well as enormous expenditures from 4 war
with Spain nov impending, money must be
raised either by increasing existing iAriH
| taxation or Issuing United states bunbS.
| Without discussing these Il viii serve the
purpose OF this letter TO say that resort 90
| either The first OF third ot these methods
| viii preessailly impose additional burdens
| upon tho middle classes. those who pay the
| great bulA OF Federal taxes, and who are
| least able to bear them In this view and
| In this grave emergency. even without war
| with Spain, II Is the duty of congress TO
| equaliau taxation not only TO avoid this In
| creased loaJ upon The poor, but require
| those 10 pay taxes who have heretofore
| been practically exempted. An income tax.
| By The CONSENSUS OF enlightened uplnion, lB
| the most equitable OF all systems OF taxa
| ton, and 1t rs the only method by which
| billions of property san be made 10 bear a
| share of Federal taxation. The laM 0( 1891,
which levied an income tax though de-
clarcd void by the supreme court of the
United states Is sttl uhfepc.led, and al
resolution should be passed directing the
secretary OF the trcushfy 70 oHiorce 1t m
Guiding pasl years, ul In lieu OF II another
statute should be promptly enacted tor
at least two reasons congress- Hhunld not
be deferred from this course by The decision
referred to. This decision was rendered by
n bare majority TO 4, Since thon me
personnel OF the court hls ehnngad 20 that
only four Of the five justices coueurrlnH In
the opinion now remain on the court Dhren
who dissented are still members Of Tho
court. thus In the last resort leaving the
ultimate decision 10 tho two new justices.
HUT u Is by no means clear that all the
Justices who formerly held the law Ndid
would do 30 now. II Is great question,
OF momentous concern TO The government,
It has lately been thoroughly and exhaust
lively discussed throughout the Union II
WAS llnQuGhtionel Law fol- a century, deter
mined otherwise IN this decision. possibly
, under stress Of false charges of socialism
and sectonalisin. BESIDES those conelbcia
lions is The object lesson taught by eNist-
Ing conditions, ,the supreme nncnsSity which
the National emergency presents for such
q law thus regarded these words Of MI.
Justice Harlan In his dissenting onlninn IN
the Income ease speaking OF the majority
opinion are prophetic IT strikes ~ the
very foundations q National authority ~
that IL denies 10 the general government a
power which is. or may become, vital 70 tha
very existence aud preservation OF the
Union IN a National emergency, such hs
that OF war with great commercial nation
during which imports VIII cease OF be mate
rally diminished" Very truly yours.
C.. A. cnibersoD.