The evening times., 1900-06-01
The sixteen,h Amendment.

The agents of the Administration in
the House Of Representatives will be
welcome to whatever satisfaction is COM
ing to them on account Of their cheap
political trick in taking UP a proposed
constitutional amendment s.ensibly
aimed at their masters. the trusts. six
days before the date set for adjourn
ment.
Some of the majority leaders in the
House are hugging themselves over the
achievement; believing 1t to be a monster
of ingenuity which will put the Demo-
Gratis in 4 hole" but il will do nothing
Of the kind. Its hypocrisy is so bare
faced and its object so clear that it will
serve 10 bring the richly deserved con-
tempt Of the country upon its authors and
supporters. ThtSi view of the matter is
held by emiAeift Republican as well as
Democratic authorities The leading or
New York. sun" yesterday editorially
referred to the Jenkins joint resolution in
these terms:
when say plainly that this Is the most dis
honest and therefore the most discreditable piece
OF work achieved during the present session by
the leaders Of Republican policy IN the House.
we are not speakinly9of the merits Of the proposed
2rnencincut. IT, revolutionary character the
sweeping change it would effect in the entire sys-
TEN oi our Institutions the bestowal upon Con-
gresS OF an unlimited and arbitrary power over
all private business in all the States and without
regard TO State lines or state rights need not
even be discussed There is no more prospect Of
ITS adoption by two-thirds vote Of both House
and senate and Of its ratification by the legisla-
lures Of threefOurths Of the fOrty-ve States than
there il of the adoption Of Constitutional amend
ment vesting in the FedCcal Government the direct
land.
The dishonesty Of the performance lies in the
TACT that there expectation on the part Of
the author OF tins resolution, or Of the Republic
cans on the judiciary Committee who favorably
reported it, or Of the Republicans IN the House
who were willing 10 vote for il. that the proposed
Sixteenth Amendment viii ever amount 70 moro
than a campaign trick OF the cheapest and un-
worthiost description"
When one of it's chiefest exponents de-
nOunees its action as the sun" does, the
Republican party need not indulge In any
celebration over its blank cartridge shot
at the monopolistic elements which own
and control II. and furnish the money with
which il expects TO carry the next Presi-
Dental election. During yesterdays de-
SANS ~ oPASNNAtStANF. DaAASe u GAaS n4-GE
few happy and pointed remarks TO his
friends on the other side Of the hall In
part, he said:
"Nou have been in session Zoe six months but
not until the sixth day before adjournment have
YOU allowed the House 10 take up this question
There are two Ways Of encouraging crims-Ont
Is 20 close your eyes % its existence. AMI the
other 10 offer an impracticablo obstacle. You ara
using the latter methOd Gou understand its pur-
pose; II Is mere play | have souaetimes doubted
Your sincerity, have even doubted YOUR political
integrity Many of you may be hypocrites some
o1 you may be raseals; none Of you IS fool"
We commend the language Of the-Lone
Star statesman; but. in view OF what ap-
pears on the lace of things. and what Re-
publican journals like the Sun" are saS
ing. it occurs to US that the eternal verify
Of the last clause Of the last sentence
quoted above is greatly open T. question.
A more dOddaring piece Of camp lign idiocy
tnan the Sixteenth pretendment proposed
against the trusts, by the men who are in
Congress only by the grace and money Ci
the trusts, is not to be found in all Jhs
! pages OF a not over-eIean American politi-
cal history. '4+'