Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-08-22

Probably the Attitude Of the Court on In.
come Tax and Tariff Tax on lnsuIar Pos
sessions May Be Chansed-Shiras Will Prob
ably Soon Retire-President Worried by tn,
Coal Strke-Gen. Wood Should Explain
Bee Taylor Puts War Department in 1
Turmoil.
tFrom our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. IA, 1902.
The appointment Of Judge Oliver
Wendell Holmes, of the Supreme
Court OF Massachusetts,, to the Su.
preme bench to succeed Mr.. Justice
Gray, resigned, has given raise in
Washington to some extremely inter.
esting gossip. 1t is now claimed that
it was Justice Gray who, at the elev-
enth hour, changed his vote on the
income tax bill, and not Justice Shir-
as, as has hitherto been supposed. 1t
is also alleged that Judge Holmes is
thoroughly anti.imperialist in his
views. Under these circumstances the
questions which are being discussed
are, Were an income tax law to be
passed now, would the Supreme Court
hold it to be constitutional? And,
Were it possible 10 again bring before
the Supreme Court, in different form
of course, the question of imposing a
tariffon goods coming from the insu-
lar portions Of the United States across
its borders, would the Court reverse its
former position and hold that federal
taxation must be uniform in all of the
territory controlled by the United
States? 1t is freely predicted that, in
view of the vast aggregations of wealth
which many regard as menace to the
country, the knowledge that the Su-
preme Court would uphold an income
tax would insure the election of Dem.
ocratic Congress as fast as the present
Republican complexion of the Senate
would permit. The tax would be
popular one with the vast majority of
the people and, if such plan can be
arrived at, the Democrats in Congress
will endeavor to secure the enactment
Of some law which will necessitate the
demonstration Of its position by the
court. Of course any open attempt to
secure such evidence would be defeat
ed by the Republicans as they are in
the majority.
1t is also freely predicted that the
time is not far distant when Mr.. Jus.
tice Shiras will resign and the Presi-
dent will have an opportunity of nam.
ing his successor. 1t is claimed that
the Pennsylvania Congressional dele
CATION has already made overtures to
the President looking to the appoint
ment Of Justice J. Fay Brown OF the
Supreme Court of that State to sue
coed Mr.. Justice Shiras. Next Febru.
airy, Chief Justice Fuller will celebrate
his SEVENTEEN birthday, at which time
he will have attained the statutory age
for retirement. Mr.. Justics Fuller is
etill in excellent health and it is
deemed probable that he will remain
on the bench for some time thereafter
but that does not prevent wires being
pulled for the nomination OF his sue.
cessor who, it is claimed by the poll
ticians, will be Senator Spooner of
Wisconsin. Certain Democrats in
Washington are wondering OF what
avail Mr.. Spooner will find his brow
beating abilities, on tho Supreme
bench.
Persons returning from Oyster Bay
claim that the President is greatly
exercised over the long continuation
OF the coal strike. They say he fears
that it is going to entail great hardship
on the poor people as soon az the cold
weather sets in and that it will have
bad effect on the elections. More
over, it lie being recalled that during
the administration OF the late Presi-
dent Mckinley, Mr.. Hanna stepped in
and settled similar strike and now
that Mr.. Roosevelt is at the helm, il ia
freely asked why cannot he do so
now. 1t is we'll known that the coal
operators made money out of the last
great strike and they, OF course, have
no interest at stake but meanwhile the
people are already suffering. Indus.
tries are being crippled for want Of
proper fuel and incalculable damage is
being done in certain cities where q
shortage OF anthracite has compelled
the burning OF bituminous coal. The
absolute refusal OF the Vanderbilt in.
terests to make the slightest compro.
mise 10 in entire accordance with the
motto of the late respected member of
that family which. it will be remem-
bered was " The public be id" The
question the people are asking is, Does
Mr.. Roosevelt propose to stand su.
pinely by and see the public "d-d"?
That the people are asking that cues.
ton, all of Mr.. Roosevelt's friends are
telling him and yet he hesitates at TAX
ing q step which will be obnoxious to
those interests which are already none
too favorable to him and whose sup.
port is 30 essential to the welfare of
his party.
"A good deal Of curiosity has been
aroused in Washington by the publica.
ton OF q statement Of General Woods
administration Of affairs in Cuba, in
which it 10 shown that when the Gen.
eral turned the affairs OF the island
over to the present administration
there was in the Cuban treasury a bal
ance OF 81 $4,000 while reports from
Havana indicated at the time that the
treasury balance to which President
Palma fell heir was approximately $780,
600. What became OF the difference is
the embarrassing question which is
being asked. Did it disappear A. did
that famous handsome furniture which
was looted" from the palace at Ha.
vana? There is every evidence about
the report OF the Insular bureau of q
desire to make the best possible chow.
ing for the administration of General
Wood, but when it comes TO the actual
figures there appears to be a discrep-
ancy which is unaccountable. While
the report goes into great detail in re.