The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-05-11
Was the 1896 Campaign only
A Dream.

the following pertinent oOSerNa
tion. In 1896 the Democratic
National Convention adopted
platform. one of the planks OF
which follows: But for TINS de-
cislon by the Supreme Court tine
adverse decision on the income
taxi there would be no dehclt ID
the revenue under The law passed
NV a Democratic Congress in strict
nnrsuance of the uniform decls-
ions of that court for nearly one
hundred years, that court having
in that decision sustained constl-
tutional objections to its enact
ment which had previously been
oyerruled by the ablest Judges
who had ever sat on that bench.
We declare that it is the duty OF
Congress to use all the constitu-
tional power which remains after
that decision, or which may come
from its reversal 10y the court as
it NAV hereafter lie constituted, so
that the burdens of taxation may
be equally and impartially laid,
TO the end that wealth may bear
its due proportion of the expenses
of the government"
That pIank was denounced by
Renublican editors and Republi-
can orators, and Democrats were
called "anarchists" because they
presumed to "criticise the courts. !"
The editorial remarks of the New
York Tribune made after the cleo
ton of 1896 were fairly represen-
tative of the tone employed by
Republicans generally i'll the treat
ment of the Chicago platform, and
particularly that plank above quot
ed. The Tribune said that the
Democratic movement of 1896 was
"a malicious conspiracy against
the honor and integrity of the
nation" and added:
"Its nominal head was worthy
of the cause. Nominal, because
the wretched. rattle pated boy,
posing in vapid vanity and mouth
ing res0unding rottenness, was
not the real leader of that league
of hell. He was only puppet in
the blood imbrued hands Of,
the anarchist, and -, the
revolutioniSt, and other despera-
does of that stripe. But he was a
willing puppet, Bryan was, will
ing and eager. Not one of his
masters was more apt than he at
lies and forgeries aud blasphemies
and all the nameless iniquities of
that campaign against the Ten
Commandments. He goes down
with the cause, and must abide
with it in the history of infamy.
He had less provOcation than Ben
edict Arnold, less intellectual
force than Aaron Burr, less manli
ness and courage than Jefferson
Davis. He was the rival Of them
all in deliberate wickedness and
treason to the republic. His name
belongs with theirs, neither the
most brilliant nor the most hate
full in the list. Good radiance to
is all, to conspiracy and cOnspira
tors. and to the foul menace of re
pudiation and anarchy against the
honor and the life of the republic"
On April Is 1906, Theodore
Roosevelt elected TO the PreSi.
dency Of the United States as a
Republican, sent to Congress a
special message dealing particu
larry with the decision of Federal
Judge j. Otis Humphrey in the
| Beef Trust case. Mr.. Roosevelt
referred to the judgment in the
Beef Trust case as "a miscarriage
of Justice" Mr.. Roosevelt also
said 81 can hardly believe that
the rule of Judge Humphrey will
be followed by other judges" Re
ferring to the tendency of the
times, Mr.. Roosevelt said: 1.-The
danger nowadays is, not that in
nOcent men will be convicted OF
crime, but that the guilty man
will go scott free. This is eSpec
tally the case where the crime is
one of greed and cunning perpe-
trated by a man of wealth in the
course OF those business operations
where the code of conduct is ar
variance not merely with the code
! of humanity and morality, but
with the code as established in
the law of the land" Referring
to Judge Humphreys decision Mr..
Roosevelt said: "Such interpre
tation of the law comes measur.
ably near making the law Il farce. -
The plank i'll the Democratic
national platform of 1896 for the
adoption of which Democrats were
denounced as anarchists is decid
edly tame i'll comparison with the
language used by the President
elected as Republican, in com
mentlng upon the decision in the
Beef Trust case.
I In 1896 Democrats pointed in a