Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-05-02

Federal income tax. In a case brought
before the Supreme Court in 1896, the
income tax was declared unconstitu-
tional Congress then proposed and
passed an amendment. 50 as to meet
the approval of the supreme Court, for
Congress to levy an income tax. That
amendment was sent to the different
States. ana after sixteen years, up to
the present time. II has been ratified
by few more than a majority Of tht
States When will II become law
No one can tell
This act was undoubtedly in accord
anCc with the feeling of u vast ma
iority of the electorate of the United
States as just tax, bearing upon
those who are able to pay, yet after
sixteen years II Is no law.
This Is inhcXihility with ven.
gcancc, II is not surprising, there
fore. that the people become rostles
and dissatisfied when an act, acltnowl-
edged to be of general benefit by praC.
tically all the people. can not he put
into effect This is only one instance
of many that have occurred in Federal
relations, and there are hundreds IN
the state governments If like ma.
turc
when the people find that II Is al
most impossible to amend the ConSti-
tuition. 50 that IL can not be made by
Interpretation of rhc highest courts Ia
express their views. II is too. likely
that they win take extra constitutions
t,I 4yt
around its provisions No one provi-
sion of the constitution of the United
states gave its makers more pro
found satisfaction than the section
setting forth the manner of clCCtinE
the President. II was the intention OF
the fathers to have the President
elected indirectly, by electors chosen
by the people. one of the speakers
In the debates said that II was as well
To leave the selection Of COlors to a
blind man as to Cntrust the election
OF 50 exalted an officer as the Prcsi-
dent to popular election This provi-
sion worked with Washington. but
never afterwards 4 President was
then practically nominated beforehand
by small caucus of leading Congress
men The people became dissatisfied
with this method and organized The
National Nominating Convention" Now
they begin to see that these ConvCn-
lions are likely 10 he ruled by leading
bosses, and the demand Is for a more
popular expression in the selection of
n candidate for the Presidency
Thus. In many NJ the States, the
Legislatures have passed primary laws.
where every voter can express his pref
ercnCc for candidate for President
Thus the tendency has been. Is now.
and Will evidently grow, for a more
universal expression OF the popular
Will II they can not. after mature
consideration, get what they think is
Tor the general benefit in Il changing
condition of society. by constitutional
or legal means, they will sIdestep the
whole thing and get a. matters they
wish indirectly.
II is said that commerce begins In
barter, goes through a process of money
exchanges, and ends In barter. where
1t began. There Is no revolution I'm
the process, but evolution
Likewise. history shows that In The
progressive Aryan races, every govern
meht began In direct democracy. and
has gone through representative de-
moCraCy. and Is coming, to some OK
tent, back to direct democracy again
with all due Difference to President
Buffers labored and learned lecture
before the ST. Louis Commercial club
II seems to me he has either misrcad
or misrcprescnted history or the ten