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The Commoner.
F FEBRUARY 27, 1903.
3.7
f'ff(K.fT)ftrKia. , -rTitmWmlSlf wrr.JSTJJy!
A CAMPAIGN OF DECEPTION
If tho reorganizes obtain control of the party
they cannot bo trusted to bring about a single
reform that the people need. They had their
chance under Mr. Cleveland's administration and
they not only failed to accomplish anything for
the benefit of the country, but they divided the
party and. carried into tho republican party all
whom they could control. Even the patronage,
which tho reorganizers seem" to regard as tho
principal object of party contention, was used to
injure tho democratic party and to corrupt many
of those who received official reward.
The reorganizers are not willing to harmonize.
They have never made a proposition looking to
ward harmony. They are as insolent today as
.thoy were In '96 and they not only demand what
they demanded then, but more, too. Then they
jonly asked that we favor international bimetallism
in preference to independent bimetallism. Now
sthey demand that we accept the gold standard as
mnal and allow the financiers to carry out their
scheme for an asset currency, a branch bank and
?a redeemable silver dollar. Then they would
have been content with the platform; now they
demand the platform, the candidates and the par
ky organization, and in addition to that they, in
sist that we must drive away the allies that came
to us when they left, although they are not able
o bring back those who have become fully Iden
tified with the republican party and who have
shown, by so doing, that their real objection to
the democratic party was that, it would not become
yet made in the judge's behalf. If the Eagle is
"authorized" to speak for its candidate then ho
stands for reorganization and tho repudiation of
the present party creed. Will the judge say this?
Tho Eagle seems anxious to get rid of "tho
Bryan remnant" because tho loss of this "rem
nant" will be "more than made good by better
men whom they alone have alienated from the
democratic party." Is this the source to which
the judge is looking for support? He may as well
r save the worry of a campaign If his acceptance of
a nomination depends on tho adoption of a plat-
tform that repudiates the Kansas City platform.
He will find it difficult to please newspapers like
the Eagle and also please the more than six mil
lions of voters who have supported the democratic
ticket in two campaigns. Which side will ho
take? Will ho speak for himself or allow tho
Eagle to speak for him? Tho Kansas City plat
form democrats will attend the next national con
vention. JJJ
An Income Tax Decision. '
An important decision was rendered February
9 by United States Circuit Judge Gilbert at the
circuit court of appeals, San Francisco. This de
cision related to tho income tax and while it
immediately applied to the constitutionality of the
income tax law adopted by the territory of Ha-
waii, because of -some of the statements made by
K the court, it will be of general Interest
Referring to this decision the San Francisco
Chronicle says:
A bill was passed by the legislature of
Hawaii in 1901, fixing a tax of 2 per cent on
incomes above $1,000. W. C. Peacock and
'fifty-nine other merchants of Honolulu insti
tuted an action against J. W. Pratt, assessor
and collector of the division of Honolulu, Ha
waiian territory, to enjoin that official from
the collection of tho tax. The government
planned to collect $8,056.68 on a net income
of $402,834 of the complainants.
The complaint w,as filed in the circuit
court of Hawaii, and set forth that the act
was invalid by reason of being in conflict
a republican party. Look at the men who are
being pushed for the presidential nomination by
the reorganizers. " Not ono Is seriously mentioned
who darqs to state, his views upon public ques
tions and invito ' democratic judgment thereon;
and thesjo candidates are put forward, not be
cause of, what they belipvo or because of what
they will do, but because it is said that thoy can
win. , , ,
The reorganizers insult the real democrats
when they suggest that success is more important
than democratic principles themselves, and It Is
an unsupported assumption to say that suqeess
can bo secured by any such policy,
The republicans may bo able to carry on a
campaign of deception and corruption, but the
democrats cannot hope to secure victory in that
way, even if they were principled enough to
try it
With a view to forwarding tho work of or
ganization The Commoner will furnish upon ap
plications form of constitution and membership
blanks to all who request them, and every roader
of The Commoner should appoint himself a com
mittee of ono to perfect the, organization of a club
In his precinct without delay. A course of study
will be outlined in The Commoner, and from week
to week the editor will discuss the subjects sug
gested. Secretaries are asked to report organizations,
notice of which will be made in Tho Commoner
for tho information of other communities.
DO NOT DELAY! ORGANIZE NOW1
with tho organic act of the territory, and
also with the federal constitution. Complain
ants maintained that tho exception of in
comes below the amount of $1,000 was ille
gal, and that the salary of judges should have
been excepted.
A demurrer was filed by the' government,
and sustained by tho judge, and the bill dis
missed outright The appeal was then made.
Judge Gilbert decides that a territory has a
right to legislate in the matter of taxation,
and, in affirming tho opinion of tho lower
court, says:
"The appellants by their bill seek to en
join the enforcement of tho income tax on
the ground that it violates both tho organic
act of the territory and the constitution of the
'United States in that it contains illegal dis
criminations, fails to exempt the salaries of
judges and compels taxpayers to furnish evi
dence against themselves that may result in
their criminal prosecution. It is contended
that tho exemption of incomes to tho ex
tent of $1,000 is an Illegal discrimination. The
power of state legislatures to grant reasonable
exemptions is undisputed. It has been up
held on grounds of public policy, a public
policy which seeks to exclude from taxa
tion the living expenses of tho average family
and thus enable tho poor man to escape from
being a public burden. It rests upon the
theory that the exemption results in ultimate
benefit to the taxpayer. It does not apply to
corporations, for they have not the same ex
penses as tho individual. We are unable to
discover any ground for holding that an ex
emption of income to tho extent of $1,000 from
an income tax law is unreasonable, or that
its allowance is an abuse of legislative dis
cretion. "Upon a careful consideration of the act
and of the averments of the bill; wo discover
no ground for enjoining the collection of tho
tax, and find therefore no equity in the bill.
The act was undoubtedly intended to remedy
the depletion of the revenues of the terri
tory. It contains no evidence of an intention
to unjustly or unfairly discriminate. It places
the burden of taxation upon the points of
strongest resistance, where it Is easiest borne."
- The fact of general interest is that this fed
eral court having the Hawaii income tax under
consideration said: "It contains "no evidence of
an Intention to unjustly or unfairly discriminate
It places tho burdon of taxation upon tho points
of strongest resistance, whore- It Is easiest borne."
Tho objections that woro raised against tho
Hawaii income tax aro similar to thoso that aro
raised against a proposed incomo tax within our
own country. And yet In spite of all theso spec
ious pleas tho Intelligent man must understand .
that the incomo. tax is tho most rational of all
taxes and that in tho languago of tho federal
court at San Francisco-"it contains no ovidenco
of an intention to unjustly or unfairly discriinlnr
atd. It places tho burdon of taxation upon tho
points of strongest resistance where it is easiest
borne."
And now tho question suggests Itself, if tho
Incomo tax in Hawaii "contains no evidence of an
intention to unjustly or unfairly discriminate'" and
if tho Hawaii income tax "places tho burdon of
taxation upon tho points of strongest resistance
whore it is easiest borno," why not an incomo tax
within the United States of America?
A Permanent Truth.
The republicans who try to justify a colonial
policy patterned after Great Britain's rulo In
India are In tho habit of saying that the Declara
tion of Independence was only Intended to ac
complish an immediate purpose, namely, tho
arousing of the people to tho necessity of secur
ing independence. It has been denied that the
Declaration was really intended to set forth any
permanent governmental principles.
Thoso republicans who have been deluded into
accepting this statement would do well to read
the speech made by Abraham Lincoln at Spring
field, 111., June 26, 1857. In that speech Mr. Lin
coln not only pointed out that tho doctrine that
"all men arc created equal" was not necessary
for the securing of independence, but that it was
presented as an eternal truth and was intended
for future use.
In these days of boasted prosperity the rej
publicans may find It valuable to remember- that
Lincoln spoke of tho proneness of prosperity to
breed tyrants and pointed out that it was at just
such times that tho Declaration of Independence
and Its doctrines woro needed. He said:
"The assertion that all men aro created
equal was of no practical use In affecting, our
separation from Great Britain; and it was
placed in the Declaration not for that, but for
future use. Its autuors meant it to be as,
thank God, It is now proving itself a stum
bling block to all t-oso who in after times .
might seek to turn a free people back into tho
hateful paths of despotism. They knew tho
proneness of prosperity to breed tyrants, and
they meant when such should reappear In this
fair land and commence their vocation, they
should find left for them at least one hard
nut to crack."
JJJ
What Reorganizers Want.
The Commoner mentioned Governor Garvin as
a presidential possibility because he Is a suro
enough democrat and has tho prestige of success,
but the eastern papers rulo him out because his
views are known and known to be against plu
tocracy. The reorganizers say that they want
some one who "can win," but their real purpose
is to secure some one who is without "views" to
the public, but secretly attached to the cor
porations. Johnson vs. Hanna.
The fight In Cleveland between Tom Johnson,
who Is working to secure 3-cent fares for the
people, and Senator Hanna, who Is using the
republican organization to advance his' pecuniary
interests, is important enough to Interest the
readers of The Commoner, and Mr. Johnson's
statement is, therefore, reproduced on another
page. Johnson Is neither dead nor sleeping.
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