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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
TPW7 "I JiiUjMVjijUJpMif ' " T
VOL. 9, NO. 16
Lincoln, Nebraska, April 30, 1909
Whole Number 432
LAW OR LAWLESSNESS, WHICH?
The republican party has long boasted of be-
ing the party of "God and morality;" it has
had the support of a large majority of the min
isters and religious papers, and it has constantly
charged the democratic party with being an ally
of tho saloon and in league with lawlessness.
The time has come to put it to the test.
Tho republican party is in absolute control
of the federal government. It has the presi
dent, the senate and the house. It can pass
any laws that it wants to pass and repeal any
laws that it wants to repeal. The federal gov
ernment is today issuing licenses for the sale
of liquor in territory where the local authorities
have prohibited the sale. In several states tho
Bale of liquor is prohibited by statute, in a num
ber of states its sale is prohibited in a ma
jority of the counties, and in all of the states
it is prohibited in many villages, towns, cities
and precincts. But in spite of tho attempt of
local authorities in these districts to prohibit
the sale of liquor as a beverage, the federal
government continues to issue licenses in con
temptuous disregard of local sentiment and local
law. The government receives $25 for each
license, and in receiving the money it must either
intend -io collect that sum without giving any--'thintfafblBlir
return (in case tho onVr&r',
ceiving the license does riot sell liquor) or to
encourage the one receiving the license to vio
late the local law, for he can not us,e his license
without violating the law. Can the fe'deral gov
ernment afford to continue a partner with the
lawbreakers? Can any party afford to longer
legalize this partnership?
A democrat, believing in local self-government
and in the right of each community to at
tend to its own affairs, can consistently oppose
the action of the federal government in thus
overriding the laws a"' states, counties and com
munities. It matters not whetLar a person favors pro
hibition or opposes it, ho ought to bo in favor
of the enforcement of law whether that law suits
him or not. Popular government rests upon
respect for law, and nothing is more calculated
to cultivate disrespect for law than this action
of the federal government in not only ignoring
the wishes of the people in various localities, but
in actually reaping a profit from tho issue of
licenses which stimulato law-breaking.
Now, while the tariff bill is before congress,
it will be an opportune time for the democrats
to propose an amendment to the internal revenue
part of tho Payne bill prohibiting the issuing
of federal licenses for tho sale of liquor In
states, counties or communities where the sale
is locally prohibited.
Let the fight be in the open, and a majority
of the voters will be found on the side of law
and order 'whether they believe in tho regula
tion of the liquor traffic by license or in its en
tire prohibition.
CONTENTS
LAW OR LAWLESSNESS, WHICH?
THE INCOME TAX
THE PRESIDENT'S SOUTHERN POLICY
TARIFF RATES' STILL CLIMBING
NEBRASKA TAKES NO BACKWARD STEP
EDUCATIONAL SERIES CRIME IN THE
GAMBLING OF FOOD PRODUCTS
THE MASTER'S VOICE
EXTEND THE EDUCATIONAL WORK
WILL THE SOUTH TURN REPUBLICAN?
BY GOVERNOR GILCHRIST OF FLORIDA
WATCHES AND THE TARIFF
PROMISE AND PERFORMANCE
HOW WE GROW
WE'LL ALL BE SOCKLESS
COMMENT ON CURRENT TOPICS
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE INCOME TAX
It looks as if events were about to vindicate
another democratic position. Tho press. dis
patches report that Senator Cummins, of Iowa,
has introduced an income tax amendment to
the tariff bill, and it is claimed that he has
secured the support of enough republicans to
pass it with the aid' of the democratic vote. It
will be remembered that the democrats passed
.an- Income i tax law la 1 8 9 4 u v er 'the? opposition
of "the republican. In the campaign of "1896
the democrats endorsed the income tax prin
ciple and it was in the platform of last year.
The republicans have never mentioned the mat
ter in their platform, but Mr. Roosevelt endorsed
the principle and President Taft has also given
it a half-way endorsement. It is said that the
democrats of the senate will be a unit in sup
port of an income tax amendment. This is
gratifying news and it is. to be hoped that
enough republicans can .be found to secure the
adoption of this just provision)
A tax upon consumption is necessarily unjust
to the poorer members of society, for people
do not eat food, wear clothing or purchase other
taxed goods in proportion to wealth or income.
It takes as much food to sustain the poor man
as the rich man, and as much clothing to keep
him warm. While one may spend more than
another for food and clothing, the difference is
not at all proportionate to wealth or income.
As all taxes are paid out of the Income, the tax
upon consumption is in fact a graduated income
tax the largest per cent being paid on the
smallest incomes and the smallest per cent on
the largest incomes. A direct tax on Incomes
is, therefore, a tax to equalize the burdens of
government, and a graduated income tax makes
a still nearer approach to justice.
The income tax Is needed to correct the In
equalities In Internal revenue taxes as well as to
correct the injustice in tariff taxes. Internal
revenue taxes are collected on liquor and to
bacco, and these taxes, too, are more burden
some to the poor than to the rich for men do
not use either liquor or tobacco in proportion
to wealth or Income. While it is proper that
both liquor and tobacco should be taxed, it Is
only fair that those who are under-taxed through
the internal revenue system should be taxed in
some other way so as to compel them to bear
their share of public expenditures. The in
come tax is the only tax in sight which will
givo any approximation towards Justlco in tho
matter of fodoral taxation.
As is being pointed out at Washington, it la
not at all certain that any income tax moasuro
will bo able to run tho gauntlot of tho supremo
court, and for that reason tho democrats ought
to insist upon an amendment to tho constitution
at the samo timo that thoy urgo an incomo tax
measure so that In case of advorso action by tho
supremo court there may still bo a chanco of
securing an incomo tax in tho futuro. It is In
tolerable that our government should bo so
restricted in the taxation of wealth, and so
unlimited in its power to call for tho porsonal
services of the citizen. Tho president can sum
mon every able-bodied citizen to military duty.
Tho husband can bo taken from his wife, tho
son from his mother, and tho father from his
children; their lives can be required of them If
tho country's welfare demands it. Why should
tho property of tho citizen be so hedged about
by constitutional guarantees or by judicial de
cisions as to mako It impossible for tho gov
ernment to collect a tax for its support wbM- it
protects property? Congress ough't to havo tho
power to collect an income tax whenevor in tho
judgment of congress that tax Is necessary, arid
to mako sure of this povpr wo ought to havo an
amendment of the constitution specifically au-
tho'rlzlng tho incomo tax. Now that tho jioBd
pushed. t7
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THE PRESIDENT'S SOUTHERN POLICY
President Taft will be universally commend-,
ed for one position which he has taken, namely,,
that he will not appoint colored men to posi
tions where "appointment of one of their num
ber to a local offlco in a community in which
the race feeling is so widespread and acute as
to interfere with the ease and facility with
which the local government business can bo
done by the appointee." Ho very properly re
marks that there is doubt whether such an
appointment "is of sufficient benefit by way of
encouragement to the race as to outweigh tho
recurrence and increase of race feeling which
such an appointment is likely to engender.",.
He might have said that it is certain that such
appointments would injure the black man as
much as they would offend the white man. Tho
colored man has been harmed rather than helped
by those who .have increased the antagonism
between the races by attempting to force col
ored appointees upon- communities where objec
tion waB made to them. The republican poli
ticians instead of recognizing conditions have
attempted to discharge their political debts In
the north by-appointments made in the south,
and in doing this they have retarded the pro
gress of the colored race In two ways; first, by
kindling race feeling, and second, by leading tho
black man to overestimate the importance of
office holding. Office holding ought to be an
incident, not the object of a life. Instead of
emphasizing the importance of industry, devel
opment of character, the exercise of self re
straint and of education some northern repub
licans have encouraged tho colored people to
believe that office holding is the only occupation
worthy of the aspiration of coloredyouths. Mr.
Taft will be remembered with gratitude if ho
inaugurates a new policy In this respect.
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