People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1895 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, May 29.—1 f calling a man a socialist or an anarchist would answer arguments. those contained in . the dissenting opinions of just'ices Harlan, Jackson, Brown and White, who voted against the decision of the supreme court which wiped out the income tax law. have been thoroughly answered. But there are people—lots of them, too —who refuso to accept personal abuse as answers to plain, common sense ar gument. These people believe that the position taken by the dissenting justices to have been right and will continue to so believe until somebody answers the arguments they used to support their opinions in some other way than by abuse. It is not the first time that Justice Harlan has stood up as the special champion of the great common people and fearlessly pointed out the danger of the continued encroachments of wealth, and it probably is not Cthe last time. Certainly the following, from Justice Harlan’s opinion, are not the words of an anarchist: “In my judgment— to say nothing of the disregard of the former ad judications of this court, and the practice of the government for century—this decision may well exc : te the greatest apprehensions. It strikes at the very foutidUtions of national authority; in that it denies to the general government a power which is or may become vital to the existence and preservation of’the Union. * * * Are those in whose behalf arguments are made that rest upon favoritism by the law-making power to mere property and to particular sections of the country, aware that key are provoking a contest which in some countries has swept t-way, in a tempest of frenzy and passion, existing social organizations, and put in peril all that was dear to friends of law and order? * * * The practical, if not direct, effect of the decision to-day is to give to certain kinds of property a position 7 of favoritism and advantage that is inconsistent with the /fundamental principals of our social organizations, and to invest them with power and influence that may be perilous to that portion of the American people upon whom rests the larger part of the burdens of the government and who ought*.m'iJTW be: subjected to the dominion 6t aggregated wealth' anymore than the property -of the country should be- aftlhe mercy of the lawless.” Apropos of the decision is the gossip now floating around WashLbton about the cost of the legal talent employed to fight the constitutionality of the income tax. More money was paid to lawyers in this case than would pay the salaries of the nine justices of the supreme court for a period of five years. One man—Joseph H. Choates—got a fee of $200,000. These things furnish a significant proof of the truth of some of Justice Harlan's warning words. The administration is beipg prepared by its friends for a defeat in Kentucky on the silver question. Col. O. O. Stealey, the Washington representative of Col. Henry Watterson and close friend of Secretary Carlisle, has just returned -from Kentucky. He said whdn asked what he thought would be the but-' 1 come of the silver fight: “Well, I have just been making a little tour of the state. I was in sis teen counties. My belief is that J there will be a plank inserted in the state platform favoring the free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1. Maybe Secretary Carlisle, Senator Lindsay and Col. Waterson can prevent it, but it is my present impression that it is inevitable.” It is, of, course, unnecessary to say that Col. Stealy is not a silver man. The news from Illinois is about the same as that from Kentucky. Senator Palmer, who has been the leader of the administration fight against the free silver democrats, and personal representatiye*of .President Cleveland, has abandoned the fight «nd is now in Washington to report the failureof his campaign. He insists that the silver craze is subsiding in this state, but raises' doubts of the accuracy of his judgment by adding that the democratic convention, which will be held in June, will enthusiastically de clare for the free coinage of silver at a 16 to 1 ratio. But he says the enthusiasm will be man ufactured and that the action of the convention will mean nothing rhe silver men naturally ask why so much effort was ex pinledtp prevent the election oi ilver delegates if the action Jo the convention was considered meaningless.

There will be no extra session of congress on account of the loss of the revenue expected from the income tax, if the ad : ministration can prevent it. and it probably can. unless an ex tended raid is made upon the gold in the treasury. In that case it is thought Mr. Cleveland would call an extra session in preference toissumgmore bonds.