the cleveland era-第33章

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cal　accomplishments　and　dauntless　energy　of　character　which　soon　thereafter　gained　him　the　party　leadership。　With　prolific　rhetoric；　he　likened　President　Cleveland　to　a　guardian　who　had　squandered　the　estate　of　a　confiding　ward　and　to　a　trainman　who　opened　a　switch　and　caused　a　wreck；　and　he　declared　that　the　President　in　trying　to　inoculate　the　Democratic　party　with　Republican　virus　had　poisoned　its　blood。

Shortly　after　the　last　Democratic　Congressthe　last　for　many　yearsthe　Supreme　Court　undid　one　of　the　few　successful　achievements　of　this　party　when　it　was　in　power。　The　Tariff　Bill　contained　a　section　imposing　a　tax　of　two　per　cent　on　incomes　in　excess　of　4000。　A　case　was　framed　attacking　the　constitutionality　of　the　tax；*　the　parties　on　both　sides　aiming　to　defeat　the　law　and　framing　the　issues　with　that　purpose　in　view。　On　April　8；　1895；　the　Supreme　Court　rendered　a　judgment　which　showed　that　the　Court　was　evenly　divided　on　some　points。　A　rehearing　was　ordered　and　a　final　decision　was　rendered　on　the　20th　of　May。　By　a　vote　of　five　to　four　it　was　held　that　the　income　tax　was　a　direct　tax；　that　as　such　it　could　be　imposed　only　by　apportionment　among　the　States　according　to　population；　and　that　as　the　law　made　no　such　provision　the　tax　was　therefore　invalid。　This　reversed　the　previous　position　of　the　Court**　that　an　income　tax　was　not　a　direct　tax　within　the　meaning　of　the　Constitution；　but　that　it　was　an　excise。　This　decision　was　the　subject　of　much　bitter　comment　which；　however；　scarcely　exceeded　in　severity　the　expressions　used　by　members　of　the　Supreme　Court　who　filed　dissenting　opinions。　Justice　White　was　of　the　opinion　that　the　effect　of　this　judgment　was　〃to　overthrow　a　long　and　consistent　line　of　decisions　and　to　deny　to　the　legislative　department　of　the　Government　the　possession　of　a　power　conceded　to　it　by　universal　consensus　for　one　hundred　years。〃　Justice　Harlan　declared　that　it　struck　〃at　the　very　foundation　of　national　authority〃　and　that　it　gave　〃to　certain　kinds　of　property　a　position　of　favoritism　and　advantage　inconsistent　with　the　fundamental　principles　of　our　social　organization。〃　Justice　Brown　hoped　that　〃it　may　not　prove　the　first　step　towards　the　submergence　of　the　liberties　of　the　people　in　a　sordid　despotism　of　wealth。〃　Justice　Jackson　said　it　was　〃such　as　no　free　and　enlightened　people　can　ever　possibly　sanction　or　approve。〃　The　comments　of　law　journals　were　also　severe；　and　on　the　whole；　the　criticism　of　legal　experts　was　more　outspoken　than　that　of　the　politicians。

*　Pollock　vs。　Farmers'　Loan　and　Trust　Company；　157　U。S。　429。

**　Springer　vs。　United　States；　102　U。S。　586。


Public　distrust　of　legislative　procedure　in　the　United　States　is　so　great　that　powers　of　judicial　interference　are　valued　to　a　degree　not　usual　in　any　other　country。　The　Democratic　platform　of　1896　did　not　venture　to　go　farther　in　the　way　of　censure　than　to　declare　that　〃it　is　the　duty　of　Congress　to　use　all　the　constitutional　power　which　remains　after　that　decision；　or　which　may　come　from　its　reversal　by　the　court　as　it　may　hereafter　be　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。〃　Even　this　suggestion　of　possible　future　interference　with　the　court　turned　out　to　be　a　heavy　party　load　in　the　campaign。

With　the　elimination　of　the　income　tax；　the　revenues　of　the　country　became　insufficient　to　meet　the　demands　upon　the　Treasury；　and　Carlisle　was　obliged　to　report　a　deficit　of　42；805；223　for　1895。　The　change　of　party　control　in　Congress　brought　no　relief。　The　House；　under　the　able　direction　of　Speaker　Reed；　passed　a　bill　to　augment　the　revenue　by　increasing　customs　duties　and　also　a　bill　authorizing　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　to　sell　bonds　or　issue　certificates　of　indebtedness　bearing　interest　at　three　per　cent。　Both　measures；　however；　were　held　up　in　the　Senate；　in　which　the　silver　faction　held　the　balance　of　power。*　On　February　1；　1896；　a　free　silver　substitute　for　the　House　bond　bill　passed　the　Senate　by　a　vote　of　forty…two　to　thirty…five；　but　the　minority　represented　over　eight　million　more　people　than　the　majority。　The　House　refused；　by　215　to　90；　to　concur　in　the　Senate's　amendment；　and　the　whole　subject　was　then　dropped。

*　The　distribution　of　party　strength　in　the　Senate　was：　Republicans；　43；　Democrats；　39；　Populists；　6。　Republicans　made　concessions　to　the　Populists　which　caused　them　to　refrain　from　voting　when　the　question　of　organisation　was　pending；　and　the　Republicans　were　thus　able　to　elect　the　officers　and　rearrange　the　committees；　which　they　did　in　such　a　way　as　to　put　the　free　silver　men　in　control　of　the　committee　on　finance。　The　bills　passed　by　the　house　were　referred　to　this　committee；　which　thereupon　substituted　bills　providing　for　free　coinage　of　silver。


President　Cleveland　had　to　carry　on　the　battle　to　maintain　the　gold　standard　and　to　sustain　the　public　credit　without　any　aid　from　Congress。　The　one　thing　he　did　accomplish　by　his　efforts；　and　it　was　at　that　moment　the　thing　of　chief　importance；　was　to　put　an　end　to　party　duplicity　on　the　silver　question。　On　that　point；　at　least；　national　party　platforms　abandoned　their　customary　practice　of　trickery　and　deceit。　Compelled　to　choose　between　the　support　of　the　commercial　centers　and　that　of　the　mining　camps；　the　Republican　convention　came　out　squarely　for　the　gold　standard　and　nominated　William　McKinley　for　President。　Thirty…four　members　of　the　convention；　including　four　United　States　Senators　and　two　Representatives；　bolted。　It　was　a　year　of　bolts；　the　only　party　convention　that　escaped　being　that　of　the　Socialist　Labor　party；　which　ignored　the　monetary　issue　save　for　a　vague　declaration　that　〃the　United　States　have　the　exclusive　right　to　issue　money。〃　The　silver　men　swept　the　Democratic　convention；　which　then　nominated　William　Jennings　Bryan　for　President。　Later　on；　the　Gold　Democrats　held　a　convention　and　nominated　John　M。　Palmer　of　Illinois。　The　Populists　and　the　National　Silver　party　also　nominated　Bryan　for　President；　but　each　made　its　own　separate　nomination　for　Vice…President。　Even　the　Prohibitionists　split　on　the　issue；　and　a　seceding　faction　organized　the　National　party　and　inserted　a　free　silver　plank　in　their　platform。

In　the　canvass　which　followed；　calumny　and　misrepresentation　were　for　once　discarded　in　favor　of　genuine　discussion。　This　new　attitude　was　largely　due　to　organizations　for　spreading　information　quite　apart　from　regular　party　management。　In　this　way；　many　able　pamphlets　were　issued　and　widely　circulated。　The　Republicans　had　ample　campaign　funds；　but　though　the　Democrats　were　poorly　supplied；　this　deficiency　did　not　abate　the　energy　of　Bryan's　campaign。　He　traveled　over　eighteen　thousand　miles；　speaking　at　nearly　every　stopping　place　to　great　assemblages。　McKinley；　on　the　contrary；　stayed　at　home；　although　he　delivered　an　effective　series　of　speeches　to　visiting　delegations。　The　outcome　seemed　doubtful；　but　the　intense　anxiety　which　was　prevalent　was　promptly　dispelled　when　the　election　returns　began　to　arrive。　By　going　over　to　free　silver；　the　Democrats　wrested　from　the　Republicans　all　the　mining　States；　except　California；　together　with　Kansas　and　Nebraska；　but　the　electoral　votes　which　they　thus　secured　were　a　poor　compensation　for　losses　elsewhere。　Such　old　Democratic　strongholds　as　Delaware；　Maryland；　and　West　Virginia　gave　McKinley　substantial　majorities；　and　Kentucky　gave　him　twelve　of　her　thirteen　electoral　votes。　McKinley's　popular　plurality　was　over　six　hundred　thousand；　and　he　had　a　majority　of　ninety…five　in　the　electoral　college。

The　nation　approved　the　position　which　Cleveland　had　maintained；　but　the　Republican　party　reaped　the　benefit　by　going　over　to　that　position　while　the　Democratic　party　was　ruined　by　forsaking　it。　Party　experience　during　the　Cleveland　era　contained　many　lessons；　but　none　clearer　than　that　presidential　leadership　is　essential　both　to　legislative　achievement　and　to　party　success。






BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE

Among　general　histories　dealing　with　this　period；　the　leading　authority　is　D。　R。　Dewey；　〃National　Problems；〃　1885…97　（1907）　in　〃The　American　Nation〃；