The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-06-17
WASHINGTON JOTTINGS.
AnyELY sCENEIN THE HOUSE.
Exciting Debate on the Tobacco Tax
Proctor Knott ON Hayes TIIIe
Time for AdjOurnmenti
Fixed - Rushing the
Pension Bills.
A Red hot Debate on the Tobacco
Tax

Tax.
Special 10 the Register.
WAsHINGToN, June l6.
The House had smother animated
wr4ngle yesterday over the proposition
10 reduce the tax on tobacco from "a to
10 cents per pound. No question brought
before the Congress has provoked such
an exhibition OF feeling. Mr.. Sayler, of
Ohio, led OF in favor Of reduction, with
Mr.. McMahon, OF Ohio, following close
behind, whipping in strsgglers-emptY-
ing the well filed cloak rooms onto the
floor, snd sending pages for members
who were st lunch. Mr.. Foster, of Ohio,
nsrshsled the opposition. 1t was soon
msde apparent that the tobacco tax was
to be made party question. Democrats
were loud in their demands for reduc-
ton, snd Republicans resorted to all
sorts OF ruses to stop the features of the
measure most Objectionable to them. The
thing which the Republicans wanted
mos. to do was to kill the bill by loading
il down with such amendments as TO in
sure its defeat in the Senate, and, as a
ls:t preCsution, to so modify the bill as
really 10 leave very little of it in case it
should pass. To the great embarrassment
Of gentlemen who had filled themselves
with speeches, there wss Only one min
utes debste on each amendment,
50 that member scarcely got
isirly started before the other side
called 'tlme" on him, and the Speakers
gsvsl rspPed him down into his seat.
There were frantic attempts to be heard
in spite ofthe Speaker, and calls to order,
b1. the calls, and shouts, and cries of
"5rder,n order "vote" and "Mr.
Speaker" drowned the ambitious mem
Der: noise, and he wss obliged to subside
with what grace he could summon.
Alter many amendments had been offer
Ell and rejected, Mr. Foster tried his hand
on one, providing that the reduction
from 4 TO 10 cents per pound should
Mt take place until 1890,
= date which he thought
sufici ,nLly remote to calm the trade and
p.vyyut the raging of any epidemic IN
the tobacco warehouses OF the country.
Tli; proposition was more than Messrs.
Ssyler and Mcmahon were prepared for
They both started across the tOJr TO ward
M Foster, Ssyler shaking his dst viO-
lently and assuring Foster that the |
House was not 10 be hoodwinked by any |
such himsy trick. Foster, with great |
feeling, SAID that the reduction could not |
pass Ut this session, and there WAS no |
use o: consuming time with 1t. Mr.. |
Sayler. who bad all this time been ad- |
vsncng toward Mr.. Foster, suddenly |
stopped in the centre of the aisle, stood
on tip toe, raised his right hard |
toward high heaven and thundered 10
Mr.. Fosters ears We are going TO re-
duce the tax on tobacco if we have 10
stay here all GUNNER" The subsequent
sc.lon ofthe House, while the tax paving |
was yet pending, IN refusing to concur IN
the Senate amendment pOstporlng the
day Of adjourn ment, showed that Mr..
S.yler wss little too ssnguine. Not
outstanding tiis, however, there were
very many memt ters who were deter
mined 70 push the reduction through, no
matter what u cost. Delegations OF to-
bsgcJ manufacturers were IN the CALLER
lee and in the lObb."s, sending in cards TO
members and imporLunIng every member
they me! for his sid in support Of re-
ilcu0u.
Mr Fosters assurance that the reve-
Iles would not stand the reduction
seemingly made very little impression.
Ssy.er drove ahead, with backing enough
70 cut ou: all the amendments winch
could, by any possibility, endanger the
success Of the measure.
Ar Townsend offered an smendme mt
eEemp.lng from taxation farmers who
sell tobacco TO consumers, or to any one
who does not pay special taxes. This
Tas agreed to after considerable talk,
and the subject was postponed until Mon
day when i comes up as unfinished busi-
Ness.
The action Of the House, just as il may
be, viii have no effect on the Senate. In
la. body II will fail beyond Peradven.
lure.