The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-28
The Debate in Detail.

To the Western Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, March 2L-The morning hour
was dispensed with, and the House went into
committee of the whole (Mr. Dorsheimer in the
chair on the bonded extension BILL and Mr..
Randall spoke in opposition to it. The pending
measure was of graver consequences than any
considered at this session, and if any gentleman
supposed that only the parties directly interested
were watching the progress of the bill he would
discover, perhaps, when too late, that he was
ignorant of the sentiments and wishes of the
people Legislation had been in the direction of
making the manufacture of whisky in this
country a monopoly He said this with no dis
respect to the gentlemen engaged in the produc-
ton of whisky, but he considered this monopoly
a dangerous factor in public affairs. If he could
relieve the dstillers by the repeal of the tax in
toto, or by partial repeal he would do so.
Whathe feared from the pending measure was, il
tended to make permanent the internal revenue
system He abhorred the system and stood
against its continuance any longer than could be
helped, and any act of legislation likely to per-
petuate it he felt it his solemn duty to resist.
He regarded the bill class legislation. SINH
lar reasons for relief might be urged by any
other business and if the relief were right and
granted in one case, why not in all! Believing
the bill wrong in principle, vicious in practice,
and unwise in every respect, he had steadily re-
sisted even its discussion. For the reasons
given and for many others, he was more anxious
to reach vote than to discuss the question.
Mr. Blackburn, in making the closing argl-
ment in support of the bill deprecated any dis
cussion founded on prejudice on one hand or
41,
speeches of the opposition had been entirely fair
The gentleman had sought to invade the
sacred precincts of the committee-room and give
to the House their crude ideas, couched
in suspicion as to how the bill ever came before
the House. A picture had been drawn of the
minority picking it up in their arms and bring
ing it into the House in the face of the Oppos-
ton of a majority. If the gentleman from Ar
kansas Mr.. Dunn We're familiar with the rules
of the House he would not need to be reminded
that gentlemen should not invade the committee
room. The record showed that the bill came,
here fairly. The chairman of the committee on
ways and means was the one on whom if on any
one, criticism would fall. He had reported the
bill, saying he was instructed by the committee
to Go so. He had said it was not unanimous re-
port though there minority report That
was the letter of the instructions the committee
had given him, and he Mr.. Blackburn hoped no
one would be prejudced by these IN
warranted feelings, which unwaranted
suspicion had prompted. Passing then to amore
direct advocacy of the bill, he argued, in
mon justice and fairness, that Congress should
grant the relief asked for. The government
would not lose single penny, and its financial
condition was such that it did not need the
money involved, and he submitted to business
men, to practical lawmakers that no objection
could be reasonably lodged against the petition
of these people 1t had been said the passage Of
the bill would result in the repeal Of the internal
revenue system The gentleman from New
York Mr. Hewitt no doubt spoke from his hon
est conviction, but he spoke for himself alone,
and no other man who spoke in support ci he
measure had views similar to that. The fer
/ that the tax would be repealed had led certain