Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-20

Afses Q Prssra~sed D~hste TIE ucase
veses foe the Repeal sf Tbs.
ohfaAa Law

Afses Q Prssra~sed Dshsse TIE Hease
veses foe the Repeal sf rss.
o<tsas law
OkxxPiA. Jan Is.
The bill to repeal tse Gross Eruings
law csrss no today at 10 - N. and cen
riuoed till $50 .. u.
b. z Denpison opened the debate
and spoke an bc1f and half. he xss
exhaustive ia tbs statistics 10 show the
adv sntsRe Of the lay. II. said be vas
IN favor OF retaining the two per cent
on The aross earnings. and then would
favor amending the law 50 40 10 subj ct
all other property of corporations q bi
InclQ aed IN their franchises or privilege
OF dong business, TO taxation: that the
gross ear ming Vas What she companies
paid for the privilege of dong bu ines,
and this feature Should be retained 10
tue lav and toe Lao then enlarged to
TAX their other property siss. He main
t>ined that the equitable interest in the
lands Of the Northern Pacific xere not
taxable, and read a recvnt decision of
the United states Sopreme Court IN
support of his views He enlarged on
this topic. The peculiar feature of bis
Lac should be enlarged 50 as to include
all propsrfy as veil As Rross earnings
JodRe Lewis next spoke for two hours.
de ar Red thai the platforms of the Re-
publican and Democratic parties de-
manded the repeal Of this Lag. He
spoke az length Of toe Seattle Terri
torial Convention. and claimed that the
members we're bouad to repeal this lsu
- Instructed In the platforms. He
claimed tnat the equitable interest 10
these Northern PacItio lands Was tax
able, that be bad 8 dill for that parpose.
and replied At length to DennIsen 10 An
able argument de urged 10 logical
manner the iHiQaity of the Law, and
claimed that mail property, docks and
cJal bankers % great value were free
from TAI under this Law, a. well as all
lands, etc.
s. 4. Wells, Of Adams. paid bis par
ticulsr respects to Judge Lewis. he
clai med that the judge vas not con
slstent Republican, and thss he vas no,
toe pFoper person to apply the party
lash. He claimed that the Jodee arced
On members Q compliance With the for
feiture clause in the Republican pl,t-
form, and AZ tue same time himself
cent back on the Hopkins plank, which
Sas conditional forfeiture. when at the
same time be Lewis proclaimed that
ne would vote only for absolute forfeit
ure. de also laoored to show that the
law as 1t 10 produced more revenue than
under the old system. The main Effort
vas to prove Lewis TO be an inconsist.
ent Repu biIoan.
Speaker Donbar spoke ten minutes.
he Was very earnest in advocating . re-
peal. y urged that the law Vas I'm.
iost and pernscious 10 Its operations
it vas q matter Of principle With him
that this Law did net reach the diff sal.
~ and should be repealed, and the fact
that the corps wefo trying so earnestly
70 MAINTAIN it vas proof to him that il
sAs more favorable to their interest
than the Law should BE-.
Mr.. kinuear-I claim that Judge Den.
nis0n has conceded much when he ad
United that the gross earnings tai
should be retained only a. an item OF
TAXATION, and that all the other property
OF corporations should be taxed the
same a. that of individuals: that if thai
point was conceded by Mr.. Dennisoo
then, a. . matter Of coarse, the gross
earnings bill should be repealed, and
all property OF these companies taxed
,scludInR tax on their franchises and
privileges. That It would suit the PEG.
pie exactly to tax the gross earnings as
An item only of tax alton. their other
property to be taxed also. That Denpi-
ssu's argument would not sustain this
gross earnings Law.
Mr.. Mundsy would vote to repeal the
Law. He made up his mind two years
AGO against it, believed it iniqultous and
believed shat all q cd Demoor ITS were
opposed TO IL; that his party platform
had declared against it, aud he took
piessure IN voting for the repeal.
DR.. Oslrauder was in favor Of the
Lac and would vote for it. He vas a
Democrat but was elected by kepunli
cans and Democrats. Particularly Vas
oe indebted to tue ladies. He would
vote as he believed to be correct with
out regard to party.
DR.. Perkins, of Asotin, would vote
against the repeal. He related q funny
story about his early experience With
railroads. He wanted plenty Of rail-
roads, and vas anxious to have them.
The Doctor created great deal Of ser
riment IN relating his experiences.
Took vote At $50 p. IN. The bill to
repeal passed by IA FOE to 3 against.
There was large attendance IN the
lobby Of ladies and gentlemen.