Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-18
THE wHlSKEY TAX.
ALL EFFORTS TO ABOLISH IT DE-
FEATEo IN THE HOUSE.
further Debate on the Tariff BiIi-Thc
PREVIOUS Question 90 be Called on
satarday-Ths Government Workmen's
Eight Hour Law Passes the Senate
Other Washington News.

8 W pe considered, and these will be take
up and very probably be finished to-day
Mr.. Mills says he will call the preyiou
question on the passage of the bill at IL 3
Saturday morning.
When the House met in the morning
MT, Townsbend, from the Committee oil
Military Affairs, reported the resolution
calling on the Secretary of the Interior 70
Information about officers who had served
In the Mexican war and in the Confederat
army, and who had, because of service II
the Confederate army, been dropped from
the pension rolls. The resolution wa
adopted.
Tariff discussion in Committee of tn,
Whole was then resumed Amendment.
proposing to repeal the internal revenue
a1 on cigars, cheropts and cigarettes, ant
70 repeal all intern revenue taxes, wers
quickly proposed anA rejected.
An amendment pro- sed by Mr.. Sowder
OF Pennsylvania, to a. hlish the tax OH
frnit spirits, led to a long. discussion,I 4 but
WAS finally rejected by vote of "A to 70.
Mr.. McMillin opposed the amendment on
the ground that there was no way of pre-
venting frauds on the revenue, il frui,
spirits conld be mixed with fruit spirits and
thus escape taxation.
Mr.. Brewer, of Michigan, presented q
letter from Woman's Temperance Union,
of Michigan, favoring the abolition of the
tax on spirits.
MIR. McMillin quoted from Mr. Blaine's
Paris letter where he opposes the repeal OF
the whiskey tar, and says repeating the tax
would cheaper and increase the consump-
ton of whiskey. -
Mr.. Kelley took issue with Mr.. Blaine on
this, saying that the tax on the average
drink in the leading saloons ranged from
q to Is of a cent, and he did not believe
any man q victim of alcoholism would be
restrained by the moral influence of so
slight tax on drink OF whiskey. The
repeal of the whiskey tax would not cause
men TO rush into drunkenness.
Mr.. Wilson, of Minnesota, criticised the
Republican National platform fayoring the
removal of the tax from whiskey and
brandy, rather than from blankets.
Mr., Milliken, of Maine, said the party in
its p pAtferm only declared that rather than
have free trade and cheap labor to destroy
the industries of the country it would re
peal internal revenue taxes
Mr. Perkins, of Kansas denied that the
Republican party favored free whiskey, and
TO show the audacity of the charge, cited
the fact that when the party came int
power in the House il found calico at fifteen
cents yard and whiskey twenty cents q
gallon, and when it went out Of power
twenty-five years afterwards il left calico at
five cents yard and whiskey taxed nearly
" gallon. Mr.. Wilson suggested that the
Republican party got drunk st Chicago
over the Oregon election, and that its plat
form was the result of Dutch courage.
When that courage eyaporated they came
back~sand said the platform did not mean,
what in black and white il did mean on the
record.
An amendment proposing to tax whole
sale dealers in oleomargarine SO and re-
tail dealers IS was rejected. Mr.. Adams of
Illinois, criticised the internal revenue pro-
vision of the bill which abolishes the mimi
mum punishment for violations of the law,
holding that it was intended to make such
violations easier. Mr. Cox, of New York,
denied that the Mills bill with its per
cent reduction in on duties look toward
free trade
Mr.. Milliken pointed 10 the fact that the
bill placed 5S articles on the free list which
were pronounced north of Masons and
Dxons line, while il maintained an aver
age duty Of I5 per cent on southern pro-
ducts. Mr.. Busterworth moved to strike
out the provision allowing the Secretary Of
the Treasury at his discretion to permit
distilleries mashing less than 25 bushels of
grain day. 10 operate without storekeep-
ers and gaugers.
Mr.. Kelley, Of Pennsylvania, regarded
the administrative provisions Of the bill
bearing on the collection of internal reve-
nue. taxes, as well devised plan for reliev-
ing moonshiners from responsibility.
Mr.. Butterworth's motion was lost, yeas
73. nays &C.
Mr.. Hitt of Illinois. offered an amend
ment reducing the bonded period for whisky
10 one year. Rejected.
Mr.. Lawlor. of Illinois, offered an amend
ment TO abolish the oieomargarine tax. Re
)ected, yeas, 3 nays l01.
When the last section of the bill was
passed upon. on motion of Mr. Bynum, of
Indiana, October lst, 1888, was fxed as the
date upon which the bill shall go into ef-
feet
At s O'Clock the committee rose, and the
House took recess until sp. m.
SENATE
The features of the proceedings in the
Senate was the passage of the government
eight hour law.
Mr.. Teller. who obtained the floor Mon
day for a speech on the fisheries treaty,
said he was not well enough to proceed.
but hoped to be to-day.
Mr.. Blair offered a resolution directing
the committee on rules TO provide Q suit
able place in the Capital to test d. H. |
Crsigs improvement in telegraphy, with
view to protecting the interests of the |
American people. The invention, Mr.. |
Blair said, was great improvement in the |
art Of tslegraphy. and the only object of |
the resolution was to furnish an opportun- |
ity for an inspection of the invention, so
that the Government might secure it and |
prevent its falling into the hands of private |
parties. The resolution, on objection from
Mr.. Plumb. went over until tomorrow
Mr.. Allison, from the committee on ap- |!
~.a&s SaA H. L..
civil bill and said he would soon call il up. |
The bill 70 place John C. Fremont on the |
retired list Of the army as Major General |
was taken up and passed. MIR. Reagan op- |
posed it on the general ground of opposi- |
ton to the establishment of privileged |
class Mr.. Oockreli opposed il on the /
ground that the retired list was for the /
benefit Of officers actually In the army.
After some further discussion the bill was
passed Yeas, %; nays, 2l: five Demo
cratic Senators. Butler, Call, Gibson, Hearst |
and Gray voting for the bill
On motion of Mr.. Plumb, the Senate re-
cedsd from its subsidy amendment to the
post office appropriation bill. Considera-
lion of the bill TO provide for the adjust
ment of claims of Government workmen,
under the eightbour law of 1868, and which
provides for a settlement of such claims for
over work done since the passage of the /
law, and making eight hours a full days
work, was then resumed.
Mr.. Reagan opposed the bill, as one in
the interest Of a few laboring men at the
expense of many laboring men, brought |
forward with the view TO catching votes. II |
was q small step in the direction Of class
legislation and he hoped it would not pass
Mr.. Stewart supported it, and offered an
prohibiting an officer of the |
from making contracts where-
by any workman shall labor more than |
eight hours day, except in special .m.--
encis. In thess days and with Improved
he believed even eight hours .
sy was emissive labor. More than eight |
,ours day was wrong in . double sense. |