The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-06-28
THE MILLS BILL.
AN INTERVIEW WITH CONGRESS-
MAN JOHN s. HENDERSON,
MIR. Henderson Gives "a Full Exp.ana-
tion of the Bill, and Think. 1t VIII
Pass the House.

Mr.. henderson will you give me a
brief explanation of the Mills bill?"
The bill is revenue relating to
tariff and internal revenue taxation
The annual tariff reductions proposed
amount to S53, 1904 The pro-
posed internal revenue reductions are
estimated at $24,445,607 The inter
nal revenue reductions are itemized
as follows
Rereal of taxes on tobacco. ,......... $I9,640,7I2
Special taxes on retail liquor dea-
lers,. 4,587 ,26S
Special taxes retail dealers in
malt liquors, ....................... 1T,l48
Special taxes retail manutac-
turers of stills, s,&c.,................ 5,721
Add for penalties and INTEREST,", 1878
Total $24 ,445, ,6o7
The bill does not propose to repeal
the taxes ON cigars and cigaretts nor
the special taxes imposed on manufac-
turers of cigals and or dealers in to-
bacco. The revenue derived from
these sources last year amounted to
$12,726, ,906. The 80 cents per gallon
tax on spirits, including both whiskey
and brandy remains untouched. 1t is
due to the Democratic members of the
Wages and Means Committe to say
that they would have been willing to
recommend the repeal of the fruit
brandy tax, if they could have been
satisfied that such repeal would net
open the door to innumerable frands
and evasions of the law. 1 do not
share in the apprehensions entertained
by those gentlemen. / think such
apprehensions about the imaginary
evil effects of the operation ofthe pro-
posed law are generally gross exag-
gerations. The annual amount of
revenue from this source is only about
81 ,O90, 600. Everybody therefore con-
cedes that the government don't need
this money and that the taxes ought
to be remitted if practicable. The
argument against this is about as fol-
lows: Every barrel of illicit whiskey
that can be distilled will be converted
into brandy. A gallon Of brandy
poured into barrel of whiskey, so it
is said, will make the change so per-
feet that nobody but q scientific ex-
pert can distinguish the difference be-
tween such a mixture and pure bran
dy. The senses of smell, taste and
sight will all concur in calling such
mixture brandy and not whiskey.
The sensa of taste in such 3 case is
said to be wholly unreliable. It is
asserted, how true the statement may
be know not, that if you will shut
your eyes and hold your nose and then
let some one give you rum, gin, whis-
key and brandy, IN separate glasses,
that Ios one man in thousand can
tell the differences in taste between
these liquors. If this be so, it is argu-
ed, that the army of internal revenue
detectives and officials would have to
be greatly mpltiplied to detect and
punigh yiolators of the law, SO long as
the tax on whiskey should continue in
force.
The other provisions of the bill re-
lating to the internal revenue are as
follows: a. A rebate or drawback Is
allowed to manufacturers and dealers
of tobacco at the date of the repeal of
the tax and an appropriation is made
to pay the same in Sec 25 4f the bill.
(2.) The special .ax on cigars is fixed
at three dollars, on dealers in tobacco
at one dollar, annually, Sec. 26. (3.)
Sec. % removes all restrictions upon
the sale of leaf tobacco, Cd sections
20, SO. q, 50, 49, 81, SO, 81, 38, 80
and 40, repeal the special taxes upon
manufacturers of stills and retail lid
uor dealers, preveI: she destruction
of stills and otherwise ameliorate and
moderate the odious, Irritating and
oppressive features of the inter aal rev.
enue laws. These provisions are sub
stantially the same as contained in
the bill called up for action in the
House on March 2, 1887, which fail
ed to pass then for the lack of two
third vote. The vote stood yeas; 13Ab
nays ia, only RIeHr Republicans
voted for the proposition, while only
FIVE Democrats voted against 1t.
A similar bill was reported by me
from the judicial Committee Of the
House on February z, 1888, and pass
ed without division. On the 9th OF
February the bill went to the Senate
and was referred to the Senate Judi
ciary Committee. That committee
has not yet acted upon the hill. The
Republican party is determined te
| allow no suoh bill to pass. Mr.. Nc
Kinley, the ablest man who has spok
en- on the Republican side bitterly
denounced these provisions of the bill
anu Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania. wht
passes an advocate of the repeal OF tn,
internal revenue laws but who take
care never to help bring about sucl
repeal and opposes every effort t
modify or ameliorate the harshness O
the system, has publicly denounced
through the columns of the Forum
these provisions which neither be no
Mr.. Mckinley opno2ei when my bill
| was before the House on Eebruar
7th. On page 416 of the Forum 70
! June, 1883, Mr.. Kelley writes: 8
regret that space will not permit m
: to recapitulate the provisions of sec
tions Is to "a inclusive. of this bill {,
Mr.. Mills must, hqWsve, qonter
myself with Inviting attention to Il
fact that they are skigully deuise
e.. - o,,, <,.,:a,<, S,a,J6 o,.., III,