The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-06-22
THE MILLS BILL.
~ INTERVIEW WITH CONGRESS-
Wan JOHN =. HENDERSON.
ur. Henderson Gives Full EXplana-
ton OF the RilI. and Thinks it Will
Pass the House.


TIE Mills bill is unquestionably grow
NJ in strength and popularity every
day and ii is becoming more and more
.,ideut, that the bill Will pass the House
without material Iteration. if the Repub
Hcan party will permit vote to be taken
upon IT, Their policy now is one of obstruc-
ton aud delay. The bill contains 1882
lines and up to date only 30 lines have
been adopted less than 3! lines per day
since the reading Of the bill commenced.
81 this rate there is no prospect Of final
vote being reached soon. 1t is a mistake
to suppose that the North Carolina Repre-
,eutatlveS are antagonizlng the bill Some
III the newspaper reports Of the attitude
If the delegation are liable to be mlsun
derStood and TO create false impression
in the minds of the people. The deiega
ton as body has taken no action and
has made no threats. 1t is believed that
the entire delegation will at the proper
time vote for an amendment TO abolish the
tax on fruit brandy. Nobody here how
ever believes that such an amendment
will be adopted by the House. No Repub-
liean has Yet been willing to publicly ayow
his intention to support such an amend
ment. And if such a vote is ever taken
10y a YEA and NAY vote in the House its
main support will come from the Demo
cratic members. Mark the prediction
ILL Is worth W uIlt Ttlucu cl,
tlat the Mills bill is intended to reduce
th. excessive burdens of taxation all along
the line The people of North Carolina
are not only interested in the reducing,
modifying and repeating the internal reve
uue taxation, but they also wish the tariff
u be SO revised and amended as to greatly
reduce taxes upon food, clothing, building
materials and other necessaries of life.
The people wish cheaper food, cheaper
l. ~, Il \,
and cheaper tools and utensils for the
house, the kitchen and the farm. l have
tad the privilege of an interview with
representative Henderson as follows:
Mr. Henderson will you give me a
brief explanation of the Mills bill!'
TGe bill is a revenue measure relating
10 tariff and Internal revenue taxation.
Tae annual tariff reductions proposed
amount to $53, go, 441 %. The proposed
internal revenue reductions are estimated
1T s24445 ,607. The internal revenue
.tactions are itemized as follows:
Repeal OF taxes on tobacco, ...... sl9,640,112
special taxes on retail llq uor dea-
ltrS, ...-.--.. los ,-oo
special taxes on retail dealers in
malt liz qlrors, ................ 11.,14s
special taxes on retail manufac-
55 9gFsFs fas ofasIs Of ssls se5 interest. ss sss
Total, ,.............. S34 As. .607
The bill does not propose TO repeal the
taxes on cigars and cigarettes nor the
special taxes imposed on manufacturers
Of cigars and on dealers in tobacco. The
revenue derived from these sources last
year amounted TO S12, 126, ,906. The 80
cents per gallon tax on spirits, including
10Th whiskey and brandy remains un
touched II is due to the Democratic
members of the Ways and Means Commit
hot HOY uopl6 havo haoD will
ing TO recommend the repeal of the fruit
brandy tax if they could have been salts
led that such repeal would not open the
door 10 innumerable frauds and evaslons
ot the law | do not share in the appre
l,nsions entertained by those gentlemen.
( think such apprehenslons about the
il4asi nary evil effects of the operation of
ne proposed law are generally gross exag-
CREATIONS. The annual amount of revenue
from this source is only about 81 090, 900.
Eyery body therefore comedies that the
government don't need this money and
mat the taxes ought to be remitted if
aracticable The argument against this
i. about as follows: Every barrel of illicit
Whiskeg can be distilled will be converted
into brandy A gallon of brandy poured
INTO barrel of whiskey, so 1t is said, will
make the change so perfect that nobody
baf a scientific expert can distinguish the
difference between such mixture and
pure brandy. The senses of SMELL taste
and sight will all concur in calling such
mixture brandy and not whiskey. The
sense of taste in such case is said to be
wholly unreliable. 1t is asserted, how
true the statement may be l know not,
that if you will shut your eyes and hold
your nose and then let some one give you
run, gin, whiskey and brandy, in separate
glasses that not one man In a thousand
can tell the differences in taste between
these liquors If this be SO, it is argued,
that the army of internal revenue detec-
tIves and officials would have to be greatly
multiplied to detect and punish violators
Of the law, SO long as the tax on whiskey
should continue in force.
The other provisions of the bill relating
70 the internal revenue are as follows:
IL 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
til sec - of the bill. Cd The special tax
OH cigars is fixed at three dollars, on deal
rrs IN tobacco at one dollar, annually, Sec
- 49, Sec. % removes all restrictions
upou the sale of leaf tobacco; (4) sections
- 30, 81 80, 33, 81, 36, 81, So, 80 and
repeal the special taxes upon manutac-
fgrers of stills and retail liquor dealers,
prevent the destruction of stills and other
wise ameliorate and moderate the odlous,
irritating and oppressive features of the
Internal revenue laws. These provisions
are substantially the same as contained III
the bill called up for action in the House
ou March 3, 1887, which failed to pass
then for the lack of a twOthird vote. The
vote stood yeas 139, nays 112, only EIGHT
republicans voted for the proposition,
While only FIVE Democrats voted against
i. A similar bill was reported by me
from the Judicial Committee of the House
on February 7, 1888, and passed without
i division On the 9Th of February the
bIil went to the Senate and was referred
- the Senate Judiciary Committee. That
committee has not yet acted upon the bill
ne Republican party Is determined te
allow no such bill to pass. Mr.. Mckinley
the ablest man who has spoken on the
Republican side bitterly denounced these
provisions of the bill, and Mr.. Kelley, OF
Pennsylvania, who passes as an advocate
9f the repeal of the internal revenue laws
but who takes care never to help brine
about such repeal and who opposes every
effort to modify or ameliorate the harsh
ue8s of the system, has publicly denounced
through the columns of the Forum, thes'
provisions which neither he nor Mr.. Nc