Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-04-13
What the Filibustering is About.

The direct tax bill, against which some
seventy odd emocrats-mostly from the
South-have been filibustering since We'd
nesday last, was brought before the House
for passage at this time In pursuance OF
decision of a majority of the committee on
rules, consisting of Mr.. Randall and two
republicans The other members Of the
committee, Speaker Carlisle and Mr.. Mills,
were opposed TO its being brought forward,
but Mr.. Mills was absent from the commit
tee meeting, being sick, and Mr.. Carlisle was
overruled by the protectionst members. The
bill was passed by the Senate January 10,
by vote of As TO 10. 1t was republican
member of the House that offered the reso-
luton directing the committee on rules to
bring the bill up at once for passage, and its
staunchest supporters are the republicans.
| In their eyes it has the merit of taking $17-
359 685 from the treasury, and of diminish
ing TO this extent the pressing necessity for
tariff bill, and the further merit that, of
the amount named, much the larger part
would be distributed in the North, the
South having to content itself with small
proportion, and with being forgiven the
part of the tax not yet collected. To further
the passage of the bill Mr.. Chandler, it will
be observed, yesterday introduced in the
Senate bill proposing the immediate col
lection of the quotas still due from the vari
GUS Southern States. The direct tax bill,
approved August 5, 1861, provided for tax
OF $20D00,000, to be apportioned to the
several States according to population. In
cases where the States did not pay, the
amount required was collected, in whole or
in part, from individuals. The amount col
lected, as already stated, was $17,359 ,685
leaving $2,640,3l5 still due.
The Senate bill over which the fight is
being made proposes to return to the States
what they paid of the tax and remit the
sums unpaid. The majority report Of the
House judiciary committee favors the bill,
on the ground that it will erase from the
treasury books the claims still pending
against States that have not paid in full and
do justice to those that did pay. The mi
norlty report held that the tax was consti-
tutional; that the money when collected
belonged absolutely to the United States
that no States or citizen has any claim to it;
that to return it would be to give gratuity,
and would be an unconstitutional act; that
the passage of the bill could be made pre-
cedent for repaying any tax whatever-the
cotton, for example-and would open the
door to innumerable propositions Tor dissi.
patng public money. Last, but not least
the filibusters urge the bill is a protectionisi
device, skilliully designed to prevent any
reform OF the tariff at the present session ol
Congress. 1t is an interstate log rolling
measure, they affirm, which has strength from
the fact-apart from its relation to the tariff
that it offers a huge brbe to twenty eight
States, and is well pushed by claim agents
1t is further objected to that it is the enter
ing wedge for bill to repay the $4,000,
600 cotton tax No argument for repayinl
the direct tax but will answer also for thu
cotton tax, or for any tax, in fact, that thu
government has ever imposed. 1t is to be re
marke ed that Speaker Carlisle is opposed tt
the bill. and that the filibusters include il
their number large proportion of the tai
ent and worth on the democratic side of thu
House. Much is said of their action i'm
peding the tariff bill and other importan
bills, but it is of course within the power o
the House to enter upon the consideration
of those measures whenever it sees prope
to do so,-BaltO. S,ta0f Tuesday last.