The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-04-19
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Conversational Proceedings and Osher
Items Of Note.
HOUSE.

| WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE bill to
create boards of arbitration for settling
controversies between common carriers
and their employees was reported, as
was the bill prohibiting the importa-
ton Of convict made goods.
a resolution was reported and adopt
ed asking the postmaster general for
/ information concerning the rates of
/ seed. and whether. Canadians are given
/ advantages over Americans engaged
| in the seed business.
Mills, of Texas, then moved that
the house go into COMMITTEES of the
whole for the consideration OF the
tariff bill. No opposition was made
| to the motion, and it was carried with
out division. Springer, of Illinois,
assumed the chair and Mr.. Mills spoke
l as follows:
During the late war the expendi-
| lures required by the enormous mill
| tary establishment demanded that the
| burdens of taxation should be laid
heavily in all directions authorized by
| tax and the direct tax had been called
| into requisitiOn to supplement- the rev.
enueS arising from customs to aid the
| treasury to respond to the heavy de-
mands daily made upon 1t. The
duties on imports had been raised
from an average of 1884 per cent
in 1851 to an average OF 1923 per cent
during the five years from 1852 TO 1865
inclusive. This had been recognized
at the time as an exceptionally heavy
burden. 1t had been stated by the dis
tinguished gentleman who presented
the tariff mersure at that time that
this was intended as war measure,
temporary measure, and we must as
such give it our support. More than
twenty years had elapsed since the
war had ended. A generation had
passed and a new generation had APP
peared on the stage since peace had
returned to bless our common country,
but these war taxes still remained,
day than they were at the
average during the five years of the ex-
| istence of hostilities. The average
rate of duty during the last five years
amounted to "A 81 per cent, and during
| the last year the average was A 10.
After this large increase had been made
congress had imposed slight direct or
| internal revenue tax upon domestic
manufactures and the tax had brought
| into the treasury in 1885. one hundred
and tWenty-seVen million dollars.
That was but 1.-THE of every burden
/ that was laid upon imports.
| 1t amounted to about three per cent
/
| of the country in 1866. 1t was thought
/ to be q reasonable tax to impose on
| manufacturers who were receiving
| large bounties from the government in
| the enhancement on the prices of their
products, but that tax was gone. 1t
could not live. 1t was tax on
wealth. 1t was tax that came
out of the pockets OF the man
ufacturers. It was a tax that
came from those into whose pockets
the government had brought large
bounties. Congress had imposed a
tax on incomes to help carry on the
war and there were 400, 40 people in
the United States in 1866 that had
S707, COG, 900 of net means on which
they were assessed, dirty which
brought into this treasury, two million
tax on wealth. 1t was said to be an
enormous tax. 1t was said to be in
QuisitOrial in its nature. It was said
to be just by those who had charge of
the administration of the government
to take off those burdens and place
them on the sholders of those whom the
official reports NAMED had nothing but
q living and tax of 8 per cent on net
incomes. aggregating S707 900 600, was
swept away, but the war tax on cloth
ing, upon food and upon labor still
remained. Every effort that had been
made to bring the eXactions of the gov
eminent down to a place establish
ment had been resisted step by step.
and every effort had been defeated
There had been tax on railroads, but
it was gone. 1t had not lived Ions
after the war. 1t had been tax or
: wealth. 1t was said to bt
, oppressive to tax the wealthy
There had been tax on insurance
companies. 1t was gone. There haC
) been tax on express companies. II
= was gone. There had been tax on de
posits and bank capital. It was gone
: Three hundred millions that had beer
!, paid by the wealth of the country, haC
been swept away and the burden o.
, taxation had been made heavier, as i
T had been loaded upon the shoulders O
those WHO had to support themSelve'
and the government. Was a tax of
per cent to be be paid out of the pockets
r of the manufacturers of blankets, NOR
enormous than the tax of 70 per cen
paid by the consumer on imported ant
domestic products?
= Was the tax of per cent Oh
: incomes mole oppressive than the ia.
d of 100 per cent on women'S and chill
). dren's dress goodsp Yet all thes
: taxes on wealth had gone, and the gen
5 tlemen of the minority boasted tina
d they had reduced taxes to the amour
n of $3.50, 900. 900, while the demOcrati
e party had reduced it only bagatelle
gentlemen had erected. All the ia
on wealth had passed away and all tn
. burdens had been cast upon tn
s shoulders of the laboring man< L
q 1888 taxation had still further been re
dueed and the magnificent shaft whic
the party then in power had eXpecte
q to commemorate its legislative wisdOI
i h. Of q
!. crowned with cap stone, by takin
# of the internal reveue tax on plaYin
q cards and putting a tax of twenty pc
If cent on bibles. tIaughter.) The den
le ocratic party had been trying to reduC
n taxation upon the necessities OF lit
: and it was charged by the gentleme
on the other side that it had not a
>. complished any reduction. That Woul
" be a grave charge If the gentleme
=, who made it were not guilt
- of having prevented the democrat
~ from accomplishing the reduction.
q, did not lie in their mouths to char
&c the democrats with failing to redui
ne taxation when they had mustered the
ne whole strength TO strike out the e.
Us acting clause of the bills presented
u the democrats. Twice they had a
te complished that and twice they b;
II refused even to consider the questiC
10 of a reduction of taxation.
.c- Mills spoke about an hour and thr
ne quarters, and as he took his seat
TO was surrounded by the crowd of del
ne ocratic members. who pressed forwa
or to shake his hand and tender ths
40 congratulations.
Kelly, of Pennsylvania, next to
the floor in opposition to the b
He said that the enactment of this /
ne would instantly paraiyZe the emit
let prise and energy of the people. Unt
nee the banefuI influence of such law {
~ report of the caucus of 1890 would !;
uounce the overthrow of our manufi
Pc turing supremacy and the reduction
inn our commanding commercial pc
ex- ton to that Of colonial dependence.
to was studiously designed to prod
the these dire results and nicely adapt
ica- for its purpose. It Y
asst confeSsedly q partisan measure 4
was framed in the interest of a pa
d a whose leaders appeared to be obi