Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-18
That Tariff Business.
Mighty Little Chance Of any Bill
Getting Through.
DEMOCRATS TO CAUCUS ABOUT IT.

Randall aud Cowles to Attend, But Notice
Given That They VIII Not be Bound by
any Action They Disapprove of-Three
New Bills Presented - Greedy In Hot
water-An Irish sympathy Meeting
Mr.. Cleveland's Future.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb 1S.-A Democratic
caucus has been called for tonight for the
purpose of considering the several internal
revenue mea sures now before the house. The
call was prepared by the Mills men and gem
orally circulated on Saturday. Randall,
Cowles and other Democrats who favor the
repeal of the tobacco tax, refused to sign it.
They will, however, 60 into caucus. but
Cowles declares that neither he nor other
southern Democrats will be bound by it, in
case tie caucus wants to thrust upon them
some bill reported from the ways and means
committee. "The time f0 caucuses on
revenue bills" says Cowles, "is passed. We
Of the south want some practical results, and
none of the bills reported from the ways and
means committee can even pass the house,
not to speak Of the senate His own bill,
he says can pass both houses, and should be-
come law this congress
The caucus thus has very poor prospect
of agreeing upon a measure, but agree or
not it is as near certain as anything can he
that there will be no legislation reducing
taxes by this session OF congress; but if not
It will not be for want Of bills. Three more
were put upon the house calendar Saturday.
Counting the Mills and senate bills-which
are both undoubtedly dead for this session.
there are now five bills to choose from. One
of these could probably be passed-tne
Cowles bill, which Randall reported from the
appropriations committee Saturday, but the
Mills-Carlise wing of the Democracy are
dead against the passage OF any bill that
does not cut the customs duties, and this the
Cowles bin does not do.
The ways and means committee got ahead
Of the appropriations In reporting their bills
and they 60 on the calendar ahead of the
Cowles bill, which gives them the right Of
way, unless the friends OF the Cowles bill can
muster sufficient force to set them aside. Nc
Millin reported the first bill from the ways
and means committee-the report OF the
two bills being the result OF short meeting
of the committee Saturday morning. 1t is
closely patterned after the Mills bill, retain"
ing the free list, with few additions made
by the senate 1t omits, however, the chem
ical, cotton, and iron schedules, excepting
g-iron, rails, structural iron, and tin-plate
which are treated Us in the Mills bill a reduc-
ton in taxation is claimed by the COMMITTEES
in this bill OF about $40, 600, 600. The Other
bill, which was reported by Breckinridge OF
Kentucky, was framed to act as a sort OF 10
serve to tall back upon In case the McMillin
bill fails The report accompanying it says
that reelection o. taxes is demanded by the
country, but at this late day it may be pos
Ia TO- NV
therefore the bill is submitted 1t puts tin
plate and wood on the free list, and reduces
the internal reveVe as proposed in the Mills
bill (which in its revenue sections is Identical
with the Cowles bilD. The bill also includes
the wooden and worsted cloth sections of the
Mills bill The reduction claimed for the bill
is S4l, 30, 997, as follows: On un-plate, So
7O4, 4SS; wool, SO, 800, 05S; wooden schedules
S12, 254 ,5l2; tobacco, ST, Ss1 900.
Randall submitted the bill of the appro-
priations committee, which has fathered thu
bill framed by Cowles Of North Carolina
The report states that the bill repeats "an in
ternal taxes on cigars, cheroots, cigarettes
snuff, all descriptions Of manufactured
tobacco, special taxes on manufacturers OF
cigars, on dealers in leaf tobacco, on retail
dealers in leaf tobacco, on dealers In manu-
featured tobacco, and on peddlers OF tobacco
The secretary Of the treasury estimates the
surplus for 1890 at SIS, 0O0, 900; this bill re
duces taxes $50, 0O0, 600; so that If passed Il
will leave but s2S, 900 100 surplus" Atten
ton is directed TO the fact that the interna
taxes that were imposed upon capital hav'
already been wiped out The COMMITTEES
concludes by saying that the bill holds out {
simple and practical mothsd Of reducing tht
surplus revenue.
Breckenridge and McMillin began dilatory
proceedings to prevent Randall from report
ing his bill, but Speaker Carlisle privately ad
vised them that with their bills already OF
the calendar they had it In their power TO pre-
| vent the consideration Of the Randall bill
The tobacco people have been under the i'm
| preston that Carlisle would give the tobacc'
| bill fair chance for consideration, and it
certain that without his aid they are helples
to overcome the obstacles Mills will throw II
the way OF a reduction Of the revenue by re
| pealing the tobacco tax