The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-01-24
THE TOBACCO TAX.
THE COWLES RILL LIKELY TO
PASS.

THE COWLES RILL LIKELY TO
PASS.
The House Favors Its Abolition. What
Will the Senate Do? The Raseals
Who Were Turned Out Seeking Of
flee Again.
Especial Correspondence to the Se,,tinel.I
WAsHINGToN, Jan. 21.-There was
considerable speculation at the Capt.
tol over the reference of the
tobacco tax bill to the committee on
appropriations. Republicans and Dem
ocrats agree that whenever the propo.
sition to repeal the tobacco tax comes
to vote in the House more than two.
thirds of the members will support it.
One of the Republican leaders, who is
member of the ways and means com
mittee, when spoken to ON the subject
remarked that there never was time
during the present Congress when
bill to repeal the internal reuenue tax
on tobacco would not have carried by
an overwhelming vote "On more
than one OCCASION said he, "I saw a
chance to throw in the bill and pass it,
but we were playing for the whole
stake, aud we determined to await de-
velopments with a view to furnishing
the wicked" As he uttered the last
sentence he glanced toward the Dem
ocratic side cf the House, which was
rapidly filling up. Continuing, he
said that while the Republicans were
supposed to be solidly in favor of re-
,f ha fnh 10
few of the Northwestern members who
are inclined TO kick over the traces.
Thus far they have been kept quiet,
to give the Democrats the impression
that all the dissensions on this subject
are confined to their ranks. 1t is un-
derstood that there are not over ten
| Republicans who are likely to vote
against the Cowles proposition if they
are given the chance.
There are some persons who predict
that the appropriations committee will
refuse to report the bill, but there
seems to be no foundation for such a
statement. The leading Democrat on
that committee stated that he was not
prepared to speak for the members of
the committee, but special meeting
has been called for and then
the subject will be considered He
added that the ways and means COM
mittee might take the hint and bring
in the tobacco tax bill in advance OF
any report from the appropriations
committee. 1t is evident that the
House desires an opportunity to vote
on the bill, and, said he, with consid
cradle emphasis, "They will get it.
Representative Cannon, who is a
member of the minority of the appro-
priations committee, was also spoken
to on this subject He was not pre-
pared to speak for his Republican col
leagues of the committee, but he is in
clined to believe that it is almost too
late in the session to go into such an
important matter without an opportu
nifty of giving it the fullest considera
tion. The Cowles bill contains all the
internal revenue features of the Mills
bill.
Representative Sayres, of Texas, al
so member Of the appropriations
committee, was not at Liberty to say
what action the committee would take
upon the bill, but from the sentiments
he has heard expressed he believes
such bill would pass the House il
brought to vote.
Representative Catchings, of Mis-
sissippi, did not vote to refer the
Cowles bill to the appropriations com
mittee, but he states that he is hearth
ly in favor of repeal of the tobacco
tax. There are many Southern mem
bers who occupy similar position
Gen. Catchings claims that tobacco i:
an agricultural product that has ceas
ed to be regarded as luxury al
through the South. 1t is more uni
versally used throughout the Unite(
States than sugar, for in many sec
tions OF the country men and womer
drink their tea and coffee withou
sugar. but use tobacco regularly.
THE OLD GANG SEEKING OFFICE.
Four years ago there was quite al
exhibition of sarcastic comment ant
cheap wit over the alleged reappear
ance here of the remnant of Democrat
10 office holders who had gone out will
the war. They were represented a
poking around and picking out place
for, themselves with perfect confidence
All such statements were gross exag
gerations, for the proportion of old
time office holders who came here n
the hope of getting such was extreme
ly fractional. It might be suppose'
that the critics of 1875 would observ
the spectacle presented to-day, but tn
eyes which were so sharp and brigh
see now dimly. Scores of the Reput
! lican office-holders who were not re
tanned under the Cleveland admins
tration are again to be met in thei
old haunts. Many of these men wer
in office during the whole or the grea
er portion of the long period of RI
publican rule.
Now, here they are all again, an
: there is no indication that in th
: meantime any other employment hs
been offered to them than denouncin
: the Democratic administration. The
take it for granted that they are all
have their old places back, or in lie
of that better ones. From the tone
;, their remarks it would be inferre
e that although they have discovered
Democratic administration can 6
{ along without them, they are qui
t convinced that the new Republics
regime will only be too glad 10 tai
!. them in again. They expext to
g g sent for and requested to come bac
But the mass of them will find the do
shut in their faces.