The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-27
NO TAX ON BACHELORS.
THE Y. NJ. @. a. SENATE VOTES
DOWN THE BILL.

An Amusing DISCUSSION on bhCneAOEs
Old Maids and Mstrimony Last
Night-Judge MacDonell Presides
and Tries to Guido Speaker Reed
in His Rulings-A Big Crowd Listen
to the Debate.
The mock senate OF the Young Mems
IsChristian Association attracted q large
crowd OF spectators 30 the associations
quarters last night, and no one was dissp-
| pointed with the debates with which they
we're entertained. The main body Of the gym
nasium hall was crowded with ladies and
gentlemen and the galleries were also well
| filed.
AT $3.50 o'clock Judge MacDonell. as presi-
dent of the senate, called the body to order
]. ]. Doolan of the MORNING NEWS was
clerk and J. Nj. Owens acted as sergeant-at-
arms. The senators who answered roll call
were as follows:
Georgia, j. R. Cain; Florida, L. KEN
nedy; Massachusetts, II. L. Turner; South
Dakota, A. NJ. King; Texas. g. W. Hines;
South Carolina, W. G.. Sutlive; Colorado,
N. T. Davis; Alabama, R. L. Colding;
Spaid; Kentucky, c. b. King; Pennsyl-
vania, F. NJ Myers; New Mexico. L. E.
Davis; Mississippi, ]. ". Wade; Virginia,
J. F. Canu; Now York, E. 4. Davis.
| President MacDonell opened the session
in regular form, after which Clerk Doolau
read the journal of the preceding day.
IL was devoted to discussion OF the woman
suffrage question between the senators
from Kansas, Georgia, New York and
| Pennsylvania. The minutes showed the
beauties and harms of the introduction Of
the system.
| BILL TO TAX BACHELORS.
After the minutes were confirmed,
'Senntor" Cain OF Georgia arose and
offered the following bill:
Be it enacted by the congress OF the United
States, and it is hereby enacted by the authority
Of the same. that from and after the passage of
this act apoil tax of $50 per capita be levied On
and collected from each unmarried male citizen
| Of the United States who has attained the age
of Is years, Said tax to be collected TIL such
1 citizen shall become married. said tax to insure
to the benefit of old maids Of the United States.
Senator" Kennedy of Florida raised a
point of order at once that the Dill was inn
| properly presented, because being for the
| purpose OF raising revenues IL should have
come from the House Of Representatives.
! Senator" Cain, the author of the bill,
1 replied that the point of order was not well
taken, because the bill had been passed upon
| favorably by she House. He followed with
law Of God gives man the right to chose a
| companion for life the gentleman from
Georgia believed the law-naking bodies Of
the country had the right to compel man to
choose his helpmate when best fitted with
the elasticity of youth. His object in offering
the bill was, he said, to obliterate growing
and unpopular class OF society, the bald
headed bachelor. Nobody could claim it to
be class legislation, because the parties leg
| islated against by it would be benefited
by the adoption Of the act.
II was a scheme to develop mans financial
| abilities, because married men are more
careful of their money than bachelors.
Senator" Cain said he was willing to wager
that where one bachelor accumulates money
ten married men make fortunes, because
their wives assist them. Bachelors, he said,
always 90 down to their graves unwept,
unhonored and unsung.
FLoRIDA's SENATOR SAT UPON.
"senator" Kennedy of Florida insisted on
the chair ruling on his point of order to
find out IL the bill had been properly pre-
sented.
Senator" Hines of Texas called upon the
clerk to read the last clause of his minutes
to prove that the bill had come from the
| House
President MacDonell considered the point
horrible. 1t was ebomiuably taken. Not
only does the country, he said oppose bach
elors, but the perpetuity of old maids is
dangerous to the governments itself.
| The senator from Florida considered the
measure vital blow at American civiliza-
ton and an iniquitous scheme in every re-
spect The tax it sought to levy, he said,
was extravaganza and excessive. 1t would
bring into public treasury $25. 000, 600 annu-
ally, a sum sufficient to furnish the necessa-
ries of life to 200, 900 INDECENT old maids,
when not one-hundredth part OF that num-
Der exists. Senator Kennedy considered the
province of any law to dictate to any
man at what period of life he shall marry
He should be law to himself in this respect.
1t is one thing to be kept sacred.
The question of married or single life
after 25 years turns on question OF none
tary consideration. said the senator, and
would put the United States In the position
of purchasing husbands for the maidens of
the country at $50 a piece. Senator
Turner Of Massachusetts favored tbs bill as
a way to get wife for young man in his
youth. He wanted a man to select help
mate early because the law of God orders
it. The law contemplated provision for
those of the fair sex not favored as much az
most of the ladies of Savannah He quoted
ancient history co prove that the law would
be just. He wanted bachelors isolated and
cast of from society.
HENPECKED HUSBANDS BEHIND IT.
| senator" A. Nj. King OF South Dakota
considered the bill the scheme of henpecked
husbands. He wanted to lay the motion
under the table, and the president mtsun.
derstood him aud presented the motion to
lay the senator under the table. The
senator said he considered metrimony worse
than death. A maiden would have reason
to believe when fellow proposed he wal
only doing so to escape the tax. He made q
hit about Tom Watson by asking: MIR
Chairman, where am / atr'
"Senator" Hines of Texas said he was
proud that the bill had been introduced. He
believed the gentleman from Florida had
passed the dead line, and that was the secret
of his opposition. If Hill had been married
according TO Senator Hines, he would have
occupied the position now held by Grover
Cleveland. The bill did not intend TO bur.
den any one. If q man did not marry be
should be made to pay tax to support those
he should have married.
senator Sutlive Of South Carolina
quoted Roman history to prove that the tar
should not be levied. He raised the point
that no penalty was attached and wanted
TO know what they proposed 70 do in the
event Of refusal to pay. If put In jail q
man could do neither. II a laW should be
passed 10 would be a case Of courtship for
| revenue only,