Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-25
1t is Still Far From Being Com
pleted Measure.
SECRECY OF THE COMMITTEE ABOUT IT.
Its General Character, However,
Can Be Outlined.
SOME PRINCIPAL FEATURES

the hands Of the republicans by Monday
they will have to work steadily and expe-
oitiously from now until the time set for
the full meeting on Monday. They have
been remarkably successful in preserving
the secrecy OF the committee, every mem
Der being as watchful over his tongue as If
his honor and reputation were at stake.
Neither newspaper men nor members of
Congress have been able to break through
the armor and the very small bits of in
formation concerning the bill. beyond the
very general description of its character,
which have got out have been assembled
from many scources and put together from
an expression dropped here one day and
tnere the next and carefully stored away
such Information as has got out has been
acquired largely through deduction or the
bringing together of points from widely re-
mote quarters There is probably hardly in
tne history of Congress a more successful
enort at secrecy. The executive secrets of
tne senate are more easily obtained ON the
oay OF their birth than to get any inforna-
uon rrom this committee during all the
nme tney have been In session.
The Work of Six Members
Yet there are some features of the biI
which are as well known now as IL they
had actually been obtained by a perusal of
D
measure-the policy pursued in its construc-
tion-is well known. As is known. the FIRST
draft OF the measure was made after sew
eral weeks Of hard work by a subcommittee
OF nve. consisting of Messrs. Wilson, Breck-
fnridge. Bynum. Stevens and Ta-sney. The
other six democrats of the committee took
no part in the construction of this first
draft except that first one and then the
otner would go into the committee room to
see how the subcommittee was getting
along or perhaps to make some suggestion
on particular point. The practical exclu-
sion of a majority of the democrats from
this work facilitated the preparation of the
stoned some delay since the matter
was brought to the attention of
all the democrats of the committee
The members who did not take part liz the
preliminary work. as it turned out. were
not willing to take the work of the sub
committee on faith in any important par
ticular, and the whole measure had to be
gone over again by the eleven democrats
with great care.
Some Radical Changes.
The changes from the work of the SUBJ
committee have. comparatively speaking.
not been numerous. but considerable time
has been consumed considering the several
schedules. and there have been some radical
changes made by the whole committee. All
the schedules in the customs part of the bill
have not yet been completed and a number
of those which have been acted on are still
liable to be returned for further revision, so
that the bill. II had today, would not be
reliable to details. and IL the committee
were disposed to make II public the condi-
tion OF the bill Is such to preclude their
doing so. The internal revenue features
and the question of raising revenue to make
up for the deficiencies caused by the heavy
cuts in the customs duties are still unset
tied and as far any actual progress be-
yond discussion is concerned almost un-
touched.
Practically No Protection.
The bill, as it stands today, contains no
protection except such as is incidental. and
no more of even incidental protection than
could not be avoided in providing for rev.
enues. The duty on such articles as are in
the old law barely in the protective sched-
ules is reduced little, but in every case
where the Mckinley law gives high protec-
ton the cuts have been heroic. In some
cases the duties left on are not more than
one-third of those provided in the Mckinley
law. Taking all the cuts, great and small,
TO cast the average, the average reduction
or duties IN the bill will approximate 40
per cent The bill has in ii, therefore. prac-
tically no protection and will occasion a
very heavy loss of revenue, which must be
made up oy some means not yet decided on
How to Increase Revenue.
has been but indifferently treated as yet,
and there is a very strong probability that
that will be left as an after consideration
The sugar, the income and the whisky
taxes have not been settled The sugar
question will have to be settled in this
bill, but 1t is the expectation now that
the other two will go over and be cared
for In supplemental bill CT an amend
ment to the bill reported. to come in later
The most troublesome of these questions
Is that or the sugar tax. though there is
q strong minority opposition to the income
tax Unquestionably a majority of the COM
mittee are in favor of abolishng the sugar
bounty and letting the raw sugar remain
on the free list They believe that sugar
Is properly a revenue item and should ne
taxed, but since raw sugar has been placed
on the free list they doubt the policy of
restoring a duty to 1t.
The Sugar Question.
However, they seem to be compelled 10
choose between small duty and a bounty.
and there il probably not democrat on
the committee. or not more than one GER
tainly. who will hear of the continuance
OF the bounty. A failure therefore to put
a duty OF some sort on sugar 1t is believed.
would prevent it's going through the Sem
ate. and II a duty is not imposed in the
present bill the omission will be with the
expectation that 1t will be added In the
Senate. The probabilities are that there
Will be a duty of not exceeding a cent on
refined sugar and a quarter of cent less
on the raw article. 1t will probably either
be S-4 OF cent on raw sugar and a cent
on refined sugar, or a half a cent on raw
sugar and 34 on refined
The Fight on the Income Tax.
The income tax Is still being fought
BY Messrs- Cochran, Wilson and Stevens, !
the other members OF the committee IA
vorfng 1t. and 1t is understood that Mr. |
Cleveland is shy of this tax. The probabili- I
ties are that the question will be dealt
with later and that the committee report
Will be in favor Of income tax on cor
poratlons- IhiS Is the present drift. A /
great deal has been said about Iarge 4
increase In the whisky tax all the way i
from 81 10 Sl-5O a gallon. The present fndf- /
cations are. however. that there will be I
no increase Whatever in the whisky tax
II is certainly not the present intention I
or the committee to do anything with this
tax and they viii not do SO If they can /
get enough revenue to run the government 1
by any other means
Opposition TO Increased whisky Tax
The reason for the antagonisn which
mas deveIo-~d to the increase of the whisky
TAX Is ~: every penny of increase would
accrue the benefit OF the whisky trust.
the wA'ksy which they now hold in bond
oeinS feassd In value without expense