The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-11-13
THE new TARIFF BILL.
Democratic Opposition to Radical
Reductions.
THE INCOME TAX PROPOSITION.
II Is Now Being Seriously Considered by
the Ways and Means Committee, and
May Get Place in tho Biil-If Not, Pop
uIists VIII Force the Issue.

the Ways and Means Committee, and
May Get Place in the Bnl-If Not, Pop
ulists VIII Force the Issue.
.WAsHINaToN. Nov. 13.--It appears that
the chief embarrassment of the ways and
means committee is to come, not from the
articles upon which tho specific ad val
orem duties are to be reduced, but from
the articles that are to be put upon the
free list. 1t had been generally accepted
up to quite recently that the Democratic
party was united on the proposition of
putting coal, wood, iron ore, salt and lum-
Der on the free list. but the latest devel-
opments have indicated that this is not
the case. They have also indicated the
wisdom of the committees policy in keep
ing the details OF the new tariff bill a Sc
cret from the public and the manufacture
ers until the measure is ready for intro
duction.
Mr. Culberson and other Texas mem
bers have already sounded their opposi-
ton to free wool, and they are likely to
receive substantial encouragement from
Ohio members and the representatives OF
the grazing states Of the west. Several Of
the Alabama representatives are protest
ing against the proposition to place iron
ore and coal on the free list. The extern
sive lumber states, both of the south and
west, are almost a unit In opposing free
lumber, and the argument is being freely
made that the only effect of placing lum-
Der on the free list will be to throw open
the American markets to Canadian lum-
ber for the next ten years, and ruin the
lumber industry for this period in the
west and south, without any compensat-
ing benefit to the builder and consumer.
The Michigan members will probably OPP
pose free salt to a man, rs IL is stated that
even Mr.. Whiting. of the ways and means
committee, will contend that the effect of
placing salt on the free list will be only to
give the English salt manufacturers mo-
nopoly of Am lean markets and close up
the American works.
Altogether, the lot of Mr.. Wilson and
his colleagues of the ways and means
committee is not a happy one. With a
score or more of influential gentlemen de-
manding caucus for the consideration of
the tariff BILL and various others declar-
ing that they will not vote for the meas
ure il 1t makes the drastic reduction on
the articles in which their constituents
are interested, the difficulty of securing
Democratic harmony on the measure now
being envolved by the ways and means
committee is every day becoming more
apparent.
Amid all this party confusion Mr..
Springer and the gentlemen who in tho
last congress supported his policy which
passed half dozen tariff reform measures
through the house contend that the diff
culties now being encountered demon
strates the wisdom of the tentative plan
of the last congress. The free wool bill
and the various other measures of a sim
liar character passed without serious op-
position because each bill only applied to
single schedule, and prevented the pos
sibility of the wool, lumber, iron ore,
coal and salt men combining together
against the legislation, as is now threat
ened when the Wilson bill comes in the
house.
The question of an income tax, which,
up to the present congress, has never been
given any serious attention by the ways
and means COMMITTEES, is rapidly coming
to the front as a live issue The Demo-
cratic party is pledged to the principle,
but there has generally been a willing
ness to pass 1t by because of its alleged
impracticability. This year, however, the
Populists are preparing to force the issue
in the house in case it Is ignored by the
committee, and Congressman Bryan, of
Nebraska, has agreed to champion the
matter in the committee. 1t is Mr.. Bryan's
intention to offer such a proposition in
the ways and means committee; and then
if it is defeated, the Populists hope he
will bring in q minority report on the
subject in the house.
But lately the Democratic colleagues Of
Mr.. Bryan on the committee have shown
more disposition to give the proposition
serious consideration, and it is possible
the committee may yet adopt system
for a moderate income tax The PROPOSE
tion which finds most favor is TO levy a
per centum tax on all incomes of s., 500
per annum and over, but those of the com
mittee who are now giving the matter the
most study are inclined to another plan
which they believe to be more practical.
This is to impose an income or capitaliza-
tion tax on corporations-that is, to col
1ect fixed annual tax, either from the
earnings or the paid up capital stock of
corporations. This has led to still another
proposition which contemplates the tax
ing of all corporations at the time of
their organization and incorporation, the
tax to be levied by means of n stamp, and
the amount of the tax to be attached to
the license, to depend upon the amount of
capital stock.
1t seems likely that in the end the COM
mittee may adopt some moderate plan
which will be practicable and at the same
time serve to satisfy in measure the de-
mands of the enthusiastic income tax
men. Among those who have given their
warm approval to the income tax theory
is the assistant secretary of the treasury,
Hon, Scott Wike, of Illinois; Congressman
johnson, of Ohio, and many other west
ern men.