The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-04-25
Congressional Proceedings

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1S.-The galleries of
the senate were packed by representative
and orderly crowd, gathered to hear Mr..
Morrill, address the senate on the tariff bill.
Mr.. Morrill, began his speech by promising
not to weary the unoCcupied mahogany
chairs of the senators. He knew how vain
it would be for him to seek to deprive the
cigar symposium of its usual quorum in the
coat room" The financial and industrial
crisis had not yet passed away and it was
wondrous pity that the political interests of
the democratic party should require its con-
tinuance by a vainglorious and clumsy at
tempt to practically carry out its Chicago
tariff platform. Surely the political tariff
bill now presented, instead of revenue
tariff, would give more comfort abroad than
at home even to its tired authors, and the
rather dstended notion of the people in
1892 of democratic craftsmanship and infal-
libility of construction of a symmetrical
tariff for revenue only, had suddenly col
lapsed. Even their mugwump allies openly
jeered and sneered at their work In
speaking of the income tax, Mr.. Morrill,
said that any income tax which fixed the
tax at one rate in its application to all per-
sons was manifestly unjust. That derived
from rent of houses, always needing annual
repairs, should be less than that on land /;
that derived from labor less than that upon
real property; and that from professional
men wholly dependent upon their health"
less than that upon brewers and distillers.
To make things equal, some discrimination
had TO be made. The income tax bill, he
continued, by its proposed seizure of
many important objects of taxation upon
hitherto been largely dependent for con-
siderable part, in some states for the whole,
OF their annual support, will prove serious
invasion of the sources upon which they
now largely base their taxation. In conclu-
sion, Mr. Morrill, said: " Should this bill,
aided by the concurrent action of the senate,
ever reach the dignity OF law enacted by
congress, | should profoundly regret it on
account of the dire calamities with which its
tariff chapters are pregnant. Throughout
the world it would also be regretted by the
friends of free popular government that
the great republic of the United States
though everywhere at peace, should forfeit
its ancient reputation OF treasury prop
erly supported and seldom empty, and
suddenly earn the poor fame OF being I'M
equal to the legislative task of proposing a
revenue measure for the ordinary support
of the government without frantic and
desperate resort to an income taX-the re-
sort only of nations which are always
wrestling with financial deficits. Surely we
cannot afford to decorate the annals of our
republic with vile copy of this foreign ex-
crescence." - The proceedings in the
house took the nature of an uproar, when
that body, in committee OF the whole, was
| considering the diplomatic and consular APP
| preparation Dill. MT. EnlOe ana Mr. lulgR
engaged in a heated discussion over the
question of appointments, in which some
very plain language was used.
THURsDAY.-The debate on the tariff bill
was resumed in the senate, Mr.. Perkins OF
California speaking against the measure.
| Eulogies on Representative Enochs OF
Ohio were pronounced by Senators Sherman
and Brice. - After further considera-
ton of the diplomatic and consular appro-
priation bill, that measure was passed by
| the house.
FRIDAY.-In the senate, the bill to rectify
the errors discovered in the bill OF April g
to give effect to the findings of the Boring
| Sea tribunal, was taken up and passed