Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-02-09
II PASSES THE HOUSE.
A NEW DECLARATION OF INDIE
PENDENCE.

4 NEW DECL4RATION or INDIE
PENDENCE.
On Thursday last, the Wilson Tariff bill
with the income tax, passed the House of Rep
resentative by the following vote-Ayes. 1876
Democrats and s Populists-204: Noes-122
Republicans, II Democrats and 1 Populist-
40. The II Democrats voting in the negative
York; Cadmus. New Jersey; Campbell, New
York; Covert, New York; Cummings. New
York; Davey, Louisiana; Geary California;
Haines, New York: Meyer. Louisiana; Page,
Rhode Island; Price, Louisiana; Robertson,
Louisiana; Sbley, Pennsylvania; Schermer-
horn. New York; Sickles, New York; Sperry,
Connecticut.
CLOSING SPEECH OF CHAIRMAN WILSON.
In his closing speech Hon. W. L. Wilson
said
eff my time permitted, would like to take
up some of the arguments against the bill
among my Democratic friends. The first ar
gunlent is that this bill will create deficit.
and, therefore, ought not to be passed. In the
pass Tariff Reform bill if you did not re-
uuCC GLC bdACo uuuCl GLC CAioGiHS laws bldl
you seek to reform? (Applauss.)
''Have gentlemen forgotten that there
may be system of tariff taxation under
which the Government receives little, and the
protected industries receive much, and that
there may he a lower system Of tariff taxation
under which the Government receives great
deal and the protected industries receive but
little? (Cheers from the Democratic side.)
1.-The Mckinley law is constructed on the
first line, and the pending bill is constructed
on the line of revenue. (More eheers.)
REVENUE UNDER TARIFF REFORM.
COR, if you take up theshstory of the free
trade movement in England, you will find
that nothing SO surprised the tariff reformers
| as to see that the more they cut down taxes
and the nearer they approached free trade,
the more the revenue grew, i'll spite of them.
At the beginning of that movement there were
1900 articles taxed; and at the close of it only
seven, and the revenue was as great on til e
seven as it had been on 1900. (Applause.)
81 have here the report of Robert j. Walker,
as Secretary of the Treasury, showing that in
the first year of the operation Of the Walker
low tariff of 1916 the revenues went up from
S23, 800. 900 to S3l. SOC, 900. But cannot dwell
on that matter.
THE INCOME TAX CLAUSE.
"The next argument which my friends on
this side are using among themselves against
the BILL or to hesitate, at least, in voting for
the BILL is that the income tax has been added
to it. need not say to my brethren on this
side that did not concur in the policy of at
taching the income tax measure to the pend
ing bill. l had some doubt as to the expedi-
ency of adding the income tax measure to the
pending bill. But when the committee decid-
ed otherwise threw in my fortune, loyalty
and earnestly, with that amendment, because
never have been hostile to the idea of an in
come tax. (Applausc)
"Mr. John Sherman has been quoted as say
ing that an income tax is class taxation. 1t
is nothing of the kind. 1t is simply Gas the gen.
tleman from Georgia, Mr.. Crisp, declared)
an effort, an honest effort, to balance the
weight of taxation in this country. During
the so years of its existence in England it has
been the strongest force there in wiping out
class distinctions. 1t was a doctrine taught
by Sumner, Walker and other New England
economists that an income tax was the most
simple form of taxation. New England
taught that doctrine to the South and West;
and she has no right to come up to-day and
complain because her own teaching has been
used against her. (Applause)
THE ISSUES INVOLVED.
In all my conferences on the subject OF this
bill i have heard no man protest that we have
been actuated by an unworthy motive, or that
this great scheme OF taxation was undertaken
in any class or sectional spirit. Gentlemen
addressing the Republican side OF the House,
doubt not your sincerity. ! doubt not the
love of YOUR fellow-man, which impels you
to champion your side of the question, any
more than doubt that which impsls my as
sociates on this side. agree with the gentle
man from Maine Mr.. Reed) that the question
of general welfare and the question of the
general wages of workingmen are after all,
the vital questions in this controversy.
aWe are trying an experiment whether. in
Gods name, we can establish country where
every man, born into it, will be born with
the possibility that he can raise himself to a
degree of ease and comfort, and not be COM
PEELED to live life of degrading toll for the
mere necessities of existence. That is the
feeling which animates all, who through
danger and defeat, have steadily labored for
tariff REFORM.
THE CLOSING APPEAL.
ssWe wish to make this country where no
man shall be taxed for the private benefit Of
another man; but where all the blessings OF
free government, of education, of the influences
of the church, and of the school, shall be the
common, unta Xed heritage of all the people,
adding to the comfort of all, adding to the
culture of all, and adding to the happiness
of ALL General cheering)
"And now, one word more. We are about
to vote on this question. If | knew that,
when that roll is called, every Democratic
name would respond in the spirit of that
larger patriotism which have tried to sug-
gest, would be proud and light-hearted to-
day want to say to my brethren who are
doubling as to what they shall do, that this
roll call will not only be entered on the jour-
nal OF the House, but it will be entered on the