The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-07
THE WILSON BILL.
1t Will Pass the Senate With Certain
Notifications.

Washington, Feb. 6.-The Wilson. bill,
as 1t came from the House. is now before
the finance committee of the Senate, and
its career there will be watched with pecu-
liar interest. Senator Lindsay, of Ken
lucky, who will assume an important
part IN the tariff discussion after it comes
from the committee, is manifesting al
ready great interest in the fate of the bill
lie represents the conservative element
IN the Senate, but is one of the strongest
advocates in the upper chamber for a
tarln for revenue only. He thinks the
free list will be decidedly modified and
that slight duty will be put upon sugar
purely for the sake of raising revenue
he believes, moreover, that the income
feature will remain part of the bill and
pass the Senate.
AS to what changes will be made in the
bill he says it is impossible to predict
with any exactitude, but his beliefs re-
gardlng the ultimate outcome of the fight
III the Senate are embodied in the follow
lowing od1cial interview: "It is obviously
lmpracticable to give a satisfactory state
ment of views as to the details of the Viii
son bill. How far the Senate finance
committee may propose amendments, and
how many of these may be adopted no
man can divine. But one thing l think is
certain, when the bill is perfected it will
pass the Senate.
1T is the mission of the Democratic
party to reform the tariff in direction of
freer trade and equality of taxation, and
to make the bill as nearly as possible q
tariff for revenue. Democratic senators
realize the situation, and know what pub
lie opinion-that is, democratic public
opinion-expects of them, and when the
vote comes to be taken, believe every
democrat will ba found in limo
1--WE have no such overwhelming
majority in the Senate as in the House,
and may be compelled to recognize local
interests that the House could afford to
disregard. But no additional subjects of
taxation will be taken up, except where
the effect will be to raise revenue rather
than merely to afford protection Ken
lucky will ask to have the extension Of
the bonded period on whisky, reported by
the ways and means committee of the
House, restored, and the free list may be
modified in some respects. The sugar in-
terests will insist upon being recognized
as the proper subject for strictly
revenue purpose.
The income tax provisions may be
modified, but are not likely to be stricken
out | have no doubt that the perfected
bill will be open to just criticism from
the standpoint of a democratic tariff.
principles of the Mckinley law, and an
important step in the direction of tariff
for revenue. We must get the best bill
possible under existing circumstance
1T should be enacted into law at the
earliest practicable time. l see no reason
why the bill may not be reported from
the committee by March i. 1t can be dis
posed of within a month or six weeks
after that time, unless the republicans
choose to interpose obstructive measures.
l don't believe they will do so, as the
manufacturing interests will demand that
the period of uncertainty shall not be un-
necessarily prolonged.
I'VE now have indications of a revival
of business, but especially the manufac-
turers, and they know the Wilson bill
will not interfere with their prosperity
half so much as continued uncertainty as
to the basis from which they shall make
their contracts for the future.
1T is undoubtedly true that we are
dealing with difficult subject, under an
extremely embarrassing condition of bust
ness affairs. But our duty to go on reso-
lutely with the work of tariff reform is
all the more important in view of the
business conditions brought upon US by
the republican system of taxation"