The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-09


WASHINGTON, April Elm the Senate
this afternoon all interest centered in
Senator Hill's speech. He began at 2
O'Clock before big audience.
His speech was chiefly devoted to an
extensive and bitter attack on the income
tax feature OF the Wilson bill. His OPEN
ing remarks, however, took wider
range.
"The political revolution" he began,
which commenced in 1890 and eliminated
in 'g2 was an emphatic expression OF the
popular will on behalf of certain Govern
mental policies. Measures and not men
were largely the issues involved IN that
movement
Hawaiian Policy "A Crime.
He took up the Hawaiian policy of the
Administratio and characterized ii as a
humiliation, blunder and a crime.
He referred TO the appointment of
Gresham at the head of the State depart
ment as mistake, and regretted that the
President was not able TO find man in
his own party fit TO be intrusted with the
duties of that Office.
He spoke of the repeal of the Federal
election law as a fulfilIment OF the party's
pledges and triumph for the just doc
trines of State rights, and endorsed the
repeal of the Sherman law.
Coming then to the main question
tariff reform-he said that revision should
be approached with circumspection and
with realizing sense OF the changed
condition OF the country since 1887 and
1890.
The rest of his speech was devoted to the
income tax question and his opening
words defined his position in uneqiyocal
and forceful language.
IL Is Socialistic scheme.
against such a scheme" he said, Gun
necessary, ill-timed and mischievous, sud
denly sprung upon the country in the hour
its distress, uDdemocratic in It's nature
and socialistic in its tendencies, l enter
the protest of the people Of the State of
New York. They utterly dissent from
any proposal to get revenue for the
general government by taxing incomes.
Their dissent is practically unanimous
and altogether implacable.
An income tax was Objectionable be-
cause from its very nature it must be i'm
quisitorial in its imposition and collection.
He protested against the Democratic
party being made tail to the Populist
kite.
1t was his belief that the complete sub
stitution of INTERNATIONAL direct or
income taxes for tariff taxes would
prove utterly ruinous to the business in
terests of this country under existing
conditions abroad.
A Suicidal Policy.
"This bill proposes suicidal policy
when 1t seeks by its extreme provision
TO discard numerous tariff duties
and thereby imperil many industries
and create deficiency in necessary
revenues simply for the purpose
of affording an opportunity or
excuse for the substitution of an income
tax. There is an ample field OF genuine
tariff reform without resort to such an
unwise and dangerous experiment.
"The substitution of internal or direct
taxes for custom house taxation meant
the reduction OF the wages Of American
workmen TO the European standards.
at meant the degradation Of labor; il
meant the deprivation of our workmen
OF the comforts and luxuries o. life TO
which they have been accustomed"
"Mr. r.President, 'he continued, "rhis Is an
important crisis in the history OF the DEM
ocratic party. The failure of the tariff
revision means the defeat, the demoraliza-
tion, II not the division and the annihila-
tion of our party.
IL Means Absolute Defeat.
"Moreover,it III means. as we believe, injury
to the best interests OF the country
Let those who insist upon injection
into this bill this odious and undemocratic
feature of an income tax, a relic OF war
legislation, pause and reflect upon the
possible consequences of their unwarrant-
able demands.
"They should realize that it means
the loss OF the control of
this Senate, now nearly equally
devided between the two great
parties; II means the loss OF
the next House OF Representatives;
IT means the loss OF the eIec-
toral votes OF New York, New Jersey.
Connecticut and probably every Northern
State, and finally, it means loss OF the