Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-28

In the matter II II NOV e'e" "e"
question. The celebrated Missouri COM
promise contained similar provision.
That fs 70 say, that compromise stIpu-
lated that certain customs-duties pro-
viaed for in that compromise should be
ope-ative in full for only stated num-
her OF years. and should after the expi-
ration OF that term be reduced. or possi-
bly, some Of them were TO expire by limi-
tatlon OF law.
Mr.. McMiIlin, Of Tennessee. leading
Democrat In the national House or Rep
resentatives, says. so II Is reported In
Yesterdays papers. that the Voorhees, Dill
IL more popular In Congress with the
.ncome-tax feature attached 10 1t than
II would be without that feature. 80
the agreement to let that tax-law cease
to be operative at the end OF 1--WE years
was entered into because although the
tax is popular one, yet there are rev
Democrats in one or both branches or
Congress who had 10 be placated by
some sort Of concession before they would
consent TO the passage Of the voorhees,
bill with the income-tax In II.
This. however. Is mere conjecture. IL
does not seem consistent with the pro-
liabilities Of the case that the promise
to limit the operation OF the income-tax
to five years should be accepted as a
compromise by the men who declare an
incomc-tax to be unjustifiable. undemo-
cratic understandable. and unjust. III
that tax ever becomes incorporated again
into the revenue laws. ii will never after
wards stand a ghost OF chance Of re-
peal At the time the last national In
come-tax was repealed, the war was but
n short distance in the background. and
the Republican party was so popular be-
cause 1t had carried the country through
successful war, that the Republican
Congress could safely take the action II
did. But the times have changed. and
the northern people have changed with
them. Dcmagogues and Coxeyites OF
every name stand thick all over
the north, and will make 1t hot for any
party that shall dare to take of the in
come-tax once 1t shall have become the
law of the land. For similar reasons
the income-tax will not be allowed TO
fall upon persons having incomes OF less
than four thousand dollars each.
As we understand the compromise fea-
lures agreed upon by the Democrats
of the Senate, COAL iron-orc, sugar, ard
other articles will not be allowed TO come
into this country free OF duty. The coal
miners Of Alabama. Virginia. West Vir-
ginia, and other States. are to be pro-
tccted. as are the sugar-planters Of the
Gulf States.
But it must not be forgotten that the
Democrats in the House OF Representa-
tives and the Republicans in the Senate
have not yet caucussed upon the features
OF the Senate Committee on Finance have
yielded their assent. The confident tone.
however, in which the matter Is spoken
of In Washington justiiles the hope that
our congressman have reasons for ex-
pecting an early compromise which are
not known to the outside world. at Is
understood that as soon as the Republic
can senators are convinced that the Dem
ocratic senators are soidlfied they Will
close debate on their part and permit
the tariff bill TO become a law" SO
reads the report which, as the reader
perceives, leaves it at last for the Re-
publlcans to decide whether or not the
tariff bill shall become law in July.