The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-02-06
A TILT IN THE HOUSE.
FIELD DAY ON THE INCOME TAX
Northern Democrats Must Take Their
NcdIciue-The Southern Members
Are Doing Their Duty-The People
a Dnnlu nd inU the DnN.

Are Doing Their Duty-The People
Are Demanding the Tax.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 3O.-The House
very promptly went into committee of
the whole to consider the tariff bill
this morning, having dispensed with
the call Of committees for reports.
The consideration of the income tax
bill was resumed and Covert, (Dem)
of New York, took up the thread OF
argument against it. He declared
that the bill was extremely sectional
in it's provisions and would bear with
particular severity on the North and
East.
Cox, (Dem.) of Tennessee, spoke in
defence of the income tax.
Bartlett. Dem. of New York, in de-
nounciug the bill, said it was proposed
by q branch of the Democratic party
which affiliated with the Populist
party and demanded the free coinage
of both gold and silver at the present
ratio.
Lafe Pence, the Populist member
from Colorado, delivered q stirring and
ringing speech in favor of the income
tax. The preceding speaker had char
acterized the bill as q Populist meas
convention the Populist party had de-
clarcd for Il graduated income tax, and
in limo with that platform he proposed
to offer an amendment to that end
when the bill was up for amendment
He favored graded tax, beginning
with per cent. on incomes of $1,000
and running up to per cent. on in
comes of 100000 or more.
Pendlcton of West Virginia, deliver
ed an earnest appeal in the interest of
harmony in the Democratic party. It
L a ~ol l. IL ~e
the House that there was detection in
the ranks of the West Virginia delega-
tion, but he positively affirmed that
while the Wilson bill bore somewhat
heavily on the products Of his State,
all the representatives of West Vir-
ginia, as we'll as of Virginia, would
stand shoulder to shoulder in support
of tho Wilson bill. And as those States
had swallowed the free lumber free
coal and free iron pills, the New York
Democrats should swallow the income
tax medicine and help the bill through
its final passage. He predicted that
when the time came for final vote,
not u single Southern Democrat would
be found lurking in the camp of the
encmy. Democratic applause.)
johnson, Of Ohio, devoted himself to
an elaboration Of his free trade and
single tax theories, the latter present.
ing, he said, the only solution to the
labor question. He would vote for the
income tax, but he should do it under
protest and as the lesser of the two
evils.
Simpson, (Pop.) of Kansas, said that
the income tax had been sneered at as
u Populist measure, but while the
members of that party on the floor
were few and were despised on the
n6rnnnpntin n Si1n nn1 lnc,,icnl Lo
Republican side, he predicted that
sooner or later the time would como
when the doctrine of the Populists
would be advocated because they were
right. In conclusion he announced that
he was in favor of an income tax first,
last and all the time, whether it was a
Populistic, Democratic or Republican
measure. democratic applause.)
Cochran, (Dem.) of Now York, an
opponent OF the income tax, was re-
cognized. In anticipation of hearing
Cochran. crowds of people ilocked to
the House and the galleries were filled.
Cockran's objections to an income
tax were many and varied. 1t would
be class taxation, and as such Il blow at
the fundamental principle on which
The government was founded. 1t would
be inQuisitorial, and hence iniquitous.
He believed rich men favored it., be-
cause they would thereby ultimately
gain II larger control of the govern
ment than they enjoyed to-day. He
quoted Democratic authority against
the proposed tax, and among others
said Alex. III. Stephens, of Georgia, de-
clarcd an internal revenue tax inde-
fensible in this country.
a member: Any kind OF revenue
tax ?
(,pclyrup Any kind
-McMillin: Does the gentleman from
Now York advocate now and here the
repeel Of the internal revenue taxes :?
Cochran: If that proposition was be-
fore the House | would not hesitate to
say yes-nOt q moment. democratic
applause / would be glad to see every
gauger and internal revenue collector
in the country turned out of office. /
have always believed that the duty Of
this people is to support it's govern
ment by tariff levied for revenue
only. On that position have stood on
this floor. and | continue to stand I
have yet to discover the mana son of
Georgia-who is going to declare that
the teaching of Alexander I'll. Steph-
ems is heresy. What gentleman is 60
ing to declare that we have outlived
the leadership of Bayard, Thurman
and Jefferson? Are we have new lead
ers in the persons of the gentleman
from Tennessee (McMillin), the gentle
man from Illinois (Fithian) and the
gentleman from Georgia (Livingston)?
Are these to be our new apostles ? Are
we to go before the people and say
"Behold our progress See how the
Democratic party has grown" laugh
ter applause.) Are we to have q new
gospel preached and to say that we
have imbibed other doctrines from the
lights of the Democratic party? | pro-
test against that change. / protest
against that treason. | ask no privi-
leges for any class. / object to them
all. demand for every citizen of the
country equality before the law. AS /
believe in equality of salvation and in
the love Of the Heavenly Father, so I
stand here now for one policy, one coun-
try. one law, one God, one Democratic
faith, one general prosperity for all the
people. without distinction of class,
of wealth, Of race. Loud and gem
cral applause, which was twice re-
peated.)
When order was restored, Bryan,
Dem.) Of Nebraska, rose to reply. He
,complimented the eloquence of Cock
ran, but said that the David pebbles OF
truth would be more effective than the
Goliath javelin Of error. Continuing,
he said: The objections urged against
the income tax are more numerous
than weighty. Some have denied the
constitutiOnality of the income tax, but