The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-05
A ROUGH ROAD FOR WILSON
Democrats Inclined to Delay Action
On His Bill.


Lines-Demooratic Members Pur-
posely Left the House without a
Quorum Yesterday to Prevent Con-
sideration of the Bill.
Washington, Jan. 4.-The failure to es-
tablish quorum in the House this after
noon was due, in part, TO the refusal of
certain democratic representatives to re-
spond when their names were called.
Some of these gentlemen were in their
seats, others loitered about the corridors
while the roll call was in progress, while
others again quietly absented themselves
from the House when the session began,
and remained absent during the after
noon. 1t is significant that all of these
gentlemen, with possibly one or two ex-
ceptions, are dissatisfied with the tariff
bill. There was not, so far as can be
learned, however, any concert of action
among them to break quorum through
failure to answer to their names.
TO BE CRIPPLED BY DELAY.
One of the number, prominent eastern
democrat. said; Il am opposed to the
tariff bill; and if such a thing were pos
sible, am even more opposed to the in
come tax as reported by the ways and
means committee. | think the longer the
consideration of the tariff bill is delayed
the worse it will be for the bill That is
why am unwilling to vote to make a
quorum. | understand that it is the pur-
pose of the committee to incorporate the
income tax in the tariff bill without
accompanying it by a report showing the
amount of revenue which will be collected
and the manner of collection. That is
not the proper way to deal with ques-
tion SO important ] understand the COM
mittee to have no reliable data showing
the amount of the tax to be collected, and
l think it is better to wait until this has
been laid before us"
HAINEs ONE or TIE RECALCIrRANTs,
Representative Haines, of New York,
is another democratic member of the
House who is dissatisfied with the bill.
Mr.. Haines is one of the representatives
who was conspicuously absent from his
seat during the roll call, although he was
in and about the House during
the day. He regards the income
tax as part of a plan to divert
public attention from the tariff bill He
said this afternoon that he did not believe
that feature of the bill would pass the
House, nor in his Judgment, did he believe
the ways and means committee expected
1t to pass. Mr.. Haines thinks that pub
lie sentiment will condemn the income
tax so strongly that it will fail to become
law, and that duty of / cent per pound
will be laid on sugar to compensate for
any loss of revenue that would result
from failure to levy 2 per cent tax on
incomes.
CoMMITTEEMEN NOT TO SPEAK.
While no formal agreement has been
made TO that effect, Chairman Wilson, of
the committee on ways and means, SAYS
4 $sdx .1f .
tee, have expressed the opinion that it
would be well for them to refrain from
taking part in the general debate on the
tariff bill. OF course, Mr.. Wilson will
open the debate in general statement, in
accordance with the general understand
ing on that subject.
"The members of the committee" )" said
Mr. Wilson, twill defend the provisions
of the bill in the course of the tive-minute
debate; but they are so anxious to expe-
dite the passage of the bill that they will
probably not deliver formal speeches in
its support"
"Wiil the bill be voted on on the 22de"
was asked.
''We want to reach vote at about that
date" was Mr.. Wilson's response, s"but
there are so many contingencies which
may arise in the course of the debate that
the day for taking the vote has not been
determined. 1t will be about the 22d."
M'MILLIN DENIES AMY ARRANGEMENT.
Representative McMillin said no course
of action had been decided upon by the
members of the committee with regard TO
the debate.
81 take it that that Is a matter for in
dividual preference and Judgment to de-
eide, he said "If l speak it will prob
ably be toward the close of the debate -
A member of the minority Of the COM
mittee said. when asked If he knew any
thing about any arrangement of the
democrats not to speak: That's the
first I've heard of it, 1t cannot be carried
out, however, if it has been entered into
Bourke Cochran is sure to make a speech
against the income tax feature"
Representative Catchings. member of
the committee on rules, said this after
noon that no date had yet been fixed for
taking vote on the tariff bill. 1t would,
however, in his opinion, be taken between
the Goth and 25th inst.
After the House adjourned this after
noon, Chairman Holman of the caucus com
mittee issued call for meeting of the
democratic caucus tomorrow night at s
o'clock, to consider the tariff bill.
STUDY OF VOTE.
A study of the last vote in the House
to-day discloses some interesting, not to
say striking, facts. The four members
were Representative Adams, the new
member from Pennsylvania, Representa-
tive ONiell's successor, and Representa-
tive Mccall, of Massachusetts, who is
opposed to filibustering on principle, re-
puhlicans, and Representative Pence, of
Colorado, and Representative Boen, of
Minnesota, populists, The absence or
failure to vote of democratic rep
resentatives sufficiently accounts for
the inability of the majority TO proceed
with the Wilson bill. OF the democratic
members from New England, Messrs.
Everett,iof Massachusetts, Pigott and
DeF'orest, of Connecticut, only voted to
make quorum; ten of the eighteen dem
ocratic members from New York we're
not recorded, the six democratic repre-
sentatives from New Jersey were repre-
sented by Mr.. English alone, ana the six
of Louisiana all failed to respond to their
names except Mr.. Blanchard.
OUTSIDE THE RAIL.
BY not being within the rail when
their names were called, Mr.. Catchings,
Of Mississippi, member of the committee
on rules, and Mr.. Bynum, a member of
the committee on ways and means, failed
to get their names on the roll, although
they afterwards tried TO make good the
oversight. Mr.. Cochran, of New York,
and Mr. Stevens, of Massachuse It's, also
mem bers of the committee on ways and
n =