Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1894-01-26
HOW MATTERS STAND.
The Opponents OF an Income Tax
and Tariff Reform Badly
Frightened.

1 ErlBntoneus
There Is trouble ahead, and lots Of
it, for the opponents Of the income
tax and Democratic tariff retorA gen.
orally. The tariff reformsrs seem 10
have things all their own way, and
have had, practically, for thS past
week. In addition to this the income
tax bill has been favorably reported
by the ways and means committee
and ia now before the House backed
by the approval Of that body. The
result of all this Is that the opposition
is daily becoming worse demoralized
and more hopeless, while on the other
hand the reform element gathers
strength, and as each day has passed
they have received reinforcements.
For instance, that class of Democrats
whose interestsmoTed them to desire
and vote for protection on certain ar
tiCles, being disappointed, have turned
and joined hands with the free trad.
ers The southern Democrats who
wanted a tariff on coal failing to get
this, in spirit of revenge, are anxious
to put all things on the free list. "If
can't be protected, yen shall not be
protected" is the cry. The refusal Of
the House to put tariff on sugar, Its
further refusal to put a tariff on coal
and iron ore and its disposition to
further add to the free list have caua-
ed the opponents Of the income tax to
become thoroughly frightened. They
have hopes, however, Of finally defeat
ing the method Of taxation and that
through combination with the sugar,
tho iron and the coal men. Tho des-
perstion Of the opponents Of the in
come tax was shown in the speeches
of Gen. Dan Sickles. He was elected
to Congress from The city Of New
York and a Tammany Democrat. 1t
was in effect that he would vote against
anything in the customs bill having a
tendency to perpetrate the income
tax on the country, aud finally that
he would vote against the bill itself if
IT would have that effect. He was en-
Enthusiastically applauded by the Re.
publicans and by Congressman Hen
dirk OF New York, Democrat who
shared in the views of Congressman
Sickles. There was meeting Of the
New York delegation to consider this
tax and It was agreed to fight 1t in ev-
cry way known TO parliamentary law.
One of the participants in the meet
ing is said to have been so angry at
the prospect of an income tax law that
he offered a resolution binding the
New York delegation to vote against
the Wilson bill if assurances were not
had that it's passage would not result
in an income tax. This resolution
was withdrawn, however, and the par
ticipants in the meeting contented
themselves with agreeing to fight the
income. tax at every point
There is in the present bill tax on
cigarettes. The ways and means COM
mittee, It Is said, have put this single
revenue feature in the bill as a hook
on which they can hinge the whole
Of the internal revenue bill. IF an at
tempt were made to attach to the GUS
toms bill now under consideration the
revenue bill as an amendment the OBJ
lection that it was not germane might
lie, If there was not already In the
bill An internal tax-raising feature in
the shape Of the cigarette schedule,
If the amendment of the customs by
the attachment Of tho revenue bill
were to be carried out, then the in
come tax would be carried through in
the whirl, 1T being part of the inter-
nal revenue.