St. Paul daily globe., 1894-01-07
DEMOCRATIC onJEoroRs.
Iir. sperry Defines Their Position
on the Sifnation.

on the SltnatIcD.
WAsHINGToN, Jan. 6.-Representa-
tive Sperry, who represents the Demo
cratic Objector5 to the Wilson bill, tried
unsucccssfully in the house throughout
the day to secure recognition i'll order
TO recommit the tari bill, with fn5truc-
tions to prepare and submit tha internal
revenue feature before asking for a
special rule closing debate. Mr.. Sperry
tried to bring the resolution in as
matter of privilege. but Speaker Crisp
persiStently refused to recognize him.
Mr.. Sperry states lie position OF the
Democratic opposition as follows: ''The
parliamentary situation in the house at
the present time is this: The ways and
means committee has reported n tariff
bill which shows S75, ,000.00 deficiency,
as compared witt the receipts under the
present law. They are also expected to
report all internal revenue bill, and as a
part of that bill. the Democratic end
of the ways and means committee
has agreed by majority of one to an
income tax. The tariff bill has been re-
ported, estimates made. and every one
is informed OIL its details. and is able TO
act intelligentiy. But the internal rev
enue bill has not been reported. and no
one knows, not even the members of
the committee. what provisions that bill
will contain when it is finally reported.
1t has been the settled policy of the
ways and means Committee that the
tariff and internal revenue bills should
be separately prepared, separately pre-
faiv
Within the last week intimations have
been made by members of the ways and
means committee that the internal rev.
enue bill would be attached to the tariff
bill as all amendment. And yet no III
ternal revenue bill has been prepared,
and nothing is known as to the amount
of revenue it would yield to the gov
ernment. With these conditions con-
fronting the house, the ways and means
committee has sought the aid of the
rules cOmmitlee, and has brought in
rule by which they propose to limit de-
bate upon the subject matter of legis-
lation. which is not yet in
form, and OIL which no member
of congress has authentic infOrma-
ton. In other words, the committee
on rules proposed 10 adopt cloture
rule limiting debate and fixing time for
vote, and tnen TO offer the bill for
consideration. 1t does not. perhaps,
make so much difference whether the
tariff bill and the revenue bill are con-
sidered separately or together, but it
seems to me that every congressman is
entitled to have the intended legislation
put into print with the majority and
minority reports of the committee, with
estimates OF the results Of the legisla-
ton. if enacted, and is entitled to tina
before he is expected TO vote on a clo-
ture on a bill that is not in existence. L
don't think there is any disposition to
prevent consideration of tariff bill, or
of an internal revenue bill. and
the objections are due to the fact that
the ways and means committee have
not yet fully formulated legislation, and
have not put the bill i'll shape except iii
part, and have not decided whether an
internal revenue bill shall or shall not
be introduced separately or as part of
the tariff bill. Until the ways and
means committee decide what they in
tend to do they can hardly object if we
delay further proceedings in the house
until that committee shall decide what
course Of action they expect to pursue"