The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-28
HILLS LAST DITCH
Motion to Strike Out the
Income Tax Defeated
40 to "a.
VESTS STERN REBUKE
If We Search w omen on Steam
ship Docks, We May Well
Inspect Corporations
Books.
Serious Embarrassment Caused by
Hoar's Opposition to ProlOng-
ing the Appropriations.

WASHINGTON, June 2S, 1S94-The House
Joint resolution to continue all the regular
annual appropriation bills for one month,
after June 80, was laid before the Senate
and received its second reading
Mr. Cockrell dem, No. chairman of the
Committee on Appropriations, moved that
it be referred to that committee.
Mr.. Hoar rep, Mass gave notice that
when reported back he would move to
amend it by substituting for it the sundry
civil appropriation bill for the current
year. There was no reason. he said,
why the majority should discon-
tinue all the ordinary methods of max
ing appropriations for the support of
the government in order that it might pass
a tariff bill which the minority supposed to
be contrary to the opinion and desire of the
country and contrary to its true interest
He was confirmed in that opinion by the
statements of so many eminent Senators on
the Democratic side of the Chamber. Two
eminent Senators on that side (Messrs. Hill
and Gray had declared that certain pro-
visions of the bill wiped out the sovereignty
and autonomy of the States, and that the
income tax was not only socialistic and sec
tional, but that it was a blow at property
itself There were six appropriation bills
awaiting the action of the Senate and the
proper way would be to take them up. one
by one, and devote an evening or day to
each of them.
Mr. Hoar was still speaking when, at half
past ten A. NJ. the Vice President inter-
rupted him and laid before the Senate the
tariff bill.
The motion to refer the joint resolution
for the continuance of the appropriations
went over, therefore, without action
THE CORPORATION TAX
pI1acfjOI1 Ivbap tho I'd
iourned Yesterday was section 66 of the tariff
bill. which requires business corporations to
keep full, regular and accurate books of ac-
count, which shall be, at all reasonable
times, open to the inspection of internal
revenue officers An amendment had been
offered to it by Mr.. Hill dem, n W SO as
to make it read Reasonable hours between
March and August l in each year, and
Mr. Chandler rep, n. H. moved to add to
DIR. Hills amendment the words son due
order of some judge of United States
Court"
Mr.. Teller rep, Colo said that the sec
tion was certainly Objectionable and ought
to be reformed, or withdrawn entirely. He
was in favor of an income tax but such
tax ought not to be made odious to every
lover of liberty in this country and all over
the world. There were certain principles of
government which could not be sneered at
laughed down, or treated as trifes.
There was no earthly reason why the pur-
not be accomplished in constitutional
regular manner; and if the Finance Com
nlittee were so desirouS to have things Just as
they wanted them, it would have to take
the consequences. He admitted the right
of the Government to require for
taxation purposes corporations to keep
books, and to have access to them in a pro-
per wav But how! Were the books to be
kept open every day for the idle curiosity of
revenue officer, or worse than that, for the
f,1,
Spectators might operate? The government
had no need of an inspection of books
except once year, when the return of the
corporation was made. He repeated that he
wanted to vote for the income tax, but he
did not want to vote for IL IN an obnoxious
way; and he would not do So
TO MAKE IT OBNOXIOUS.
Mr.. Manderson. (Rep. Neb.) said ithat no
one could read the section without wonder
ing how it came into the hill Unlike the
Senator from Colorado, he (Mr. Manderson)
was not in favor of an income tax either on
individuals or on corporations; and he would
endeavor to make the income provisions of
Che bill as Objectionable as possible
in the hope that the Senate would ultimately
strike out all the provisions relating to
the income tax. He believed the income
tax TO be unjustifiable as method of col
lecting revenue except in case of dire neces-
sity such as war necessity
He believed that in time
OF p6ace, an income TAX was q most danger
GUS step in the direction of socialism on the
one hand, and, on the other hand in the di-
rection of creating a money aristocracy
which, paying the expenses of the Govern
ment, would ultimately seek its entire con
troll
Mr.. Allison rep, Iowa. appealed to Mr..
Vest to adopt Mr.. Teller's suggestion and
withdraw the section entirely, and Mr..
Chandler rep, N. II J also appealed to Mr.
Vest to ''abate somewhat of his obstinacy
and allow the section TO go out
VEST SITS UPON HILL.
Mr. Vest dem. MOI in charge of this
part of the bill, said that he could not as
cent to the request that the whole section be
struck out But he had no pride of opinion
about IT, He was not its author. It had
sentatives. 1t had been approved by
the Treasury Department and it was
thought necessary and proper by the
commissioner CT internal revenue. At the
same time he appreciated the force of Mr..
Teller's remarks in regard to the seeming
harshness of its provisions: but he paid no
attention to the rhapsodies INDUCED in by
some Senators as to the palladium of the
Constitution.
'.In other words" Mr. Hill suggested ''you
admit the legal points, but deny the appro-
priateness OF the rhetoric.0
~ do not allow the Senator from New
York Mr. Vest retorted with asperity, ito
make any part of my speech for
me. l simply desire to say that
sne provision in this section is not
90 harsh as many other provisions
which have not elected any protests When
we submit to having women examined by
Custom House officers, and made to take off
her clothing, we should not be SO extremely
critical in an enactment as to examining the
books Of a business corporation.D
MOVE TO STRIKE OUT.
All the sections relating to the income tax
having been disposed Of in the Senate,
motion was made by Mr.. Hill
tdem., N. W to strike them all out
of the bill. The motion was rejected,
yeas "a, nays 40 Messrs. Hill and
Smith were the only Democrats who voted
aye; but Mr. Smith stated that if his col
league (Mr McPherson) were present. he
would have voted aye. The Populist Sena-
tors, Allen, Kyle and Peffer, voted no; also
the Republican Senators, Hansbrough,
Mitchell of Oregon, Pettigrew and Teller.
SERIOUS SITUATION.
A serious prospect is opened up by the
determined fight which Mr. Hoar is making
Ia the Senate against the passage Of the