The Washington times., 1894-04-19
Whisky and Sugar Will Not Mix in
This Deal.
TRUSTS ARE MIGHTY THINGS
An Interesting Contest Being Waged Be-
tween Two Of the Greatest Evils at Present
Existing in This Country - The House
Practically Arrayed Against the Senate.


to the ring are being filed with stories OF the
desperate corruptions Of the trust. Recent
developments show that both ring and trust
are using every corrupt means known to Sc
cure their ends. The Wilson bill provided for
a very large deficit. and to make good part
OF that deficit the income tax feature was
stuck in. The sentiment of the West and
South is in favor OF such tax, but the East is
deadly hostile to it. The sugar trust is also
product of eastern soil, while the whisky ring
has more Of a Western flavor. SO 1t is practi-
cally the West against the East. The mem-
bers of the House have to answer to their con-
stitutuents every two years, and are not SO
easily controlled by the trusts as is the Sen
ate.
When the bill got into the Senate it was i'm
mediately attacked because it provided for a
deficit, and some of the Democratic Senators
opposed it. saying it was not in harmony with
the party platform, which demanded revenue
tariff. Republicans opposed it on the ground
that it was a blow at protection. All this op-
position was but to pave the way for the Sen
ate Finance Committee to get in its work Tor
the various trusts. The trusts demanded big
things. and the committee had first to set
about the work of making the deficit bigger
by adding to the free list in some cases and by
reducing the rates in others. Jones. vest,
and Mills were equal to the job set them. and
by some wild tinkering added about twenty
five millions to the deficiency; but about that
time Senator Brice got alarmed for some OF
the interests for which he was sponsor, and
caucus was called.
Then Hill, Murphy. Mcpherson, White, and
others began making demands for restora-
ton of yates. Mr.. Voorhees, had already
given the subcommittee to understand that
whisky must have another raise. Louisiana
demanded protection for sugar, the trust de-
manded Its share of the swag, all the country
demanded that the committee should make
speedy report, and the result was that
hotch-potch sort of bill was thrown into the
Senate, for which the committee would not
stand sponsor by making report. Some one
suggested that this bill provided for large
surplus. and the sugar..trust papers at once
began on the whisky ring.
The trust found champions and the ring
was assailed, and the people were told that
the ring would make millions if the bill be-
came law. 1t was known that Senator Noor-
hees was opposed at heart to the income tax.
and 1t was at once guessed that the bill had
been so constructed as to create a surplus. in
order that the income tax might be stricken
from it, as the surplus announced and the
prospective revenue from the tax were just
equal. Thirty millions of surplus and
thirty millions of a tax would be easily ar
ranged by simply knocking off the tax 1t
was soon developed that the tax had more
supporters than had been counted on, and
both trust and ring took the alarm. II the
tax should be retained one or the other OF the
trusts must suffer. Whisky felt pretty secure,
having the chairman of the committee for its
champion. The trust thought ii could rely
upon Hill, Brice and others, but protests from
the common people began to flow in on Sen
ators and Representatives. The common
people do not take well to the, idea of having
to pay two or three cents m' re on the pound
for their sugar just to enrich o trust, and they
threatened to make things he at home. They
had no money, but they had votes, and votes
would be- made to count.
The increase in the tax on whisky does not
affect all the people as the increase on the
price Of sugar will, so they said but little
about the whisky. 1t now appears tnat the
surplus will be much larger than was reported,
in fact about twice as large. SO striking out
the income tax will not solve the whole ques-
ton. but will still leave fromitwenty-fve TO
thirty millions of surplus. The people have
so radically condemned the piling up of q
surplus that neither party is willing 10 vote
for any measure that will produce much more
revenue than the needs of the government
demand. This unexpected surplus has awak-
ened the liveliest alarm among the various
trusts The war has broken ont with fresh
vigor and no one can see the end.
1t has also been developed that when the
bill is considered by paragraphs some addi-
tional duties will be added, which will still
further tend to increase the surplus. and thus
make the condition of the two great trusts
more precarious. Both Of the trusts fight the
income tax and then spend their remaining
energies in fighting each other. To them
every hour of delay is torture. The attention
of the people is being attracted to the fight
now going on, and if the debate is prolonged
the trusts fear both will fail.
Something must be sacrificed to keep the
trusts protected and il is said a proposition
has been made by the sugar trust looking to
a joining OF forces in favor of largely in
creasing the free list. If the free list can be
largely extended. and the income tax de-
feated. both trusts can keep what the COM
mlttee has given them. SO far the whisky
ring does not take very kindly to the propo-
sition for it feels much more secure than the
trust. and as yet has full faith in its ability to
down sugar. 1t is willing to help fight the
income tax. because some Of its champions
are opposed to that way of raising revenue.
but it is not at present, disposed to go any
further to help sugar.
A suggestion has been made that meets
with some favor and that is to strike out the
income tax, restore sugar TO the free list. and
provide for the deficiency that would be thus
made by adding an additional dollar on n
barrel on beer. This would again overshoot
the mark. for such AN addition would bring
with il quite large surplus. With such a
tax the rate on whisky could be restored to
what it was in the Wilson bill, and that the
ring will fight.
A.