Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-26
THE INTERNAL REVENUE BILL
Action of the Democratic Caucus On Il
Yesterday.
To Be offered ms an Amendment to the
Customs Bill-A Heated
Discussion.

came as a relief TO the strained nerves OF
Congress after the contentious OF yester-
day. From the beginning of the day un-
I'll the soothing session after supper the
feeling about the House was at high ten
sion. The obvious determination OF the
income-tax men to have the internal reve-
nue. bin added to the Wilson bin as an
amendment in spite of the action OF a
majority of the committee on ways and
means and the assurance that the repub-
licans would help them in the committee
of the whole to accomplish this. the arrival
OF Croker, the Tammany chief, from New
YORK for the avowed purpose Of defeating
the income-tax proposition and indirectly
to fight the whole tariff bill the fight Of
democrats by hlibustering methods against
the dill on the floor of the House ana fnal-
ly the assembling of a caucus to override
the action of the ways and means COM
mittee as to a separate internal revenue
bill-all these presented a condition of af-
fairs calculated to cause a feeling of exc
element and to awaken anxiety among
the democrats.
The Caucus Action.
Shortly after 4 O'Clock the House took q
recess. and the democrats at once went
into caucus on the income-tax question.
About l6i were present. and the bitterness
tons manifested Itself in an unusual
amount. of confusion and a disposition 10
be impatient Mr.. Fithian of Illinois at
the beginning presented the following reso-
luton:
Resolved. that it is the sense Of this eau
Gus OF the democratic members OF the
Eifty-third Congress that House bull en-
titled "A bill TO impose a tax on corporate
and individual incomes. to increase the
tax on distilled spirits ana for other FUR
poses" be offered as an amendment to the
! present tariff bill now under discussion by
the Egfty-third Congress.
This resolution was supported Ivy Messrs.
Hatch of Missouri, Bryan of Nebraska,
Hall of Missouri and by Mr.. Ffthian him
self, the latter's speech being greeted with
hearty applause. Mr.. Reilly of Pennsyl-
vania- Gen. Black of Illinois. Mr. Tracy
/ of New York and Ir. Wilson. chairman
OF the committee on ways and means, op-
posed the resolution. Mr. Wilson was per-
mitted by unanimous consent 20 speak
twenty minutes. although at first the
/ tion TO grant him this extension of time
1.-THE caucus was operating under the five
minute rule was objected to by Mr.. l.iy-
! ingston of Georgia, who subsequently with
| drew his objection. Mr.. Wilson appealed
TO Mr.. Fithian TO withdraw his resolution.
, and failing in this proposed as substitute
for il resolution to the effect that the
| internal revenue bill be taken up next
| Tuesday. after the Wilson bill should have
been voted upon by the House, ami two
| argued that to attach the internal revenue
bill with the income tax feature 10 the
pending measure put the latter In great
peril. He pointed out that this was essen
| TALLY the republican program. They de-
sired and would vote 10 have the income
tax bill attached 10 the tariff bill. but
would then vote against the passage OF tho
/ combined measure.
Mr.. McMiIlin's Point.
Mir. McMillin. a member Of the commit
tee on ways and means. and author Of the
internal revenue bill. advocated Mr.. Fifth
! ian's resolution. He made the point that IL
would be necessary for the government a.
quickly possible to realize receipts from
The various sources of revenue that were
3 open 10 II. AS soon as the internal reve-
n ne bill became a law a portion at least OF
| the increased tax on whisky would be avail
able, ana IL was both expedient and wise
; TO make no decay IN the enactment OF the
internal revenue features into law.
The proposition of Mr.. Fithian was COM
bated by Mr.. Cultivate OF Ohio a MEM
Der Of the committee on rules. and by Mr..
Bourke Cochran Of New York. of the ways
and means committee. whose opposition to
I the income tax scheme is well known.
the interest in the question developed
considerable heat at times especially while
Messrs. Wilson, McMillin and Cochran were
! talking. They were piled with questions
from many OF the members of the caucus.
and at times IL was almost impossible TO
distinguish what was being said. At the
close of Mr.. Cockrans remarks the vote
was taken upon Mr.. Wilson's substitute
through tellers. resulting-yeas. al: nays,
So
On motion Of Mr.. Bryan of Nebraska Mr..
Fithian's resolution WAS amended so as to
provide for three days of debate upon the
internal revenue part of the bill and was
then adopted viva voce. The effect of this
action is TO postpone from next Monday
until Thursday. the LIST OF February. a vote
upon the pending measure. The COMMITTEES
on rules is requested to bring in the neces-
| Sary order tomorrow.
LIS the Action Bindfneg
As the members separated Representa-
! tive Cochran shouted to the chairman. II
wish you would announce that the vote OF
the caucus does not bind any one" to
which Representative Holman. who was In
the chair, responded. 1T binds every one"
Before the caucus adjourned a letter was
read from Senator German suggesting that
action be- taken looking toward the ap-
I pOintment of n congressional campaign
COMMITTEES. 1t was decided that the various
state delegations should name their respec-
: tive members of the committee and COM
municate them to the secretary. The COM
mittee is TO meet. IL was stated. on the 2lst
OF February.
The Night Session.
Half an hour after the close OF the eau
Gus the House was again i'm session, ana
over the hall there re!gned a calm such as
is found when eulogies are being uttered.
]
and the sharp tones OF the speakers voices
as they spoke one after the other broke
harshly upon the stiffness of the empty
cloak rooms and corridors. The galleries
were crowded during the early part Of the
session Now and then the galleries broke
out in applause. and the chair warned
them finally that these demonstrations dis
tCrbed the quiet Of the House. They did
not know whether to take this seriously
or not. but some were irreverent enough
to laugh.
one of the strongest discussions of the
! constitutional aspect Of the tariff ques-
ton and analytical examinations OF the
principles of government which has &C.
I CURED during the entire debate the
Wilson bill was furnished by the speech
of Mr.. Cobb OF Alabama, who is one OF
the strong lawyers of the House.
The galleries seemed TO take more inter-
est. however in an old story repeated by
MIR. Hicks of Pennsylvania. about the boy
who was selling puppy dogs at political
meetings
The other speakers were Hutchinson
Crexas). Cobb tAla.), Goodnight tkyD and
Hines pa.
For the senate From Mississippi.