The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-04-18
Hill Scores Grover.
SAYS THE INCOME TAX FEATURE
WILL DEFEAT THE WILSON BILL.

Not since the exciting day when the tariff
debate closed in the House has there been
such a crowd in the Capitol as thronged its
galleries and blockaded the corridors of the
Senate on Tuesday upon the delivery Of Mr..
Hills anti-administrztion and anti-income
tax speech. Even the diplomatic gallery
was crowded with members Of the Diplo-
matte Corps and their ladies.
Il was evident on every hand that there
was keen appreciation Of the fact that the
tariff debate in the Senate had reached q
stage where the dissensiOn liz the Democrat
ie party was to be fully disclosed.
Senator Hill had spent many weeks in the
preparation Of his speech. and beyond the
fact that be was TO attack the income tax
feature Of the bill the nature Of his arg1-
ment had been carefully preserved as a Sc
cret His opening passage, in which he Sc
verely scored the Cleveland administration,
excited the most profound interest and the
unconcealed appreciation not only Of his
Republican auditors, but Of large portion
Of the Democratic side.
His arraignment OF the Hawaiian policy
Of Mr.. Cleveland as "a blunder worse than
a crime was openly commented on by ma
nv Of the Democrats who surrounded his
desk.
Mr.. Hills criticism Of the income tax
proposition was analytical, caustic and over
whelming. He maintained that the neces-
sites Of the government did moi require an
income tax, and that should the bin as
amended by the Senate become law it
would create a surplus of S55OOO.OO0. The
surplus minus the income tax would be So,
O00. 600, so there was no justification from q
revenue point Of view Of the retention o.
this odious feature. Well along toward the
end of his speech Senator Hill made most
significant declaration
He said that if the income tax were not
stricken out of the bill it must result in the
defeat Of the whole measure, and if defeat
shall fall upon the whole bill" exclaimed
the Senator, pointing significantly toward
| Chairman VOORHEES,, let the responsibility
rest where it belongs"
There was a great deal Of whispered com
I ment on the Republican side at this point il
satisfaction at Hills prophecy Of defeat 70
the Democratic tariff measure. One OF tn
/ strongest arguments made by Senator Hill II
/ opposition 10 the income tax was that
would compel the states to abandon thei
system Of taxation upon incomes from cor
porations This is peculiarly applicable tt
| Pennsylvania.
Reflections upon President Cleveland wer
frequent, and the enmity between Mr.. Hi
and the Chief Executive will only be iuten
silied by this speech. Mr.. Hill alluded L
the President as politician" The South
ern Senators found little comfort in Nj
Hills statement that the tariff bill wa
based on sectional lines. He showed this
the Eastern and Middle states together hat
paid Il per cent. Of the income tax imposes
as a necessity of the war.
One Of the strongest passages Of Mr.. Hill
speech was that in which he exposed th'
absurd sources from which the tariff bill
would produce a. general business prOstrs
ton, public deficits and private bankrupt
cy."
His Democratic colleagues listened Wit
startled ears to Mr.. Hills solemn warnin
that the income tax would defeat this bill
aud that the failure of tariff revision woul'
mean 'the defeat, the decentralization, if nc
the division and humiliation, of the Demo
cratic party"