Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-05
NOW WATCH THE SENATE.

Chicago Post: The senate may be relied
upon to hammer the bill into more present
able shape, by striking out the income tax
clause and substituting some less objection
able method for raising necessary revenues.
Minneapolis Tribune: 1t will take months
and successive struggles on every schedule,
with the closest majorities possible, to pass
any kind of a tariff or revenue measure
through the senate. What then passes the
| senate will come up again before the house
for another prolonged struggle there. Fin
ally, 1t will require a joint conference be-
tween the two houses to settle the Internal
difficulties in democratic ranks and produce
a measure which the party can pass through
both houses. If the country gets a tariff
bill before June 80, the end Of the fiscal
year, before the revenue deficiency reaches
$40, 900, 900 and before another bond issue
has been called, 1t will be decidedly and
surprisingly fortunate.
Chicago Times: 1t will take forty-three
votes to carry the Wilson bill through the
senate, supposing all senator's to be present
and voting. There are forty-four demo-
cratic senator's and three populists. The
latter may reasonably be expected to vote
for the Wilson bill, with the income tax
added to it. and their votes will more
than Offset any probable democratic defec-
ton. That there will be some votes cast
against the measure by democratic senators
is highly probable, but it is probable too that
some republican votes may be cast In its
favor. There will be long and stilted de-
bate In the senate, but the chances are that
the measure will become a law substan-
TALLY as 1t now stands. s10
Chicago Inter Ocean: The bill now goes
to the senate. Its passage in that body is by
no means assured. The total democratic
strength is forty-three; republican, thirty
eight; %populist, three; vacancies, four. II Is
believed that both of the senators from
Louisiana, also from New York, will vote
squarely against the bill. OF course every
republican will. 1t is not improbable that
some democratic senators who would dislike
to vote against the bill may be absent on
the roll call, preferring to have the bill lie
over until after the next fall election before
being made a law. In that event 1t Is rea-
sonably sure that the bill would never be-
come a law. But II is not expected.
In any event, that a vote will be reached In
the senate for two or three months at the
earliest.
Pioneer Press: The bill would probably
have been defeated in the house II the
democrats opposed to II had not felt certain
IL would be killed in the senate, and the
samo feeling accounts for It's receiving a
much larger vote than its friends expected.
Chicago Record: AS the bill now stands
IL does not provide sufficient revenue for the
government, does not conform with the dem
ocratic idea of a tariff for revenue, and,
contrary TO every rule and tradition or
democracy, establishes an income tax, one
of the most hateful on all forms OF taxa
ton to the American. The bill should be
stripped OF this harmful feature. II should
be made a revenue measure mainly by a
tax ON sugar. Its protective qualities
should be such as TO prevent the destruc-
ton OF any established industry, while bene-
Ats are AFFORDED both the manufactures and
the laborer by aids to cheaper production