The record-union., 1895-01-12

was there any power given to any Com
missioner of Internal revenue or to any
other officer to return taxes enormously
collected.
Hill spoke of how hard it would be to
maintain law to which the legal pro-
fesslon was opposed, and how the money
involved would be enlisted in the service
OF the lobbyists and the lawyers at both
ends of Pennsylvania avenue. 1t was
the duty OF the Senate to remove the am
bguities in the law while the matter was
before IL. If the antiquities in the law
were not removed it was reasonably cer-
tain the experiences connected with the
direct taxes OF the war period and it's re-
fund would pe repeated. The taxpayers
would beslege the treasury, the Court of
Claims and Congress 1or a refund of the
tax.
The Senator also questions the right of
Congress, under the Constitution, to tax
the income of notes, bonds or other Sc
curities issued by States or minor divi-
slonS of States. The income tax was not
1or securing revenue only, but to harass
and worry, and he asked: ''ShaIl the in
qulsitorial forms proposed by the Treas
ury Department be tolerated by Con-
gress? The great newspapers OF New
ork City were organized as corpora
tiOnS under the New Ork laws, and
must return their annual profits and pay
| two per cent. thereon" Why, the Sena-
WI SAShObB SOu1O VIC pONei utllSUU p6 COu-
lent with plain trustworthy statement
OF the animal net profit OF the enter
prlSeS? Many otthe questions put forward
III the treasury regulations had no war
rant in the law, unless the law empow-
| cred the department to put any question
it pleased. Many of the questions were
aDSurdly inQuiSitOrial. He had no eX-
pectation thai this Congress would repeal
The law now. An appropriation was
wanted TO carry IL out He conceded the
general rule TO be that there ought to
be all appropriation to carry out existing
laws. He had always been believer IL
that doctrine. The question has been
suggested whether this appropriation
was not taken out of the ordinary rule.
The statute had never been enforced. 1t
existed III the statutes. it was true, but
lor all practical purposes and effect the
law was just going on the statute books.
1t was Insisted OH as the price of legisla-
ton, and as a condition why Senators
should support 1t.
MIR. Hill reminded the Senate that he
had said the income tax proposition had
been placed in the bill 10 suit certain
Senators and certain members of Con-
gfeSS-nOt TO carry out a single Demo-
cratic doctrine. IL had never been de-
clared to be Democratic doctrine by
any National Convention of the party.
Mr.. Hill then referred to the remarks
OF MIR. Cockrell when he alluded to the
facts of his candidacy at the last New
ork democratic State Convention. He
child would point out TO the Senator the
fact that the same disapproval OF the in-
come tax (as that contained in the plat
form of the Democratic Convention was
also in the Republican State platform.
So far as the State of New York was con-
cerned, there was aud is but little differ
ence OF opinion on the subject. The
/ Senator from Missouri had forgotten TO
mention that in his state the Democratic
Convention favored the income tax. He
did not think any Democrat found very
much consolation IN referring to the re-
suit of tie election in Missouri, New
\ ork 8nd any other State.
I'VE must wait until the clouds roll
by" lie said, "and l suppose in some
future time the prospects of the party
Will reviVe.p
Mr.. Hill said the election was con-
demnatlon Oh the income tax, condem-
nation of the Wilson-G orman- Brice-
Smith bill, or whatever biIl it was; a con-
demuatiOn OF our legislation last sum
mer, and he thought the less said about
it at this time the better.
Further on Hill quoted the statement
from President Cleveland in his famous
Wilson letter." in which he told the
country how he deprecated the income
tax, and he lHilD did not think 1t prob
able that the President would disapDrove
OF its repeal if Congress should see fit to
repeal ii.
When Hill concluded Dubois CRep) of
Idaho began speech on the income tax
bill which dritted into silver, and was
taken to state the position OF the silver
men in the Senate on the currency ques-
ton. AS to the income tax, he said it
should be either enforced or wiped out,
Speaking more particularly of the cur
rency problem he said: Taking the
statements Of both sides OF the contro-
versy, the conclusion would seem to be
that, income tax or no income tax, there
is to be no permanent prosperity and no
relief from the distress which the cOun-
try is in so long as the present laws re-
main unchanged. The silver Senators,
so-called, insisted all through the debate
over the repeal of the Sherman Act that
unless other financial legislation took
the place OF the Sherman Act dire distress
would come to the country. The dstin-
guished Senator from Indiana Voorhees,
said during the debate that financial leg
iSiation would not stop with the repeal.
but that repeal would be supplemented
by legislation in behalf of slyer. Other
distinguished advocates of repeal stated
the same thing.
well, Mr.. President" said Mr.. Du-
bois, 1--WE have been waiting fifteen
months for this proposed legislation but
nothing has been offered. The longer we
wait the worse Off the country gels. II
does not take much of a financier nor an
adept III figures to arrive at the cOnclu-
sion that you cannot redeem 81, l43, l5O, $50
with Sl00 600, ,000 Of course l do not ad-
NIT, in fact insist, that the Government
is under no obligation to redeem this
volume OF paper money with gold; but
the Administration has insisted, and still
insists that no matter what sort of note
or what Is written on 1t, 1t must be paid
cold If ltG Hamanns Gold Trhoro
have been two bond issues Of $40. 600 900
each. Gold has been Withdrawn from
the banks to buy these bonds. AS soon
as the gold reached the treasury it COM
menced to dwindle away, being eX-
changed for these various paper notes
which were presented for payment. This
process can and will go on just as long as
the Government issues bonds and re-
deems its paper in gold. The only re-
suit is to burden the people with an in
creasing interest bearing debt. Any
scheme which proposes to enlarge the
currency without broadening the basis of
money OF ultimate redemption will GER
tainly add to our complications. That
| has been the chief fault with all bills for
| the reformation OF our currency system
| which have been formulated up to this
! time during this session of Congress.
/ sincerely believe four hfths of the men,
! berS OF this body conscientiouSly believe
there will be no permanent prosperity in
this country until the basis of our cur
rency is broadened."
Quay lRep.J of Pennsylvania moved to
postpone further consideration of the bill
and amendments until February lst. 1t
was the duty OF Congress to exert all its
power 10 prevent the collection of the in
come tax. 81 believe" he said, lit is
the highest privilege of the minority OF
this chamber TO prevent the carrying out
OF this highest crime of the criminal Tariff
Act placed on the statute books by the
last session OF this discrediIed Con-
/ grass -