The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-06

Gratis, Populists and the silver Republicans
in the affirmative, while two Democrats
(Caffrey and Cray voted with the RepuD-
lcans in the negative.
Mr.. Mills moved TO amend Paragraph 995
by striking out books of all kinds" his
purpose being to place books on the free
list Rejected-1S to 2S.
An effort by Mr.. Mills to have the Bible
admitted free was defeated.
A new paragraph was inserted in the free
list: waters for sacramental use or for
covering or holding pharmaceutical prep
arations."
THE STAMP TAX AMENDMENT.
A legal discussion ensued s to the legal
ity of the provision that unstamped bonds
etc, shall be utterly void and shall not
be used in evidence" The stamp amend
ment as whole. was finally agreed to on
viva voca vote, no call for yea and
nay vote being made. The mo" response
was light and came from the Democratic
side of the chamber
Mr.. Allison proposed the amendment here
tofore offered by Mr.. Spooner for a tariff
inquiry by three members of the board of
appraisers.
Mr.. Teller took occasion. in this connec-
ton. to Criticise the committee for first
transforming the House bill and then
going back in substance to the House
rates. He tried to learn what amount OF
revenue the bill would yield and he said
he would be glad to have the chairman. Mr..
Allison, throw some light on that subject
This brought Mr. Allison TO his feet for
the first definite statement as to the reve-
nue. expected to be derived. He said it
was not possible for any expert to make
exact calculations on the amount of reVe-
nue. a tariff bill would yield. 1t had never
been done and never would be done. But
from the best information available" pro-
ceeded Mr.. Allison, u believe this bill Will
yield $175.000000 to $3.50 100000 the first year,
that is, from July J. 1897, to July l, 1898
He said the schedules had been gone over
at every stage, as successive changes were
made and he felt that this estimate could
be safely made 1t applied only to the first
year, after which there would be a much
larger yield of revenue.
How much the. second year?" queried
Mr.. White
'It depends" answered Mr.. Allison, but
1 would say something over $200,O0O,0 0G0"
How much over the present law?" asked
Mr.. Stewart
About SEQ, COO OOO.p responded Mir. ALI
son. But it will depend on the condition
of our industries. 1t is not possible to make
more than a general estimate"
Mr.. Vest remarked that the average ad
vaorem rate of the bill would be much
Mckinley ad valorem being 40 per cent. the
existing law 80 per cent, while the esu-
mate on the House bill was 81 per cent
Mr.. Allison said the average ad Yalorem
of the bill in its final form would be in
the neighborhood of so per cent.
TELLER'S CRITICISM.
Mr. Teller then arose He criticised the
estimates of the amount of the revenue the
bill would produce which had been offered
by the majority. He ridiculed Chairman
Dingley's estimate and referred to the ad-
mission that means must be found out
side of the bill as it came from the House
to supply the deficit. He spoke of the vari-
Gus propositions the finance committee had
advanced and then abandoned. The beer
tax he said, would not have cost the con-
sumner a single mill 1t would nave peen %
borne by the beer manufacturers, who had
been prosperous through the years OF IN
dustrail stagnation. But, continued Mr..
Teller. "a great election was pending in
one of the great States of the Union where
a large portion OF the voting population ana
not 6eeye IN tax 3i,o on beer So 1t mas was
were other methods of raising revenue with
out laying inordinate taxes on the neces-
saries of life. He said he had once been
greatly impressed with a remark Of Mr..
Allisons to the effect that we had in this
country more untouched and untaxed
means of revenue than any other country
of the world. Mr.. Teller contended II the
finance committee was looking for revenue
from 500 600 600 to $25, 100000 could be OBJ
tanned by a reduction of the internal reve-
nue. tax on whisky to the old rates, or even
lower. His argument was that the high tax
of 81 10 gallon stimulated Illicit distilling.
Mr. Teller charged that the wood alcohol
manufacturers were closely conpected with
greatest naildfactorlss Of wood alcohol was
owned by trust i might as well name
it," he said. 1T is the Sugar Trust, which
has boasted that it possessed strength
enough to prevent wood alcohol from being
placed on a footing with grain alcohol and
of preventing a reduction Of the tax in dis
titled spirits. The distillers of spirits had
been threatened. They had been told:
Gentlemen, if you interfere with wood al;
to nothing The whisky men feared the
vengeance of the combination against them
Have we not the skill dn o0d or Ia haye we not the
offered here to us?' asked Mr.. Teller.
''Have we reached that point where the
American Congress is powerless to do It's
duty it 1T y
Mr. Lindsay followed with a severe ar
raignment of the wood alcohol trust, which,
he said was reaping millions year by the
duty of $50 per gallon on it's product on
the one hand and the high internal revenue
tax which it did not have to pay on the
other.
Mr. Allen criticised the amendment as
designed to provide a partisan tarin COM
mission which could be relied on to make
jug g-handled report.
Mr.. Spooner defended his amendment,
which he said Mr.. Allen had not read
had completely misunderstood. Mr. spooner
denied the secretary of the treasury would,
under his amendment, have the power to
mitted to him. The commission would
furnish information which he hoped would
have beneficial results.
Mr. White thought the proposed commits
sion was unwise. He thought this amend
ment was declaration of the failure Of the
bill.
Mr. Caffery criticised the methods of
making the commission up. Mr.. Allen con-
tended that the Populist party. which he
resentation on any tariff commission.
Mr.. Morgan opposed the commission commission
had no right to delegate it's powers. He
drifted into, a general discussion Of the he, bill
1T seizes the pile of the people said he;
"and divides it among the politicians and
their friends
Mr. Allison briefly answered as to the
Spooner amendment and said, in view of
the opposition developed the committee
would withdraw the amendment, as it was
not felt to be sufficiently important to
further delay the bill.
A new amendment by Mr.. Morgan was
agreed to. without opposition, authorizing
the President, when he is satisfied that
it is to the public good, to suspend the op-
ing tonnage duty on merchandise COM
modties or on the vessels of foreign ma
tions carrying the same.
At $50 the bill was laid aside and, after
an executive session of ten minutes the
Senate adjourned.
EDUCATORS In SESSION.