The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-28
REVENUE BILL UNDER DEBATE
Signal Absence of Partisan Rancor
Noticeable in the House.

Signal Absence of Partisan RancOr
Noticeable in the House.
Washington, April 27.-The general de-
and means committee to meet the extraor-
binary expenditures of the war with Spain
opened in the House to-day.
1t will continue through tomorrow and
on Friday at 4 o'clock the vote will be TAX
en-
There was signal absence of that par
t:san rancor which has always heretofore
characterized debates on revenue meas
ures.
Both sides of the House, speaking.
through their respective leaders, Messrs.
Dingley and Bailey, concurred in the ne
cessity which existed for the immediate
raising of hundreds of millions TO prose-
cute the war, but the opposing doctrines
which they held clasked at the first onset
over the methods by which the revenue
should be raised.
The reading of the, bill occupied an hour
and ten minutes.
Mr.. Dingley then took the floor to open
the debate The bill, he said, was dis
tinctly a war measure forced upon the
country by the war with Spain, in which
we were now engaged. In war, he said,
ID was essential that we should stand as
only through such united action that hoS>
tilities could be abbreviated and brought
to an end at the earliest possible moment.
Mr.. Dingley called attention TO the vast
cost of modern engines of war, which
made war now much more costly than
formerly This demand upon our resources,
he said, came just as the country was
emerging from a long period of deficiencies
of revenue and was just beginning to see
the light.
Mr.. Dingley spoke with great earnest
ness and was listened TO with profound
attention. Many Democrats left their
places and took seats on the Republican
side, in order, TO hear with better effect.
With great impressiveness he said that
unless all signs failed, the war would not
be a three months affair, nor a six
months affair, and the more preparations
we made for offense and defense the
shorter il would be.
When he reached the, question of the
bond issue he was besieged with questions
by Mr.. McMillin, Mr.. Sayers and other
Democrats.
Mr.. Savers ventured an estimate OF. $780,
100000 per annum as the cost of the war
which Mr.. Dingley rejected calling at
tention TO the fact that the civil war cost
81, t09O 900. coo per anhum.
Mr.. Dingey pointed out that the au-
lnOflIdti0n OF SJUJsUVUUUO OIL DOnOS was alIn-
oily an authorization. If not needed, all
the bonds would NOT be issued.
He briefly discussed the proposition
VIII 'ch the minority would advance for an
income tax as a substitute for the bond
proposition. The Supreme Court had
decided the tax unconstitutional,
and yet 1t was proposed
in place OF an authorization to borrow
money to, remind the government what
would come out of lawsuit which had
already been decided against the govern
ment. ut seems so preposterous in such
an emergency" said Mr.. Dlngley, that /
can hardly believe such proposition is to
be seriously presented"
Tine proposition TO coin the silver seig-
niOrage he characterized, as one of the
a'osurdities of finance which was never
heard Of beyond the borders of the Uni
ted States.
Mr.. Bailey, tho leader of the minority
followed MIR. Dingley. He said that his
side realized as much as the other the ne
cessity Of raising revenue to carry on the
war. and they stood willing 60 cooperate
In placing az the disposal of the govern
ment every material aid for the prosecu-
ton Of the war 10 a successful ana
speedy termination. But. said he, the mi-
nority would not be either led or driven
into the support Of measures which COM
mendod themselves Meth TO their con-
science nor judgment
Mr.. bailey criticised different features OF