The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-21
FIGHT IS YET TO COME
On Amendments to the War
Measure in the Senate.
BONDS AND %GREENBACKS
Seven-Eiehths Of the Committee Amend
ments Agreed To, but the Most I'm
portant Ones Have Not Yet
Been Debated.

| washington, May 20.-At he cOnclu-
sion of to-day's session of the senate the
reading of the wal measure had been
completed. About seven-eighths Of the
amendments proposed by the senate
committee have been agreed to. Those
remaining are quite naturally the most
important in the bill. and will provoke
a deal Of discussion. The principal
amendments yet to be passed upon are
those relating to the issue of bonds and
certificates o Indebtedness, the tobac-
CO tax. the tax on proprietary articles,
the issue of g~reenbacks. the coinage OF
the silver seigniorage, the issue of sill
yer certificates, the inheritance tax and
the tax on corporations. The action
upon some of the amendments will be
dependent upon that on others. Mr..
Aldrich, rep, r. l., to-day offered as a
substitute for the paragraphs relating to
the coinage of seigniorage, the issue of
silver certificates and the issue of legal
tender notes, the bond provision pre-
ferred by the republican minority Of the
committee on finance. If the bond
provision should be accepted by the SEN
ate. the amendments offered by the
democrats in lieu of 1t will naturally be
rejected. Mr.. Daniel. DEM, Va, de-
livered a speech strongly opposing an
issue of bonds, and supporting the sub
stitute paragraphs proposed by the dem
ocratic majority of the finance COM
mittee.
Soon after the senate convened to-
day Mr.. Hale of Maine, chairman of the
committee on naval affairs, favorably
reported from the committee the house
joint resolution providing for organiza-
ton and enrolment of an auxiliary
naval force. which shall form an inner
line of defense. An amendment by the
senate committee provides that the
force shall not exceed 5000 men. The
resolution was passed.
The pending question was upon sec
ton 20 of the bill, which had been
stricken out by the senate committee.
The section authorizes every firm or
corporation selling goods under con-
tract to add to the price such tax as
might be levied by the law. Mr.. Cor
man of Maryland thought the para
graph out not to be stricken out. Mr..
Wolcott of Colorado advocated the elm
ination of the paragraph. He argue
that the question involved could well
be settled between the parties to the
contract. He thought II the law o
gave the seller the right to receive tax
in addition to the contract price, leg
islation was needed. The committee
amendment striking out the paragraph
was agreed to.
To the stamp tax provision the COM
mittee offered an amendment in the ma
ture of a substitute regarding the tax
on board of rad n stock exchange
transactions. it reads: Upon sales.
agreement of sale, or agreement to sell
any products or merchandise at any ex-
change or board of trade or any similar
place, either for present or future de-
livery, for each 800 in value of said
agreement or fractional part thereof In
excess of 800, n cent"
The amendment makes provisions for
the levying and collection of the tax
imposed. The amendment was agreed
10. Mr.. Daniels of Virginia then adj
dressed the senate on the general pro-
visions of the bill.
Every man in ~cong&ess, whatever his
political affiliations, Mr.. Daniel said, stood
sauarely behind the president and indi-
vidually and collectively would give him
earnest and sincere support. He maintain
ed. however, that absolutely no necessity
existed for plunging the country into a
great bonded debt on account of the ex-
isiting war. He was unwilling. he said. to
mortgage posterity. TO burden future gem
erations with a debt. the example OF
which would be a constant temptation to
e~xtravagance Mr.. Daniel maintained that
the authors of the house bill had protected
the wealth and taxed the poverty OF the
country.
Mr.. Daniel said the stamp tax was the
most odious and pestiferous tax invented
by man. II was a tax which must be paid
daily. In conclusion he expressed the
hope that the committee amendment levy
ing the tax on corporations would be
agreed to. as he was assured many or the
corporations themselves would not OBJ
ject and the people would most heartily
approve IL.
The committee amendment striking out
the tonnage tax was agreed to. The COM
mittee amendment relating to the taxa
ton of legacies and distributive shares Of
personal property was read. Mr.. Lodge
could see no good reason for excepting
requests from a wife to a husband or
from husband to a wife. He therefore
moved hat the provision making this ex-
emption be stricken from the bill. M.
Lodge said he was In favor OF an inherit
ance tax. but any exemptions or excep-
lions were unfair.
Mr.. Elkins opposed the levyfng by the
general government of an Inheritance tax.
Mr.. Lodges amendment was rejected.
Pending the discussion of an amend
ment by Mr.. Bacon the inheritance tax
paragraph was passed over.
Upon the completion OF the reading OF
the bill Mr.. Aldrich offered the bond pro-
vision and the provision authorizing GER
t~iicates OF Indebtedness as substitutes for
the sections of the bill reported by the
majority of the committee providing for
the coinage of silver seignioraee. the issue
of silver certificates and the issue Of
United States notes. The bill was then laid
aside.
The senate at 4:3s p. m. went into exec
utive session and shortly afterwards ad-
journed until tomorrow.