The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-29
FIRST TEST VOTE TAKEN
WAR REVENUE MEASURE
MAKES SOME PROGRESS
Upon Corporations to Those
Whose Gross Receipts Exceed
S25O,OOO Annually and Making
the Tax One-HaIf of One Per Cent
Tabled-Magnitud of War.

WASHINGTON, May 2S.-After a
discussion which has lasted almost two
weeks, the senate this afternoon had
the first decisive vote on any feature
of the pending war revenue measure.
The bill had been under consideration
four hours and a half today when Mr..
,ldrich Or. II, one of the Republican
flembers of the finance committee, en-
cred a motion to lay the corporation
tax amendment proposed by the DEM
ccratic members of the committee on
the table.
1t was realized that this was the first
test of strength of the opposing ele
ments in the senate, and the roll call
was followed with deep interest. The
result was decisive. The amendment
was laid on the table, Al to q.
When the war measure was called up
sir. Allison said he hoped a vote could
now be secured on the corporation
tax proposition. The question was on
the amendment by Mr.. German (Md),
which provided for a special excise tax
upon all corporations whose gross re-
ceipts are more than $3.50, 900 per an
mum of one-half of one per cent
Mr.. Faulkner CIV. Va) suggested to
Mr.. German that he accept an amend
ment making the tax one-quarter of
one per cent
Mr.. German presented an argument
in favor of his amendment
Mr.. Lindsay, Kentucky, suggested as
proposition of law, it might be we'll
for Mr.. German entirely to exempt
from taxation $780, 900 of the receipts of
every corporation. If the receipts did
not reach S25O,000, they would not be
taxed
Mr.. German had no particular obiec-
zion to the suggestion offered by Mr..
Lindsay He declared that the cor
porations and their friends were max
Ing a great mistake, in his Judgment.
in endeavoring to escape from the pro,
posed tax and evade their Just and
equitable share of the burdens of the
war.
The vice president here laid before
me senate communication from the
OHIO legislature announcing the report
OF ONO senate committee on the inves-
uSatlon OF charges of bribery against
the junior Ohio senator, Mr. Hanna.
Inc communication was referred to the
committee on privileges
DEBATE RESUMED.
favor of an income tax.
Mr.. Wolcott, referring to the desir-
ability of placing the government in
favorable financial conditions at this
time, said that he was satisfied that
with the exception of Great Britain no
European country could conduct a war
with the United States without it sbeLi
Ing as expensive as the war with Spain
No foreign country except Great Brit
ain had colonies, which in time of war
Ii would be necessary for the United
States to occupy. No man could say
= that the war would come to a spec y
conclusion; and it could not be said
that it might not result in complica-
tons OF the most serious nature. 1t
would require but spark to set the
Whole of Europe af1ame, and that spark
might be struck from the clashing
swords Of the United States and Span
at any moment. He did not believe
that any country in Europe would in
tervene between the contending ma
tons, except on grounds of pure HUI
mainly, for not one cared to assume
the risk of a war confiagration that
might sweep the civilized world. Re-
ferring to the suggested enemity of
France to the United States, Mr.. VOL
cptt declared the people of the country
cid not reliably announce the position
of France. He was personally familiar
with the situation in France and was
-sa tisfied that except in the newspapers
and among a few of their followers
French sentiment toward the United
States was most friendly.
Concluding his speech Mr.. Wolcott
supported the minority bond provision
providing for bond issue in the ma
tue of a popular loan, which could be
taken by the people generally. He con-
tended such a loan would be readily
taken by popular subscription
At the conclusion of Mr. Wolcott's
speech a proposition was made to vote
upon the amendment afforded by Mr.