The times., 1898-06-06

Every effort is being put forth to mako
the six men who will form the confer
ence committee on the war revenue meas
ure the absolute arbiters Of the fate Of
that important enactment There is a
marked temper in both houses OF Con-
gress, however that will surely upset
any plans that may have been laid to
undo that which the majority OF the two
houses have determined shall be done
with respect to this measure. The dis
position of the bill after 1t passed the
Senate Saturday was somewhat unusual.
Instead Of sending il back TO the House
for action the Senate asked for confer
ence. rule is TO be passed by the House
today sending the bill 10 conference
without debate so that its fate will de-
pend upon the six men who will sit in
Judgment upon the work of the two
houses The managers for the Senate
will be Messrs. Allison. Aldrich, and
Jones. and for the House. Messrs. Ding
ley, Payne, and Bailey.
The conferees VIII begin their work to-
day promptly. and it is believed The diff
ferences between the two houses can be
adjusted so that the bill may be sent
to the President for his approval before
the end OF this week. The differences
between the houses are marked BY some
OF the most radical kind OF changes in
the text and provisions Of the BILL and IL
is understood that Mr.. Dingley will enter
upon the conferences somewhat exasper-
ated by the attack that has been made
/ upon his bill in the Senate, and the die
tatorial manner in which Mr.. Aldrich,
the tariff leader Of the Senate. has cast
aside what he did and substituted his
Z V@..a s.
leagues in the Senate. The Senator from
Rhode island was unhorsed in his fight
but once and that trick was so neatly
done by the youngest member OF the com
mittee that Mr.. Aldrich is still smarting
under the sting OF the defeat he received
during the closing hours Of the debate
The defeat was all the more bitter for
! the reason that il was in connection with
a schedule upon which various PROPOSE
tiOns were advanced in committee and %
none OF which would the Republican mem
bers Of the committee listen. Conscious
of the justness Of the claim he made Mr..
Chiffon notified Mr.. Aldrich that ne in
/ tended 10 carry the fight into the Senate
| and when schedule r relating TO the AK
/ on proprietary preparations came up for
consideration, Mr. Chiffon made q brief
address 70 the Senate and successfully
swept aside the opposition Of the RepubIi-
| can leaders and won the fight II was the
one schedule in which a tremendous effort
had been made 70 prevent changes. As
originally constructed and reported 10 the
Senate this schedule provided for taxation
that would have brought TO the govern
ment revenues aggrega ting something like
thirty million dollars. but at The instiga-
ton OF New England manufacturers
1 everything was expunged but patent med
icines and the large income promised was
reduced 10 A trifte less than ten per cent
OF the original estimate.
Mr.. Chiffon contended that If it was rev
enue the committee really desired rather
than the punishment Of certain men and
the protection Of others OF a more favored
class the schedule should be reconstructed
and all articles that could within reason
able bounds stand their share Of taxation.
should be included Mr.. Aldrich It is said
agreed 10 The principles enunciared and
suggested that Mr. Chiffon prepare an
| amendment that would incorporate his
/ IDEAS of what was right and proper. Il
was. therefore. by authority that Mr. Chill
/ ton prepared and submitted 70 the Senate
the amendment which 10 the great chagrfn
of those who were shielding certain in
dustries, appealed 10 the Senate and was
agreed 10 by a decisive majority Of ten
votes Some Of the straight Administra-
tion Republicans, recognizing the fustness
| Of the stand taken by Mr.. Chiffon. re-
/ fused 70 be held by the party whip and
supported the senator from Texas
| Thus It was that schedule was en-
! iarged and its scope extended so that il
| again become revenue producer. All ar
| ticles. substances. compounds and prepa-
/ rations made or sold or removed for sale
| under patent rights. trade marks or any
/ name or designation not open TO general
/ use, were added TO the schedule The on
/ " exception made was that Of food pro-
/ ducts Mr. ChiIt0n's amendment is in line
with the original proposition Of the House
! and Mr.. Dingley viii probably insist that
\ in some form at least Il be retained in the
/ bill
| The large majority in its favor in the
/ Senate will also prevent the managers on
/ the part Of the Senate from Welding the
| amendment IF they were so inclined and
| the Strorg probability. therefore. IS that in
1 some form the salient features of The Chill
| ton amendment will be retained The only
criticism against il Is that IL is in rather
crude shape and needs trimming In frs
| present formation it is doubtful II +, could
be successfully administered by the inter-
nal revenue department. This. however. IS
a question Of detail that can be quite east
| ~ remedied by the conference committee
| without destroying the provision Mr.
| Chiffon has emphasized the lack of judg-
| ment of the committee by securing the
! adoption of the amendment and all that
| in such way that the intent of the Senate
and of the House will be carried out. The
evident fairness OF the conferees will not
permit of a doubt that any other policy
will be pursued
II is understood that those interested in
seeing this amendment effective will sug-
gest that instead of the general wording
OF the proposition as II now stands there
be a reconstruction of the text Of sched-
ule 3 and of section 10. which will emu
merate the articles that are to be taxed
and that this enumeration will be con-
fined solely to such things upon which
the tax can be easily and readily collect
ed and which Will at the same time yield
a revenue adequate for the purpose. BY
thus enumerating the articles TO be taxed.
the cumbersome and ambiguous nature
of the amendment as we'll as of the or e
inal House provision IS removed without
its fairness and justness being interfered
with.
In his amendment Mr. Chiffon retained
the same rate the committee had provid-
ed on proprietary medicines-f cents on the
dollars woTth-but it is supposed that the
great extension of the scope OF the
amendment will cause a necessary reduc-
ton in the rate. with the chances in IA
vor of a tax of not more than I cent on
the dollars worth of retail valuation
Even at cent the increase in the rev
enue to be derived from the section Will
be enormous as compared with the emas-
culated form in which the section was
reported to the Senate and the lower rate
would remove the antagonism of many
industries that might otherwise make an
ugly fight in conference to escape taxa
tion altogether.
The one thing that Mr.. Chiffon has
done for which he deserves credit is that
he has emphasized the fact that no single