The San Francisco call., 1898-04-28
Call Office, Riggs House,

Washington, April 27.
 The opening of three days debate on the war revenue measure attracted crowds to the House galleries to-day and the attendance on the floor was also large Rev. Hezwell who deliv- cred the invocation, asked the Divine aid and direction for our army and navy Without any evidence of excite ment or preliminaries of any kind the House went into committee of the whole, after the reading of the journal, and entered upon the consideration Of the bill. Owing to its importance Ding ley, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, did not ask that the first reading of the bill be dispensed with as usual with bills of minor impor- tance.
 Dingley emphasized the necessity of united action in support of the measure in order not only to impress Spain but the countries of Europe with the profound conviction that the American Congress and the American people stood shoulder to shoulder without regard to party in the determination to prosecute to a suc- cessful termination the war we had un- dertaken.
 and was listened to with profound atten- tion. Many of the Democrats left their places and took seats on the Republican side to hear the better. With great inn pressiveness Dingley said that unless all signs failed the war would not be three months affair, nor a six months affair. and that the more preparations we made, both for offense and defense, the shorter it would be. When he reacned the ques- with questions by McMiIlan. Savers and other Democrats, and there was some discussion of the probable cost of the war.
 Savers ventured an estimate of $500 000,- GOO per annum, which, Dingley rejected, calling attention to the fact that the Nirril JTar Savers, while avowing his willingness to vote every dollar necessary to prosecute the war, .contended that there was no ne cessity for authorizing in this bill the raising of s7OO, GOO ,O00 when Congress would meet again in December. ple- thoric treasury in time of war, be ar. gued, would invite endless schemes of spectators until it was gone.
 Dingley pointed out that the authoriZa- authorization. If not needed all the bonds would not be issued. Dingley briefly dis cussed the proposition which the minor ity would advance for an income tax as a substitute for the bond proposition The Supreme Court had declared the tax un- constitutional, and yet it was proposed money to renew law suit which had already been decided against the Gov ernment. Tt seems so preposterous in such an sd sad pgey ha be seriously presented The proposition to coin the silver seigniorage he charac- terised as one of the absurdities of finance which was never heard of beyond the borders of the United States. Seignior- age was the profit from coinage. We are not now coining silver.
 pingley was given a hearty round Of applause when he concluded
 Bailey, the leader of the minority, fol- lowed Dingley with the opening argument on his side. He said that his side realized as much as the other the necessity of raising revenue to carry on the war, and they stood willing to cooperate in plac- ing at the disposal of the Government every material aid for the prosecution of the war to a successful and speedy termi- nation. There would be no difference of opinion that the Government should be abundantly provided with revenue. But, said he, the minority would not be either led nor driven into the support of meas to thier conscience nor Judgment. They reserved the right to oppose the measures by which the majority proposed to pro- vide the war fund.
 Bailey spoke with trace of bitterness at the treatment the. minority had re- ceived at the hands of the majority. The chairman of the Ways and Means Com mittee had said that the pending bill fol- lowed closely the system of war taxation which obtained at the close of the Civil War. That system, Bailey said, had been fell most heavily upon the producing and consuming classes. Beer, tobacco and other articles were taxed, but in one re- spect. in his opinion utterly indefensible, the system in vogue at the end of the Civil War had been discarded. The tax on bank capital and bank deposits was tax would produce s1O ,OOOOOO. If there was one species of property above all others that ought to be the subject for extraordinary taxation 1t was bank de- posits, the only form of property owned by one class which was used by another. There were in banks of the United States s, TOO 900 ,000 of deposits.
 Proceeding with his criticism of this and some other features of the bill Bailey declared that, imperfect as it was, his side of the House would take 1t If the other side would accept their propo- sition for an income tax which would provide an additional income of $10O, 900 900. Democratic ,applause;l He thought the for war expenses) reasonable one
 Bailey also contended for the proposi- tion to coin s4S O0OOO of the silver seign- forage, and to that he thought an issue of s5S DOC, 900 of legal tender could be added with proprfety. The greenback circula- tion could be extended that far without danger.
 The gentleman from Maine (Dinglev) advocated the placing of a bonded debt on this country of $500 900 900. Whenever he would be willing to do this. but there was not, in his opinion, any necessity for for mortgaging that credit at this time l We propose said Bailey, ito tax the rich men now. rather than to mortgage the energies of the poor men for coming geneirasi99nsS, ger Ter si9a Applause on the Demo !
 Discussing the question of the Supreme courts decision of the income tax case. ne declared that no question was ever settled until 1t was settled rightly Bailey upon the constitutionality of an income tax; combating the theory that it was a direct tax inhibited by the constitution. Bailey said the. income tax provisions which the minority had drawn, and which would be offered by McMillin, had been drawn to meet that portion of the court s declslon which was. unanimous, and in winch he concurred, by exempting fed eral, state, county and municipal bonds Deliver (R) of Iowa a member of the Ways and Means Committee, was then recognized He was listened to with close attention and was frequently inter rupIed by applause He said in part:
 There are two ways in which a Gov ernment can support a large expense of this character either by collecting it in committee on Ways and Means has fulIv considered both methods, and we have made up our minds that the Government ought to pay as it goes so far as it can. is on every wrauuer