The times., 1898-05-27
Further Discussion of the War
Revenue Bill in the Senate.
THE PEOPLE WANT NO BONDS
Senator White Denounces the Re-
publican scheme and Bond Issues
Unmeasured1y Senator Teller
Makes ringing Patriotic Speech
"A Lively Debate.


Senators Money. Hawley. Berry. Spooner.
Gray. Proctor. German. Cannon. Cockrell !
Bate, Pasco and Pettus.
The Sena4e met according TO agreement |
at II O'Clock. There were. however, but |
eight senator's in their seats when the |
Chairman's gavel fell. The absence of |
quorum was suggested by Mr.. Pettigrew |
and fifteen minutes were consumed in Sc |
curing the required attendance.
Mr. White of California then took the |
floor and stated his views on the war rev.
enue bill in a very comprehensive man
ner
He said that he should not criticise the
Administration. and that he believed Mr..
Mckinley was doing the best that was
possible under our unprepared condition
TO prosecute war.
He assumed that there was no differ
enee between senators as to the results
to be obtained, the only question being
that considering details. He maintained
that such differences would necessarily
always exist.
THE whole burden of the war will be
placed on three interests" said Mr.
White These are beer, tobacco and the
stamp tax They say beer is luxury and
an article of voluntary consumption. Tn
doubtedly it is a proper article of taxa
ton. Tobacco is also an article of lux
ury, but. together with beer. it Is an ar
ticle consumed by the great masses of the
laboring people.
II do not contend that these articles are
not a subject of legitimate taxation, but
that they ought not to bear two-thirds of
the burden. as is provided in this bill,''
referring to the war revenue measure.
Mr. White then indorsed the action of
the Senate committee in making few adj
dftions TO the articles to be taxed. but
he said, do not shift the burden from the
main subjects of that tax"
lie denounced the exception of the great
bulk of the wealth of the country from
being compelled to contribute its just
share toward the national defense.
why should a man be exempt because
he owns a certain kind or class of prop
erty?" he asked. ''Is that an excuse for
exempting him from taxation? I think
J corporations 4hould be taxed. It is not
denied that they derive benefits from the
| right 10 incorporate"
! He claimed that the right existed 10 tax
| corporations, and further that they were
! taxed during the last war.
That all men are equal before the law
| is one of the principles of the Consti-
| tuition, but that they do not stand equal
! before some members of this body is evil
/ dent by the speeches and bills which are
! presented here. The junior senator from
| Massachusetts said. the other day that
| the bank tax ought not to be tolerated.
! because, forsooth, the greater part of the
| money of the nation was in his section of
| the country "
] fla,, -nil IL,
! the time of the last war on transportation
| companies showed that the tax was ten
1 times greater at that time than is pro-
! posed in this bill.
NO man is too great or too small TO
| contribute to this war" Mr. White de-
| clared.
It was a matter more important than
| the war with Spain that we shall see
| whether we can or cannot levy and col
| lect a tax for the support of the Ameri-
| can republic from all of its industries and
| wealth, said Mr. White. He believed that
the masses of the country were absolute
| ly opposed TO the issuance of bonds
Mr. White then referred to an amend
| ment intended to be proposed by Mr. Cor
| man and he requested that IL be read
! stating that in case the clause now in the
! bill providing for a corporation tax should
not be adopted he would give his support
! to this amendment. The amendment was
| then read. as follows:
That from and after the passage of this act
| every person. firm, company or corporation own
ing or possessing, or having the care or manage
| ment OF any railroad. street railroad, sleeping
car, steamboat, ship or other vessel, engaged or
employed IN the business of transporting paSSen-
gers or freight for hire. or in transporting the
| mails of the United States. or carrying on or
doing an express business. or having the care or
| management Of any telegraphc or telephone line
| by which telegraphic telephone dispatches O,
| messages are received or transmitted or carving
on or doing the business of furnishing gas electric,
light, electric power, steam heat or steam power
| or refining petroleum refining sugar or own NJ
| or controlling any pipe line for transporting eli
or other products, whose gross annual receipts ex
ceed S250,00O. shall be subject to pay arnua Is
| special excise tax equivalent one-half of
| per cent on the gross amount of all receipts OF
such persons, firms, corporations and companies
| IN their respective business Provided, that the
| assessment hereby made shall not include any
| amount OF the receipts for the transportation cf
| persons, freight or mails between the United
States and any foreign port; but such tax shall
be rated for the transportation of per,ons freight
| or mails from a port within the United Stetes
and shall be assessed upon and collected from
| persons, firms, companies corporations within
the United States receiving hire or pay for such
! transportation OF persons freight or mails
Mr. White declared that despite all that
| could be done the burden of the war
would fall upon the common people. They
| would have to sacrifice their lives and
| give of their treasure and he appealed
| den of taxation that it would to some
extent reach the wealthy classes also.
| Mr.. Teller then took the floor to speak
on the bill. He said he was not in a
| physical condition to make a speech and
| nothing but the seeming irnpatience on
| the part of the senator in charge of the
| bill to hasten it's conclusion made him
| undertake to do so at this time He said
| 1t was evident that unless the bill received
careful attention at the hands of the
| Senate it would not receive the consider
| alton 1t needed.
Mr.. Teller thought 1t was not the time
| to make political capital, and that moth
| ing but patriotism ought 10 incite the ac-
ton of the legislative branch of the Gov
| ernment at this time.
He declared that the American people
today would pay annually without COM
| planning S200, 600 If it was just and
| eaultably laid toward carrying on this
| war.
eff I had my way I would put a tax
| upon salaries and would include every
member of this body. the House of Rem
| resentatives and all the employees of the
Government except those exempted by
| the Constitution. / know we are preclud-
| ed from this by the decision of the Su-
| preme Court and I do not wish to speak
| disrespectfully of that decision, although
| it was great shock to me-
| ''I have no doubt in my mind that the
| time will come when the American people
| will find themselves in need of the power
| to tax incomes"
| Mr.. Teller had not concluded his re-
| marks when the hour of o'clock arrived
| and he gave way to the special order
| He will resume the floor today at II