The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-06-01

we nave very m6FCllul OouSl coo'
1t won't tax the poor, poverty-stricken.
unhappy corporations! But the common
people can foot the bills for them
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 2S.-After
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 and half
hours today, when Mr.. Aldrich OR. H., one
of the Republican members Of the finance
committee, entered a motion to lay the
corporation tax amendment proposed by
the Democrats 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. Mr. German then pro-
posed his substitute providing for tax OF
corporations, but a vote on that was not
reached
The question when the bill came UP was
on the amendment by Mr.. German, which
provided for special excise tax upon all
corporations whose gross receipts are more
than $250000 per annum, of one-half of
per cent.
Mr.. Jones (Ark.) a member of the
finance committee, said he would be willing
to ACCEPT MI Germans amendment if it
were made to apply only a substitute
for that paragraph of the bill taxing rOal-
roads, street railroads and other transport
tatiOn companies. He objected, however,
to it's substitution for the paragraph levy
ing a tax upon all corporations.
Mr.. German presented argument in
favor OF his amendment.
Mr.. Lindsay (kyO suggested as a propo-
sition of law, it might be we'll for Mr..
German entirely to exempt from taxation
S25o.oo of the receipts of every corpora
ton. If the receipts did not reach $3.50 600
they would not be taxed. Mr.. German had
no particular objection to the suggestion
offered by Mr.. Lindsay.
In reply to the suggestion that the rate
OF tax he proposed should be reduced,
Mr.. German declared that the corpora
lions and their friends were making a
great mistake. in his judgment, in en-
deaVoring to escape from the proposed tax
and evade their just and equitable share
of the burdens of the war. Mr.. Daniel
favored tax upon the gross receipts Of
corporations and also income tax.
Mr.. WOlcOtt. member of the finance
committee, followed in advocacy of the po-
sition taken by the Republican minority
Addressing himself to the coinage of the
seignorage. Mr.. Wolcott advocated the plan
as q general proposition. but offered an
amendment directing the coinage TO pro-
ceed at the rate of not less than 81 900 900
per month. and authorizing the secretary
OF the treasury to issue silver certificates
as the silver is coined. He attacked the
proposition to issue greenbacks, and said:
Mr. President, am shocked and sur
prised now at men who l know are not
OF that POpuliStic element that simply
wants the coinage of silver tin or anything
/ else for the sake of having more money;
| men of the rock-ribbed Democratic party.
| party that has always been a hard
money party and continually declared it's
self DESTROYS of only gold and silver as
the money of the constitution, voting now
to put out Sl50,000.0GO of greenbacks with
cut dollar of gold or silver to back it up"
Mr. Wolcou supposed the minority bond
provision providing for bond issue in the
nature of popular loan He criticised
Secretary Gage, who. he said. recently ex-
pressed before the committee on finance
his belief that the people would not alb
sorb such a loan was proposed.
| His wish. | am inclined to believe" said
the senator was father to the thought
l trust he is the only man in the country
| who cheristes the belief"
A proposition was made to vote upon the
! amendment offered by Mr.. German limit
! ing the excise tax upon railroad. steam
boat. electric light, telegraph telephone.
express and other corporations to those
whose gross receipts exceed $3.50, 900 annu-
ally and making the tax one-half of / Der
cent.
Mr. Aldrich moved to lay upon the table
the amendment offered by the committee
| Ior winch Mr.. Gorman's amendment was
intended as a substitute. The motion to
table was made with the understanding
| that Mr.. Germans amendment should be
| voted upon should the motion to table pre-
vail. This brought the most importa Mt
, vote yet taken in the senate upon the bill
| The vote resulted in ayes Al and noes q
| as follows.
! Yeas-Aldrich, Allison. Bacon. Caffey,
| a NH1
banks, Foraker. Frye, Galligner, Gear.
| German. Hale, Hanna, Hansbrough Kyle,
! Lindsay Mcbride McEnery, Mcmillan, Ma
son, Mitchell. Morrill,, Murphy, Nelson,
Penrose, Perkins. Plat Comm. Pritchard,
Proctor. Quay. Sewall. Shoup, Spooner,
warren Wellington, Wetmore and VOL
! cott-41.
Nays-Allen. Bate Berry, Butler. Can
non. Chiffon. Clay. Cockrell, Daniel.
Faulkner. Harris, Heitfeld. Jones (Ark) f,
Jones (NevD. McLaurin, Mallory Mantle.
Money Morgan. Pasco, Pettigrew. Raw
White-27
MI. German under the arrangement that
a vote should be taken on his amendment.
| again offered it. modified as to make the
tax apply only to gross receipts of cor
| poratlons in excess of $3.50. 900 a year.
| MI. Nelson offered an amendment to the
proposition of Mr.. German, reducing the
! amount of tax levies from one-ha1f to ono
! quarter of 1 per cent
| Inc amendment was discussed in q de-
sultory way for an hour, Messrs Allen
Lindsay. Plat Comm. and White parti-
| cipating in the debate
MI. fettlgrew Is. d. gave notice OF
amendments he proposed to offer to Mr.
| Gorman's proposition and was PROCEEDING
10 speak upon them, but yielded to a mo.
uon Tor an executive session. The senate
, ADJOURNED till Tuesday.
We are sorry to observe that both
Minnesotas Senators-Davis and Mel.
son-voted against putting any tax upon
corporations And yet there are those
among their constituents who do no,
know where their next meal will come
from.
No income tax-no tax on corpora
tions--no tribute of any kind from ac
cumulated wealth!
And yet there are those who think The
Peoples party ought to be abolished.
| l. d.