The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-28
ABSENCE OF PARTISAN RANcOR
Leaders Of the Two Parties Presented
Their Views
BUT ALL AGREE TO URGENT ACTION

| Washington, April 27-The general de-
| bate upon the measure framed by the ways
| and means committee to meet the extra
| ordinary expenditures of the war with
| Spain opened in the house today. 1t will
| continue through tomorrow and on Friday
| at o'clock the vote will be taken. There
was a signal absence of that partisan ram
cor which has always heretofore charac-
terized debates on revenue measures Both
sides, speaking through their respective
leaders, Messrs. Dingley and Bailey. con-
CURED in the necessity which existed for
the immediate raising of hundreds of mil
lions to prosecute the war, but the oppos-
ing doctrines which they held clashed at
the outset as to the methods by which reve-
nue. should be raised
MY. Dolliver, of Iowa, in by far the most
notable speech of the day, added to his
reputation as an orator. He asasiled the
position of the opposition in the early por-
ton of his speech but its partisan flavor
disappeared toward the close and he
aroused the house and galleries as with
eloquent words he touched the high, I'M
selfish cause of humanity in which the
United States had drawn the sword and
then melted his audience to tears as he
referred to the blowing up of the Maine
and the new commonwealth who would
j, rear as a monument to guard the memory
| of the unforgotten dead. The evening ses-
sion was devoted to brief speeches by men,
bers unable to secure time at the day ses-
| sion.
In Committee of the Whole
| The house in committee of the whole
took up the revenue bill Immediately after
| the reading of the journal, and Mr. Dingley
| then took the floor The bill, he said, was
| distinctly a war measure 1t was impor-
| tant that we stand as a unit, shoulder to
| shoulder, as 1t was only through such unit
| ed action that hostlities could be abbrevi-
| ated and be brought to an end at the earli-
| est possible moment War was now moro
| costly than formerly. This war demand
| upon our resources, he said, came just as
| the country was emerging from a long
period of deficiencies of revenue and was
| just beginning to see the light. Mr.. Ding.
| ley then proceeded with his argument,
pointing out the condition of the treasury,
the extraordinary demand upon it for war
| purposes and the necessity not only for
providing additional revenue which would
| be raised by the bill, but authorizing the
| secretary of the treasury to draw upon the
credit of the country. He followed closely
| the lines of the committees report He
| asked for united action in support of the
measure in order not only to impress Srain
but the countries of Europe with the pro-
| found conviction that the American con-
| gress and the American people stood
| shoulder to shoulder without regard to
i party in the determination to prosecute to
a successful termination the war we had
| undertaken.
| Mr.. Dingley spoke with great earnestness
and was listened to with profound atten-
| tion Many of the democrats left their
| places and took seats on the republican
side in order to hear the better. With
great impressiveness Mr.. Dingley said that
| unless all signs failed the war would not
be three months affair, nor six months
affair, but the more preparations we made,
| both for offense and defense, the shorter
| 1t would be-
Besieged with Questions
| When he reached the question of the
bond issue he was besieged with questions
| by Mr.. McMilln, Mr. Savers and other
democrats and there was some discussion
| of the probable cost of the war. Mr.. Say
| ers ventured estimate of 5000, 000, 900 per
| annum, which Mr.. Dingley rejected, call
| ing attention to the fact that the civil war
| cost 81, 100000 per annum Mr.. Sayers,
while avowing his willingness to vote every
dollar necessary to prosecute the war. con-
| tended that there was no necessity for au-
| thorizing in this bill the raising of 500, 0O9-
| 600 when congress would meet again in
| December.
A plethoric treasury in time of war, he
| spectators until it was gone.
Mr.. Dingley pointed out that the authori-
cation for $1,000 of bonds was simply
ain authorization. If not needed all the
| bonds would not be issued.
| Mr.. Dingley briefly discussed the propo-
| sition which the minority would advance
for an income tax as a substitute for the
| bond proposition. The supreme court had
decided the tax unconstitutional, and yet
1t was proposed in place of an AUTHORIZE
ton to borrow money to re-enact meas
ure which had already been decided against
the government. ''It SENS so preposterous
in such an emergency" said Mr.. Dingley,
that I can hardly believe such a PROPOSE
tlon is to be seriously presented"
To Coin Silver Absurdity
The proposition to coin the silver seign-
forage he characterized as one of the alb
| surdities of finance which was never heard
of beyond the borders of the United States.
| Seigniorage was the profit from coinage.
| We were not now coming silver.
Mr.. Dingley was given hearty round Of
/ applause when he concluded.
| Mr.. Bailey, the leader of the minority,
| followed Mr.. Dingley with the opening ar
| gument 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 ready to cooperate in placing
| at the disposal of the government every
| material aid for the prosecution Of the war
| to successful and speedy termination.
| There would be no differences of opinion
/ that the government should be abundantly
| provided with revenue. But, said he, the
minority would not be led or driven into
! Tho s"nnort of measures which commended