The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-30
1T PASSES.
The War Revenue Bill Passed
the House
With All the Amendments of
Republicans.
PARTY LINES DRAWN.
All But Six of the Opposition
Voted Against 1t.
Bonds as Small as $50 to Be
Issued.
PARTY LINES DRAWN.

| Washington, April 30.-The house late
| yesterday passed the war revenue bill
| with only the amendments agreed upon
| by the Republican members of the
| ways and means committee added. In
| order to accomplish this a parliament
| tary vancouver was necessary, as the
whole time for amendments was ex-
| hausted by the minority in trying to
| amend the bond feature of the bill. Mr.
| Dingley offered as a substitute an en-
| tirely new bill containing these amend
ments after the bill had been reported
to the house. This was an old parlia-
mentary trick frequently resorted to
years ago. The Morrill, tariff law was
passed in this way in it's original form
after it had been loaded down with
amendments in committee of the whole.
Many amendments were offered to
the bond feature of the bill, ranging
from proposition for the substitution
of an income tax provision to an auth
orization for an issue of $3.50, 900, 900
greenbacks. But all were voted down.
At the last minute the Democrats de-
cided to offer the motion to recommit,
with instructions to report back the in
come tax proposition as an amendment
to the bill, instead of as a substitute
for the bond proposition. This was due
to the fact that a number of Democrats
declined to vote to strike out the bond
proposition. The motion was defeated,
1874 to 173. Four Republicans voted with
the Democrats and PopulistS on this
vote. But on the final passage of the
bill (Which was carried, ISL to 13D the
Democrats and Populists, with six ex-
ceptions, voted solidly against the bill.
The Democrats who voted for the bill
were Messrs. Cummings, Mcclellan and
GriggS of New York, Fitzgerald of Mas
sachusetts, McAfeer of Pennsylvania,
and Wheeler of Alabama. Two Re
'publicans, Messrs. Linney of North
Carolina and Thorpe of Virginia voted
with the opposition.
Quite a number of Democrats declin-
ed to vote.
The house convened at 10 o'clock this
general debate before the bill was ia
ken up at noon for amendment under
the f1ve-minute rule.
Mr. Bland (Dem-, MOI discussed the
bond feature of the bill, to which he
said the Democrats could never agree.
They could not agree to the issue oe
any more coin" bonds, which would be
construed under a Republican admins
tratiOn to mean nothing but gold. So
long as the minis We're closed to the
coinage of ore, half the money metal
of the world, the Democrats only under
circumstances of extreme stress could
consent to the issue of such bonds. He
argued the adVisability of the immedi-
ate coinage of the silver seignorage.
Mr.. Newlands (Sil. Rep, New argu-
ed that the war would be confined to
the navies of Spain and the United
States and that its duration would de-
pend upon how long Spain could main
tain upon the sea the guerrilla warfare
she had been accustomed to wage upon
land. He thought the war should be
vigorously prosecuted and apparent ex-
travagance now might prove economy
in the end. By the terms of the bill
twO-thirds of the taxes were to be laid
upon consumption and One-third upon
the current transactions of business.
Not dollar was to be recommended
from the accumulated wealth of the
country. This was unfair he said.
Mr.. GroSVenor (Rep., o. said at such
a crisis as this there were, as Stephen
A. Douglas said, but two classes in the
country, patriots and traitors. He was
ating from the Democratic side, how
ever, wild or unpractica BILE in good
faith. He would not impugn or even
suspect a lack of patriotism. Mr.. Gros-
venor then proceeded to criticise some
of these suggestions.
Other speakers were Messrs Curtis,
CRep., Kan.); Shafroth, (Sil Rep, COLI
and Brown, (Rep., o.
Mr.. Berry (Dem., Ky.) called atten-
ton to the remarkable coincidence that
by this bill it was proposed to issue
$500 600, the amount which Secretary
cage had recommended for the purpose
of redeeming the greenbacks. There
was no necessity for such an enormous
loan. The Notifications of Matanzas
had been reduced in 80 minutes. Ha-
Vana could be reduced in two hours,
and the war would be at an end. The
war should be pushed.
The reins should be 1oosened. Hava-
ippines before Dewey and the Spanish
fleet, crowding across the Atlantic be-
fore the onset of the flying squadron.
The seriousness of the situation was
thoroughly exaggerated. While our
fleet was being held in leach, the pop
ulation of Havana We're starving, and
the end for which we aimed, the relief
of humanity, was being defeated In
80 days, in his opinion, the war would
be over and the American flag would be
flying over Porto Rico and the Philip
pines.
On Mr. Dingley's motion, the lowest
denomination of bonds to be issued I'M
der the section, was reduced from $50
to $25.
A motion by Mr.. Lewis (Dem., wn),
to make the bonds redeemable specific
ally in gold or silver coin, at the option
of the government, was defeated, LOG to
136.
Another by Mr. Shafroth. to make the
bonds redeemable One-half in gold and
one-half in silver met a similar fate.
Several other propositions of the same |
tenor were voted down. The vote was |
then taken upon the McMillin income
tax substitute, and it was defeated, 123
to 143.
Mr.. Bland offered as a substitute |
provision to issue $3.50, 900 treasury |
notes. 1t was lost, LOG to 147.
Mr.. Lanham Dem., Tex.) moved to |
strike out the bond section, and it was I
lost, 103 to 131.
Mr.. Robinson Oem., Lao offered an |
ONAlSH VI the amendments prepared Dy
the minority members of the ways and |
means committee. It provided for the !
coinage of the silver seignorage. 1t was |
ruled out on point of order.
At O'Clock, under the order, the bill |
was reported to the house. AS Chair |
man Dingley had had no opportunity |
to offer the amendments agreed upon |
by the majority of the ways and means |
committee, he offered as a substitute |
bill containing these amendmentS.There |
was some question as to the regularity /
of this proceedings, but the speakerheld |