Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-20
WAR-REVENUE BILL.
Senate Makes Coed Progress in Con-
: Siderins II.
INFLUENCE OF The MONEY POWER.
II is HOre Potent Than President or
Congress, Says MCLaurlD.
DANIEL on TOBACCO TAX.
a ~ m ens he RafFnHCfiXe
DANIEL on TOBACCO TAX
Argument Against the Retroactive
Feature OF the House Bill-Hawaii-
nm Resolutions in the House Pro-
badly Next Week.

WASHINGTON, May 19.-While several
important paragraphs in the war-revenue
measure were passed over to-day for fu-
ture consideration, excellent progress was
made by the Senate i'm the consideration
of the bill Two-thirds of the measure
have been read, the committee amend
ments generally having been agreed TO.
Mr.. McLaurin DemocraD. of South Caro-
lima, opened the discussion of the bill to-
day, with carefully-prepared speech,
touching all of its features.
He was ready, he said, to vote for any
measure that would tend to bring the
war to a successful conclusion. People
on the island of Cuba are dying every
hour. Their condition is beyond the power
of description. Every day now means the
loss Of hundreds. perhaps thousands, of
| lives in Cuba, Mr.. McLaurin declared
| Liberty on the island is at stake, and the
war has placed our own national pres
| tige at stake.
Concerning the proposed issue of bonds,
| he said that there was an influence at
work in this country more powerful than
| the President, more potent than Con-
gress. 1t was the silent. secret influence
Of the money power. which was endea-
voring TO force an issue of bonds. once
the Senate. the forum of the people,
yields to this clamor, Mr. McLaurin de-
clared and becomes entangled in the
meshes of the money octopus. the people
will suffer, indeed.
ARMY OF JOBBERS.
There is an army in this country"
said he, Just as anxious to raid the
United States Treasury as our volunteers
are to raid the Island of Cuba. For the
army L refer to no volunteers are needed.
These jobbers and spectators form a
greater menace TO us than the war with
Spain"
Mr.. McLaurin defended the bnl as re-
ported by the majority of the Finance
Committee, and hoped that. with the
possible exception of the stamp-tax, which
he deemed unnecessary, the bill would
pass as reported.
He strongly urged the adoption of
the proposition to issue legal-tender notes
1T is the dealers in futures" declared
Mr.. McLaurin. the financial spectators
and cormorants, the transportation COM
panies, the manufacturers of ammunition,
who make money out of the war. Upon
these the financial burdens of the war
ought to fall, and not upon the families
of the men who 90 to the front to fight
for their country"
At the conclusion of Mr.. McLaurin's
speech the Clerk proceeded with the
reading of the bill.
When the paragraph providing for
stamp-taXes upon all transfers of stock
was considered, Mr.. Bacon, of Georgia.
said the committee had not carefully
covered agreements to sell stock. and
that If it should be established that an
agreement TO SELF should not bear
stamps unless an actual transfer of stock
took place, agreements might be made
and then a settlement effected between
the parties without an actual transfer
of stock. The paragraph was amended
so as to clearly cover all agreements to
sell stock, whether the stock is actually
transferred or not.
THE TOBACCO-TAX.
Mr.. Daniel, of Virginia, speaking upon
the tObacco-taX, expressed his gratifica-
ton that the Senate Committee had
stricken out the House provision subject
ing stocks on hand TO the additional tax
prcposed. He objected seriously to the
retroactive feature of the House bill as
aroused a storm Of protest in every COM
mercial centre of the country. He de-
clared that the adoption Of the retroac-
tive feature would result in the ruin of
all small dealers, and leave the tobacco
trade in the hands Of monopolies.
The proposition TO place a stamp-tax
upon proprietary articles and perfumeries
now in stock aroused lively discussion.
1t was regarded as retroactive legislation. |
and as such was opposed by many scna- |
tors. The paragraph has not been dis
posed of finally.
At 4:55 p. NJ, the Senate went into |
executive session, and at 5:35 p. NJ. ad-
journed.
HAWAII IN THE HOUSE
The adjournment of the House until !
Monday postpones until next week any |
consideration of the Hawaiian resolu- |
tions. The impression that the Commit
tee on Rules will provide for bringing up |
the resolutions next week is strong. II is
said that Speaker Reed is ready to yield |
to the demands for consideration. and IT /
is believed the revenue bill by the mid
die of the coming week will be so we'll |
on its way toward passage in the Senate
that action upon the Hawaiian matter in
the House will promise no delay i'm dis
posing OF the revenue bill This will re-
move the ground for what has been
weghty objection to acting upon the re-
solutions, upon the part of Mr. Dingley !
and a considerable element in the House.
and with that out OF the way it is be-
leved consideration of the Hawaiian
question will follow speedily.
An agreement to postpone considera-
ton of the Brown-Swanson election case
from the Fifth Virginia District until
the next session of Congress was reach
ed. Notice that the case would be called
up to-day was given yesterday
After passing the labor arbitration bill,
as amended by the Senate. and expert
encing a brief political tilt precipitated
l -