The herald., 1898-04-30
PROVES AS EFFECTIVE AS IN
OLD TIMES
OBJECTION TO ISSUE OF BONDS
Was Not Strong Enough to Induce
Many Democrats to Vote Against
the Bill
Associated Press Special Wire

dav nassed the war revenue bill, with only
the amendments agreed upon by the fe-
publican members of the ways and means
committee added. In order to accomplish
this a parliamentary maneuver was neces-
sary, as the whole time for amendments
was exhausted by the minority In trying TO
amend the bond feature of the bill. Ding
ley offered as a substitute an entirely new
bill containing these amendments, after
the bill had been reported to the house.
This was an old parliamentary trick ire
quently resorted to years ago. The Morrill,
tariff law was passed in this way In Its
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 in
come tax provision to an authorization for
an issue Of $3.50, ,OO00 900 of greenbacks, but
all were voted down. At the last minute
the Democrats decided to offer motion to
recommit, with instructions to report back
the income tax proposition as an amend
ment to the bill instead of as substitute
for the bond proposition. This was due
to the fact that a number of Democrats
declined to vote to strike out the bond
provision. The motion was defeated-lA
to 173. Four Republicans voted with the
Democrats and Populists on this vote, but
on the final passage of the bill (Which was
carried--1S1 to 1919 the Democrats and Pop
ulists, with six exceptions, voted sohdly
against the bill. The Democrats who voted
for the bill are: Cummings, Mcclellan and
Griggs of New York, Fitzgerald of Massa-
chusetts, McAleer of Pennsylvania and
Wheeler of Alabama. Two Republicans
Linney of North Carolina and Thorp of
Virginia-voted with the opposition Quite
a number Of Democrats declined to vote.
The house convened at 10 o'clock to al
low two hours more general debate on the
revenue bill before the bill was taken up
at noon for amendment under the five
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 of any more
"con" bonds. which would be construed
under a Republican administration to
mean nothing but gold. So long as the
mints were closed to the coinage of one
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 advisable
ity of the immediate coinage OF the silver
seigniorage.
AT noon the house went through the for
mality of adjourning and reconvening.
Then, under the order, the bill was taken
up for amendment under the five-minute
rule.
Under the arrangement made. the bond
sections of the bill were first to be open
to amendment.
McMilin of Tennessee, Democrat, Of
fered, on behalf of the minority, the
amendment to strike out section q. the
bond provision. and insert in lieu thereof
the income tax amendment. 1t is identi-
cal with the income tax provision of the
Wilson tariff law, with the taxable in
come reduced from $4,000 to $4,000 per annum
and the per cent increased from to per-
cent.
Vendley of Delaware, Democrat, Of
fered an amendment which was voted
down, to reduce the bond authorize ton
from $500 100000 to $1,000 900.
On Dingleys motion, the lowest denom-
ination OF bonds to be issued under the
section was reduced from $50 to s25.
A motion by Lewis Of Washington, DEM
ocrat, to make the bonds redeemable
specifically in gold or silver coin, at the
option of the government, was defeated
l06 to 103.
Another by Shafroth, to make the bonds
redeemable one-half in gold and one-half
in silver, met a eir-iar fate.
Several other positions of the same
tenor were voted down. The vote was then
taken on the McMillin income tax subst-
tute, and it was defeated-123 to 143.
Bland offered as a substitute provision
to issue $l0O,000,000 treasury notes. 1t was
lost-106 to 1i7.
Lanham OF Texas. Democrat, moved to
strike out the bond issue section, and it
was lost-1O3 to 131.
AT o'clock, under the rules the bill was
reported to the house. As Chairman
Dingley had had an opportunity to offer
the amendments agreed upon by the ma
jority of the ways and means committee,
he offered as d substitute a bill containing
these amendments There was some ques-
tion as to the regularity of this proceeding, !
but the speaker held it was in order There
were many protests from the Democrats
against this parliamentary move, and
Bland insisted upon the reading of the SUBJ
sttute in full.
The reading occupied almost an hour.
Dlngley briefly explained the committee
amendments, which We're enumerated in
these dispatchs last night and then de-
manded the previous question. The substi-
tute was then adopted without division
McMillin moved to recommit the bill.
with instructions to strike out the bond
provision and insert in lieu thereof the in
come tax provision, but withdrew it and al
lowed Bailey to modify the motion to in
struct the committee to add the income tax
provision as an amendment to the bill, the
bond feature being retained.
The motion was defeated-l3i to 173.
The motion to recommit was defeated
1874 to 173.
The Democrats, Populists and four Re-
publicans-Barthold of Missouri Brom-
well of Ohio, johnson of Indiana and White
of Illinois-voted for the motion
The vote was then taken on the final
passage of the bill, and it was passed-1M
TO 131. With six exceptions, the Democrats
and Populists voted against the bill. and
two Republicans voted with the opposi
tiOn.
,N%II