The times., 1898-05-16
THE DEBATE BEGINS TODAY
War Revenue Bill Has Reached
the Talking Stage.
FIGHT ON THE BOND ISSUE
Democrats VIII be Allowed to Do
Most of the TaIlxinS-The Commit
tee Not i'm Position to Answer
Questions-The Tobacco Tax Rails
ing "a Great Deal of Protest.

The debate on the war revenue bill be-
gins in the Senate today. There are va
rious opinions as to the time it will be un-
der consideration. Senator White thinks
not less than two weeks, while some OF
the Republican leaders assert that the
debate will be over and the conference
report agreed to by next Saturday. This
is, however, believed to be too optimistic
for the main matters in the bill over
which there is any contention are such as
must necessarily, If they are discussed at
all, open up the whole fiscal question. It
is understood that the Republicans will
permit the Democrats TO do the bolting
on the bond proposition. and that they
will not consume any time in defense of
the proposition beyond a mere explana-
ton of the difference between the House
proposition and the Senate amendment.
With respect to the other parts of the
bill, the stamp tax features, etc, it may
be said that they viii be discussed as lit
tie as possible, This is a subject upon
which the leaders on both sides of the
chamber have agreed, but their data and
statistics are in such crude form that an
intelligent discussion of the possible reve-
nue. TO be derived is impossible. II GER
tain senator's who have heretofore been
prone TO ask questions and insist upon
figures do so while this bill is on they can
utterly rout the committee. The commits
sioner OF internal revenue has been at
tempting TO estimate the revenue but the
data upon which to work is so uncertain
that he has found it impossible 10 do more
than give the committee a rough guess.
Many questions will be propounded that
the committee viii be unable to answer.
As the debate proceeds, If there are any
mistakes observed, they will be rectifed
by the committee and brought in as
amendments and agreed 10 on both sides.
II Is therefore, pretty generally under
stood that the debate will be directed
only towards the propositions involving
the leyying of a tax in the gross receipts
OF corporations, the coinage Of the seign-
orage and the issue of greenbacks. which
three propositions are advanced by the
Democrats as party measures.
The policy Of the committee in not tax
ing stocks in hand in manufactured TO-
bacco, white taxing all other stocks on
hand IS meeting with considerable op-
position both in the Senate and House.
Mr.. Dingley is violently opposed 10 it, He
declares that a war tax is levied to raise
funds to carry on the war and that the
fine distinctions drawn by the Senate
committee in its arguments favoring this
exemption cannot be permitted 10 pre-
vail The increased tax from six to six
teen cents a pound amounts TO $20G0g. 600
in round numbers in stocks in hand and
II that stock is not taxed il is Mr. Ding
ley declares. virtually a present of that
amount TO the tobacco manufacturers
There is suggestion that the Senate
committee may be compelled TO recede on
this amendment.
There IS also a big fight on between the
tobacco trust and the independent man
ufacturers. 1t appears that the trust got
the Advantage in the increase Of the tax
on manufactured tobacco TO Is cents a
pound The Independent manufacturers
have been opposing the trust for TWO or
three years past and opposing them by
selling larger pieces Of tobacco for the
same money. Former Congressman Paul
j. Sorg and Robert Wilson. of Middle
town, O., are among the largest Of the in
dependent manufacturers. and they are
here at the head Of a delegation of inde-
pendent maHv 'rers 10 resist the in
crease 10 is G. They do not antag-
onize the increase 10 u cents With that
tax they say all they Will be required 10
do IS TO make their plugs thinner than az
present and they can still keep uD their
fight against the trust. II, however. the
tax is increased TO 10 cents they say the
--'-N - CAs' VIII bt 4bItCd
to put new machinery throughout all
of their plants at an enormous expense
or go into the trust. They further con-
tend that their fight against the trust is
in the interest of the mass of the work
ing classes, the consumers of chewing and
smoking tobaeeos, and that by fixing the
tax at Is cents Congress will practically
make it impossible for them to compete
with the trust and will again give that
corporation the absolute control of the
manufactured tobacco of the United
States
Under the present law the toabcco tax
aggregates $16.5O0.000 At the rate fixed by
the committee this revenue will be in
creased 10 81. .O00 COO