The times., 1898-05-05
Now i'm the Hands Of Demo-
cratS.
WILL BE GREATLY MODIFIED
Senators WOIccst and Jones Join
the ODpOsition-COrpor to He
Remembered Source OF In
come for the Governmcnt-StOrm
of Protests.

the woes of Senator Jones OF NeNdud'
a PopuIist, who until recently was sill
yer Republican, and of Senator Woicott
of Colorado who, although an advocate
of the free coinage of silver, has been a
champion of the Administrations policy
and was chairman of the bimetallic com
mission which went to Europe last year
i'm the vain effort to secure the consent
of the leading European nations to an
international bime;allic conference
In addition to taking charge of the Dill
the new majority was forced to snow
its hand and exhibited the evident in
tention of delaying the consideration OF
the measure by forcing an adjournment
until tomorrow. In vain did the RepuoIi-
cans urge that speedy action was neces-
sary; the majority had it's way and the
committee will not again meet until FIJI
day The time. meanwhile. Will be oc-
cupied by the majority in framing its
measure and the bill when reported to
the Senate will be altogether different
from that which passed the House, put
there are a sufficient number of votes In
the Senate TO strike out the objection
able features and enact the bill into law
substantially on the lines Of the House
bill with its crudities eliminated and the
intent of the measure perfected
No Agreement Vet.
Not a single item in the measure has
been agreed upon. Even the proposition
to strike out the Increased tonnage tax is
tentative. although there is every reason
to believe that this will be done when the
bill passes the senate. In the discussion
Yesterday the Democrats very plainly IN
formed their Republican associates that
they intended to increase the Internal rev.
enue taxes so that the necessity for rails
ing money by the issue of bonds would
not be so urgent. They evidently believe
that bonds viii ultimately be necessary,
and to reduce the total of the bond issue
they propose to resort to some of the most
obnoxious of the old time war taxes.
Just why Mr.. Wolcott should, at this
juncture, join the Democrats in this plan,
is one of the things that Mr.. Wolcott
associates cannot fathom.
In round numbers the revenue derived
from the House bill will be about s10O,-
900, eco and the Democrats insist that this
shall be at least doubled. This PROPOSE
tion when II was laid before the commit
tee yesterday, was very naturally coupled
position that looks to an increase in the
taxes means the issue of just that much
less I'm the aggregate of bonds. This was
the proposition that caused the most of
the discussion. and the whole afternoon
was consumed in a vain effort to induce
! the opposition TO abandon its proposition
| TO increase these taxes.
The opposition asserted that il required
time to perfect q measure that would
| meet the requirements of the case. and
refusing 10 withdraw their position TO
| increase the taxes which had been sug-
! gested they ordered the adjournment with
| the intention of meeting today independ-
| entity of the Republicans and fixing up
| such schedules as would carry out their
| plan of action The Republicans accept
ed the action of the opposition as a diIa-
| tory move and did not hesitate TO charge
| them with il, but this accusation was de-
| MED by the Democrats. who declared Ii
| to be their intention only TO consume
| such amount of time was essen
| tial TO intelligently frame a measure in
| accordance with their ideas of what the
| exigencies of the case demand.
Corporations Must share the Burden
The discussion of the day was signifi-
cant in that it for the first time brought
out positive suggestions from those who
| antagonize the provisions of the pending
| measure The opposition. which is now
! the majority in the committee. is dead
set against all corporations. and those
| organizations of capital. ii appears will
| be pretty hard nit in the Senate bill as
| 1t will be reported from the committee
| The Democrats are demanding a tax OF
| per cent on the gross receipts of all cor
| porations, and it is claimed that this is
| intended TO be especially aimed a. railroad
| corporations. The proposition was vigor-
ously contested in the committee but
| none Of the arguments advanced created
the opponents of the bill is TO tax these
| corporations heavily. During the discus
sion IL was pointed out that during the
fiscal year 1896. the last for which there
| are any statistics at hand the average
| dividends paid by all railroads was but
| "a per cent. If railroads are therefore,
| TO be taxed per cent on their gross re-
| ceipts il would look as If they would BE-
| required to operate not only without prof
| IT, but at an absolute loss OF 0.46 per cent
| OF course this is not true of the larger
| and more influential roads, where the div
.dends are greater. but taking the aver
| age Of the country It is said that these
| figures cannot be disputed.
This proposition was denounced as pre-
posterous by the Republicans but tht
! Democrats We're set in their intention anC
it on this proposition that they tool
the bin out of the hands of the Repubr
| cans by the aid of the votes of MessrS
Wolcott and Jones. This action ha:
made it impossible for the bill to bt
speedily reported TO the Senate. The ma
jority declares it's intention of holdinl
the measure until it has perfected it ac
| cording to it's ideas and the engraftins
of the amendments of this character will
simply proi0ng the debate in the Senate
After voting the Republicans down OF
this proposition the Democrats demanded
an adjournment until tomorrow and car
ried it in the face of the protests of tn
Republicans.
A Report Next Week.
This action has made it altogether clea
that the bill cannot now be reported [
the Senate until some time next week
The resort to the various schemes o
taxation that were enforced during tn
late war will cause ceaseless oppositio
both in committee and on the floor an
| will simply be so much fuel for the pro
longation of the general debate. TIL
| Democrats have declared their intentio
to resort TO many of the per centum take
of the late war and levy them agains
all sorts of business. This includes. i
the lists of corporations of the country
! the railroads, express and telegraph an
telephone business; every conceivabI
means of transportation of person.
freight. and intelligence and will, OWN
TO the tremendous scale upon which
is intended to be put into operation, caus
the most intense opposition in all part
| of the country.
| Senator Turpie of Indiana is strongl
in favor of tax on inheritances. sue
cessions and legacies. and it is probabl
that such a provision will be inserted. Th
advisability of Incorporating an incon
tax is still In doubt. Not all of the men
bers of the committee are prepared I