The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-28

themselves neither to the conscience nor
| Judgment
They reserved the right to oppose the
measures by which the majority proposed
| to provide the war funds Mr. Bailey spoke
with strain of bitterness of the treatment
| the minority had received at the hands of
the majority. The chairman of the ways
and means committee had said that the
| pending bill followed closely the system iof
war taxation which obtained at the close
of the civil war. That system, Mr. Bailey
| said, had been followed in respect to those
taxes which fell most heavily upon the
producing and consuming classes.
Civil War System Discarded
Beer, tobacco and other articles were
| taxed, but in one respect, In his opinion,
| this was utterly indefensible, the system
| in vogue after the civil war tax had been
discarded The tax on bank capital and
| bank deposits was omitted. At one-half of
| per cent. such tax would produce $lO,-
| 600 900. II there was one species or prop
| erty above all others that ought to be the
| subject of extraordinary taxation 1t was
bank deposits, the only form of property
| owned by one class which was used by an
other. .
There were In the banks of the United
States 81 zoe, 000 900 of deposits. Proceeding
| with his criticism of this and some other
| features of the bill Mr.. Bailey declared
| that imperfect as It, was his side OF tne
| house would take 1t If the other side would
accept their proposition for an income tax
which would provide an additional $4,000
| 900. Democratic applause.) He thought
| the estimate of Mr. Dingley ($250O0,OOO a
month"; for war expenses, reasonable
| one.
Mr.. Bailey contended for the proposition
| to coin $4S, COO of the silver seigniorago
| and to that he thought an issue of $5s, e0O,Opo
| of legal tender notes could be added with
| propriety. The greenback circulation could
be extended that far without danger. The
| gentleman from Maine, Mr. Dingley adj
| vocated the placing of a bonded debt upon
| this country of 5000, 100000. Whenever the
| countrys credit ought to be pledged he
would be willing to do this, but there was
not, in his opinion, any necessity for mort
gaging that credit at this time.
Tax the Rich, Not Mortgage the Poor
| 1--WE PROPOSE" said Mr.. Bailey, ito tax
| the rich man now rather than mortgage the
! poor man for coming generations" Gap
| plause on democratic sde)
| Discussing the question of the supreme
! courts decision on the income tax, he de-
clared that no question was ever settled un-
| til it was settled rightly
Mr.. Bailey then entered upon an extended
| argument upon the constitutionality of an
| income tax, combating the theory that 1t
| was q UlreCC TAX lHHlDllSu ny tic SOhSth-
| tuition.
Mr. Bailey said the income tax provision
| which the minority had drawn and which
| would be offered by Mr.. McMillin, had
| been drawn to meet that portion of the
| courts decision which was unanimous and
| he concurred by exempting federal, state,
county and municipal bonds Mr. Bailey
| declared that the income tax was the most
| just tax ever conceived.
"If I were rich and prosperous con-
| cluded Mr. Bailey, 81 would contribute of
| my abundance to my country in this time
| of stress, because I would not want 1t said
| in the history of these times that the poor
| gave more of their blood than the ricn were
willing to give of their treasure" Gap
plause)
Delivers Argument
Mr. Dolliver (rep. la, member Of TIE
ways and means committee, was then
recognized. He was listened to with close
attention and he was frequently inter- upt-
| ed by applause.
Mr.. Dolliver said in part:
'tWhen the United States decided On
| policy involving the immediate prospect of
| war, it became the duty of congress TO set
about at once to provide the money needed
| to carry on the military and naval opera
| tions. There are two ways in which Soy
eminent can support a large expense of
| this character, either by collecting 1t In
cash or by borrowing it on (credit. The
| committee On ways anu IUedHS HdS lully
| considered both methods and we have made
| up our minds that the government ought to
pay it as 1t goes, so far as it can, leaving
| little of the burden of our Intervention
| in Cuba to the future as possible.
| 'tIf the war upon which we are about to
enter was to secure new national posses
| sions, or any other acquisition of material
| assets. the case might present a view
| somewhat different. But here from the
| first time in the history of the world ma
hos Of tfC
| any prospect of ACKNOWLEDGMENT and has
| based it's action upon disinterested grounds,
so that, however much of it may minister
| to the present satisfaction and moral com
fort of the community, it concerns poster
| ity vastly less than IT does us.
| Pay as We Go
| cit is we who sympathize, 1t is we who
have been moved by the inspiration of COM
| passion and charity, and 1t is hardly credit
able that we going to belittle the great
| proceeding by delicately continuing that the
| next generation shall bear the expense of
| it. Therefore, we have felt that we ought
| to pay as we go, so far as is consistent with
the imposition of reasonable burden of
| war tax.
Men have risen in this debate to threat
| en- those of the United States who are re-
| sponsible for the introduction of this meas
| ure with the penalties of public indignation
| and warning the administration of the pop
ular resentment that is to follow the en-
| actment of this law. 1 do not believe
| word of it. If there was a case in the his
| tory of the world where a situation amount
| ing to a declaration of war was the direct
result of the wish and purpose of the peO-
| pie themselves, it is in this case.
| Motives Higher Than Politics
"It is entirely creditable to the people of
| the United States that they have been gov
erned throughout this troubled period by
| motives higher than party policies, and
| more generous than their own material in
| terests. This country knew something in
| advance of the expenses of war, and all
| these things the American people have pom
dered in their hearts. While that mighty
| tide of public opinion was rising, the nation
| lifted in pillows of enthusiasm which no
| partisan leadership could either suppress or
control. 1t cannot be said that the presi-
| dent of the United States has plunged his
| country into war. If he had done so, heed
| lessly putting in peril the welfare of a
| country like this, instead OF being entitled