Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-29

Before the debate on the army rev
enue bill was resumed in the House.
today. an emergency war measure was
Iassed by unanimous consent to repeal
the limitations upon the purchase of
quartermasters' supplies during th@ e-l-
listing war With Spain.
Hull explained that the measure was
deemed urgently necessary by the
quartermaster's department Of the
army to avoid embarrassment in the
war preparations i'll progress.
PAYNE. Rep. \. Y. a member of the
ways and means committee. was the
first speaker on the war revenue bill,
today. In the course of his remarks,
Payne said thai in disciplined armies
and seasoned soldiers Spain at present
had the advantage, and that it was,
therefore, the part of prudence to sup
ply the government with al the pecu-
MARY means necessary to recruit and
prepare our army for the field.
He combatted the opinion of Say"rs
that $500 00000o would be sufficient.
He did not, however. think that it
would be necessary to sell the fun $500
o00,00o Of bonds authorized by The bill
before the December session of Con
gross
Payne ridiculcd the proposition OF no
minority to raise $500. 600. oQ0 from an IN
come tax in the face Of the supreme
court decision and expressed his as
constituent that Bailey. yesterday. had
argued that the beer tax imposed by
the bill was direct tax and a tax on
personal property. He called attention
to the fact that the tax WAS on sale and
consumption Of beer
Bailey INTERRUPTED to ask of Payne
was Il lawyer. Il ask in all serious
ness" said he, he does net talk like
one" Laughter)
He was not brought up TO the law
school of the gentleman from Texas,
replied Payne.
1T were better if he had been" re-
torted Bailey.
Wheeler. Dem, Ala. a member Of THE
committee, announced his opposition
to the bond provision, but said il 1t was
not stricken out he would feel impelled
to vote for the measure.
Dockery, DEM. Mo. discussed The
conditions of the treasury. He object
ed to the leaders on the majority size
picturing to the country Il bankrupt
treasury in order to lay a foundatiun
for bond issues
Dalzell. Rep. Pa, in support of the
bill, said that the loans proposed to be
tioated by the pending bill could not he
avoided. The ordinary and extra
ordinary revenues of the government
would not be sufficient to prosecute Il
great war. He regardedfhe bond pro
vision of the bill ash S most beneticient
feature. 1t opened the door to patfic /
ism by giving those who could not 90
to the front an opportunity to share thr
duty of supporting the government. ii
carried the responsibility of the war in
to every household and every hearth
stone Every man who could not carry
a musket could carry a bond.
McMilln. Dem. Tenn. criticised
some of the internal revenue features
of the bill as especially onerous on the
poor and argued that the wealth Of the
country should bear a greater proper
ton of the w2r taxes. He quoted SEQ
rotary Gage as saying that $500, 200, o0o
was sufficient to prosecute the war. IS
there were now in the treasury 5000
100000 he Contended that a bond au
thorization was unnecessary.
Hopkins. Rep. HIS. commended the
bill as the best that could be framed t.
raise extraordinary revenues. Ovel
s39.000,000 would he obtained from hecI
and tobacco. articles of voluntary con
sumption. The remainder would come
from tonnage taxation and from tho
stamp tax which would fall mainly up-
on the classes able to pay. The bond
feature of the bill had been urged h
1N,-
winch was to. prosecute the war. Every
nation in time of foreign war was
Obliged to pledge the future in order to
maintain its credit.
He derided the income tax PROPOSE
ZION OF the minority and was especially