The age-herald., 1898-05-27
NO PROGRESS MADE
 ON REVENUE BILL White and Teller Deliver Extended
 Speeches on the Measure. OPPOSE ISSUE OF BONDS The California Senator Advocated COin-
 age of Silver SeisniOrase. G0RMAN WILL OFFER AMENDMENT Placing Tax of 0ne-HaIf of One Per Cent. enlarge Corporations Eulogies Pro-
 nOunced on Late Senator Wal 2,
 thalI OfMississippi.
GoRMAN WILL OFFER AMENDMENT

Washington, May 26-No substantial | progress was made by the senate today to- wards the disposition of the war revenue | measure, although 1t was under conzidera- ton for three hours. Speeches were de- | livered on the bill by MT. White (dem. Cal. }, and MT. Teller. of Colorado. The former l opposed the issue of bonds and strongly ad- vocated the coinage of the silver seignior- 1 age and the tax upon corporations. In his l discussion of the last feature MT. White | drew out the fact that an amendment was | to be offered by MT. German placing a tax | of one-half of one per cent. on certain | large corporations. MT. Teller dwelt large- | ly upon the proposition to levy an income | tax. He had not concluded his argument when the bill was laid aside in order that eulogies might be pronounced upon the late Senator Walthall, of Mississippi. Eight senators were present wh-n the vice. presidents gavel fell at Il o'clock calling to order todays session of the sen-
 ate, and after fifteen minutes delay in se-
 curing a quorum the war revenue measure
 was laid before the senate.
 MT. White, of California, then began al
 extended speech. covering pretty fully the
 general features of the bill, especially those
 relating to the tax on corporations and on
 inheritances. The consideration of the
 bill, he said, had enlisted the attention of
 the country and many people were be- coming restless because final vote had not been reached He thought, however,
 that the delay was due to the pecularlty Of the pending measure. The revenue bill up-
 on which the civil war was conducted was
 a complicated instrument, utterly inappll-
 cable to present conditions. The object or
 the bill challenged the attention and sup
 port of every member of both branches of
 congress. All are united to present solid
 front to the foreign foe.
 It was no longer question of doubt that
 all the money for prosecution of the war
 should be supplied It was simply the method of raising the funds that was un- der debate here
 Not Yet Ready
 ''As great as this nation is,' said he, mighty as her resources, this country is not now prepared to place before an oppo- nent its full strength and all the material
 of war residing in it's bosom. But in time
 (and not a very long time, elther), it will
 be ready to put forth its entire strength. and this conflict will be decided speedily
 MT. White said he deemed it essentially
 desirable that the taxation imposed by the
 bill should be spread over the country fairly
 and equitably. The burdens placed upon
 the country by the war ought to be borne by all alike.
 Concerning the inheritance tax, MT. White maintained that notwithstanding the ob- jections urged against 1t, by reason of it's being an invasion of the prerogatives of
 the states, it was perfectly justifable. and
 he expressed the hope and belief that the
 courts would sustain the action of congress in enacting the proposition into national law.
 MT. White then entered upon long dis
 cussion of the proposed corporation tax,
 which he earnestly supported.
 He regretted that there was manifest
 disposition among republican senators to corporations. They were all seemingly at least alike opposed, he said, to insisting that the Standard Oil company and the sugar trust and other great monopoles should be compelled to pay their share of the burdens of the present war.
 MT. White said that MT. German, of Maryland, had prepared an amendment to the measure which he would be willing to support in the general tax upon all cor porations should not be deemed desirable
 by the senate. At his request Mr. German
 sent to the desk and had read the amend
 ment he proposed to offer at the proper
 time. It follows:
 The German Amendment
 That from and after the passage of this
 act every person, firm. company or corpor-
 ation owning or possessing. or having the
 care or management of any railroad. street railroad, sleeping car, steamboat, ship or other vessel or employed in the business of transporting passengers or freight for hire or in transporting the mails of the United States or in carrying or doing an express
 business or having the care or management of any telegraphic or telephone line by
 which telegraphic or telephone disratches
 or messages are received or transmitted or
 carrying on or doing the business of furn-
 ishing gas. electric light electric rower,
 steam heat, or steam power or rein ng
 petroleum or refining sugar or owning or
 controlling any pipe line for transporting oil or other products. whose gross annual
 receipts exceed s25n 00l shall be subject to
 pay annually special excise tax equivalent
 to one-half of one per cent. on the gross
 amount of all receiTts of such persons,
 firms, corporations and companies in their respective business: provided that the as
 sessment hereby made shall not include
 any amount of the receipts for the trans h portation of persons. freight or mails be- tween the United States and any foroien
 port but such tax shall be rated for the transportation of persons freight or mails from port within the United States through foreign territory to port within the United States and shall be assessed up- on and collected from persons, firms, com
 panies or corporations within the Unifef States receiving hire pay for such transportation of persons, freight or mails" Demaod sordid and Selfish MT. White said 1t had been whispered that the great financial interests which had con- tributed largely to campaign fund were demanding as compensation for their liber- ality that the burdens of the war should
 not be thrust upon them. He did not be-
 Iieve, however. that any senator on either
 side of the chamber would be influenced by
 a demand so sordd and selfish. He object ed to the issue of bonds at this time be- cause bonds were unnecessary and because a great majority of the people was opposed to them, believing they would increase too
 greatly the burdens of the country. In conclusion, MT. White declared that 1t would be the plain people who would not only offer up their lives in defense of the national honor, but who would also pay the
 bulk of the taxes for the conduct of the war. He appealed to senators to permit