The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-18
REDUCTION
 OF WAR TAX Bill Passes the House
 Unanimously. GAG. RULE IS APPLIED AS Result. Democrats With draw All Opposition. Dabeock 0ivss Notice That He VIII Press His Bill to Revise the
 Tariff Schedules on
 Steel.

Steel.
 Washington, Feb. I7.-rhe unexpected happened in the House today when the bill to repeal the war revenue taxes was passed unanimously without word Of debate. This action was the outcome or . challenge thrown down by MT. Richard son (Tenn.). the minority leader. after the adoption, by strict party vote. of special order for the consideration of the bill which permitted debate on 1t until [ o'clock tomorrow afternoon. but cut on all opportunity to offer amendments. ex- cept such as had been agreed upon by the Ways and Means Committee. The adoption of the rule had been pre- ceded by a stormy debate. in the course cf which the Democrats protested against tho application of the gag" which Mir. Hay CYa-) charged was meant to prevent free expression not only by the Demo- crats but by some of the Republicans. att tention being especially directed toward Nr. Babcock (Wis.). the father of the bill, to amend the steel schedule Of the present tariff.
 Mr. Babcock said that he supported the program on the ground that tho issue presented for the repeal of the war reve- nue taxes should not Dc complicated with other matters. At the same time he gave notice that he should press bis own bill at the first opportunity.
 Mir. Dalzell Penn.) scored point against the minority by recalling the time under Democratic control of the House when 6ls amendments to the Wilson tarin bill had been forced through without be- ing read.
 when the rule was adopted by . vote of l6s to 11O, Mr. Richardson. to emphasize the fact that debate on the bill could accomplish nothing. and that delibera- -tion upon 1t would be fruitiess. asked unanimous consent that the bill be placed npon fts pasraee. Not -asi objsctio1i was voiced and the vote was taken forth with. Every vote, s7s in number, was east in the affirmative. and thus quietly and unanimously came the end of what at one time had promised to be one of the most exciting contests of the session.
 There was large attendance upon the floor of the House and in the galleries today in anticipation of the debate on the bill to repeal the war revenue taxes. Just prior to the assembling of the House the Committee on Rules met and agreed upon the form of special rule for the consideration of the bill by the terms of which 1t would be brought to a vote at o'clock tomorrow.
 After some minor business had been cleared up. Mir. Dalzell CPenn.). from the Committee on Rules, presented the spe-
 al order agreed upon by that commit
 ce. MT. Dalzell explained the effect of the rule. This measure. he said. was presented to redeem c pledge made when he war revenue taxes were imposed; that when the necessity for them ceased they would be repealed.
 At the conclusion of this brief state- ment. Mir. Dalzeli yielded thirty minutes to Mir. Underwood (Ala.), also on the Committee on Rules.
 The Alabama member protested against the adoption of the rule. not, he said. be- cause it provided for the consideration of a bill to reduce taxation, but because 1t prevented individual members from ex- ercising their own Judgme mt or carrying out the wishes of their constituents as to what portion of the excessive taxes should be repealed.
 As an instance of a tax which it was not advisable to repeal. he cited the in- heritance tax, 6 tax which, he said, was
 
 other taxation.
 Mir. Underwood said he did not think a general tariff revision should be made because 1t would unsettle present condi- tions and might lead to disorder. He referred to the stagnation in business which existed pending the announcement of both the Wilson and Dingiey bill to support his statement. He thought the proper method of reducing taxes at this time was through reciprocity agreements made in pursuance of Congressional en- actment, and he sent to the clerks desk and had read an amendment representing his ideas in this particular.
 The following Is the text of the amend | rent offered by Mr. Underwood: That 1 Tor the purpose of re1djusting the | present duties on importatons into the ] Urjted States so as to raise sufficient | revenues to support the government administered and at the same time to encourage the export trade of this country, the President of the Emitted States Is authorized and empower cd to negotiate trade contracts with foreign nations. wherein mutual conces- sions are made, looking to the expansion of our foreign trade. provided that said T ade contracts becoming operative shall De submitted to the Congress of the United States or ratification. amendment ,r rejection"
 The reason for the presentation of the rule he declared was because 1t was to gag two Republican members ,f the Ways and Means Committee, a number of the Republicans on the floor md all the Democrats of the House. lie ,eferred to the report in the newspapers hat even the President had become con- ,crted to the view that the iron hand was to prevent a wholesale revision ,f the tarif.
 At this point Mir. Babcock (Wis.) one # the Republican members of the Ways md Means Committee to which MT. Ball lad referred said he and his colleagues lid not consider 1t wise to jeopardize the passage of the repeal bill by complicat- ng matters and he gave notice that at he first opportunity he would press for he consideration of his bill to amend the ,teel schedules
 Mir. Hay (Va.) declared that the pend ng rule would humiliate every member ,n the floor because it prevented the of- 'ering of a single amendment to this bill. It was such a display of cowardice as lad never before been witnessed In the House. (AppIause.l When the bill went