Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-02-07
WASHINGTON LETTER
tFrom our Regular CORES ponden,

WASHINGTON LETTER
From our Regular Correspondent
Washington, Feb. 3.-The bill prc
70 vld1ng for the establishment or tn
It department of Commerce and Labor
, was passed by the Senate this wee
and the House passed bill providin
for permanent Census Bureau. bu
q the most important step taken at tn
g Capitol was the action of the Way
= and Means Committee determining uu
on the repeal of the war revenue ia,
bill enacted at the time of the Spanish
e War.
b Representative Claude A. Swanson
OF Virginia, a prominent member O
i. the Ways and Means Committee. mad,
the following statement to your CORE
spondent apropos of the action of th,
committee.
1.-The Democratic party, at the time
the Spanish war was declared. insisted
jthat the special tax bill would provide
sufficient revenue without the sale -of
bonds, and accordingly the party voted
against the section authorizing such
sale. Events have demonstrated the
correctness of Democratic contention.
The war tax, the Dingley bill, and the
sale of bonds have combined to prodnca
a surplus in the Treasury which has
proved serious menace to business.
In fact, financial disaster has been pre-
vented only by the purchase of bonds
at high premium and the deposits of
vast sums in the National Banks of the
country, on which, of course. the gov
eminent received no interest. The
OOVarnmnnt hoc mold ;n;oz,
lars IN premiums which might have
been saved had the democratic policy
been pursued. The position OF the rs-
publlcans is a complete ratification of
the policy advocated by the democrats
at that time.
The democrats will vote for the re-
peal OF the War taxes because they real
lie tnaG the present vast surplus is
dangerous to business interests and to
the government. They would much
prefer reform of the entire tax sys-
lem, including tariff and internal reve
nue. taxes. We believe that food and
clothing, IN word the necessities pur-
chased by the whole people, are enti.
tled to at least as much reduction as |
the republican party is extending to |
bank capital, the sugar trust, the
STANDARD Oil trust, circuses, theatres.
bucket shops and spectators. Ali
these are relieved while the extortion-
ate rates of the Dingley bill sare con-
tlnued on all the necessities of the peO-
pie.
The Democrats on this Committee
have insisted that all trust made
goods, which are SO protected by the
Dlngley bill as to enable the trusts to
charge the American consumer double {
'he prices asked abroad, should be al {
owed to come into the country free
This would have destroyed many mo-
lopolies; but the republicans would
lot permit it. They are determined
o ignore the advice given by Mr.. Nc
Alnley In his Buffalo speech, to reform
he tariff and so enlarge our foreign
markets.. The republican party is de- i
erm1ned to persist in a policy which h
breeding trusts, which is glaring in 3
Is inequalities and which is bound to n
estroy our foreign markets. The only t
0ssl bil1ty OF reform lies in democrat c
supremacy, which would permit the l.
emocratS to remodel the system of q
axatlon along the lines of justice and
luality.'
When the recommendation to abolish
he war taxes was before the Commit.
e, Mr.. Francis G.. Newlands, of New
Ia, offered an amendment providing
at every industrial corporation en- NJ
lged III manufacturing, whose annual VI
ceipts exceeds 81 900, 900, should be
to pay special tax of one.
nth OF one per cent on all gross re. "
ipts in excess of 81, 0O0, 900 per an. ~
In. The amendment further pro- ev
ded that corporations of the above sn
agnltude should render, at the close th
each year, complete statement of HE
capital and surplus, receipts, OK on
1ses and profits, and amount and vi
les of wages paid, the statistics so In,
ovided to be classified and published Al,
the Commissioner Of Internal Reeve t;n
The amendment was rejected by q o oni
'ty vote but Mr.. Newlands told me ~
terday that he would offer it again n,
en- the measure was called up in the
use. 1.-The amendment is in com
5e accord with President Roosevelt's
ommendation of publicity for the TIN,
sts,' said Mr.. Newlands. at
lid insure contribution from those A
ustrles which the government is vo,,
tectlng at rate averaging close to
yer cent of between S., OO0, 900 and Es
0OO,OOO a year of the federal ex- ~
SEES. and would insure that public -!
the President so strongly advocates &
which Is essential before intelli III
t legislation can be enacted, either lHD
The control of the trusts or the ad "
ment OF the tariff rates. If the "A
revenue tax be repealed without ~
adoption of this amendment such
ntic monOpolies as tho sugar trust kidn,
the Standard Oil trust will be left XII
position where they contribute hear
ing TO the support OF the govern they
which deals so bountifully with over
J, while the necessaries of life will poiso
eavlly taxed and the burden, from 1t +,
b corporate wealth is exempted. troub
Tall Oh the poor and middle class but n
all co
severe was the storm of disap- ming
u which surged about Chairman lily
as soon as the action of his COM by fir
Q became known that, after a con- and IL
80 with the Speaker, he issued an Swar
u statement setting forth that soon
committee had no intention of wonde
Ing the way to Cuban reciprocity and is
revenue reduction policy, as had by all
charged. He protests that the cent a
1ttee has had no conference in es. Y
to the Cuban matter and that sanpl,
Ion was the result of belief that free a
'wn people should be relieved out if
he burden occasiOned by the war Mentie
the needs of foreigners are con. & Co.,