The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-05

(Trorn Our Regular Corrcspondent.)
| WASHINGTON, y. c., July Allow
would you like to commence putting n
stamp on every check YOU, write, OH
every cnhlcgrnm YOU send, on every busi-
ness document you sign7 There. is very
good reason for tho prediction that tho
next Congress will pass law rc-enact-
Ing the stamp Tux law, passed to help
raise revenue to bear the cost OF tho
Spanish war. The deficit In the treas
,lry this year reaches 32ioooooo and there
Is no doubt that 1t Is In reality sixteen
millions greater than that sum, but Sec
rotary Shaw lot all debts possible run
over to tho first of July in order to keep
down tho size Of tho hole in the cash bal
ance for the fiscal year ending the thir-
tlcth OF June
Tho men who rule the Senate and House
arc opposed to revision OF tho TARIFF as
a means of increasing the revenue By
allowing the importation of foreign goods.
1t Is developed that these men, or many
OF them, at least, are In favor OF tho
stamp tax as Il means OF covering the
deficit.
Tho war revenue tax imposed by act
Of Congress In 1893 brought In n revenue
Of over sl0oo00,00O for each OF tho three
years It was In force as originally passed,
and in the fourth year, after 1t was
amended, 1t yielded s62,0oo,Oo0. The stamp
tax was largely on documents Of various
kinds, but there wns also Il tax on pro-
prietary articles, such as medicinal and
toilet preparations. on playing cards, on
Seats in parlor and sleeping cars. on
legacics, and distributlvc shares OF per-
sonal property kilograms. insurance poll
cies-in fact, on pretty nearly everything
that presented n surface to which n
stamp would stick.
How Deficit May Be Met.
. There are four ways in which the
deficit may DO met: Revision Of tho
tariff, by n tax on coffee, by reduction
Of expenses, by stamp tax.
The protected interests of the North
ern States have opposed with such Bit
terness the suggestion OF the President
thnt there be an extra session. Of the
Congress for the purpose OF reducing
tariff rates that It has become a matter
Of grave doubt whether revision on the
lines advocated by the President will be
possible. In addition to the reduction In
income, which would be suffered by the
manufacturers OF the Northern States
which is most effective argument with
the average representative or senator
from the manufacturing States, the lead
crs of the Republican party have a hor-
ror of tariff tinkerlng.' They do not
want to see single stone taken from
the tariff wall, lest tho structure he
weakened.
The proposition to lay n tax on coffee
Imported to this country, other than that
which comes from Porto Rico or the
Philippines, was very popular when first
made last spring, not long after the
adjournment OF Congress- 1t Is under
stood that Hon. Serano Payne, chairman
OF the Committee on Ways and Means.
and Republican floor leader OF the House.
favored a duty on the coffee drunk, but
howl went up from many Republican
papers that to lay tax on the coffee
pot of the poor man would be to destroy
the favorite Republican argument OF the
free breakfast table, OF course. 1t s
not tree. for every article that goes on
1t is higher by reason Of the tariff levied
against the foreign competitor, but the
cry has done valiant service in campaigns
past. The report got out, though It was
never fully confirmed. that one or two
big syndicates had purchased all tho
coffee orchards in Porto Rico, and prob
ably those of the Philippines also. and
that the men who had SO much capital
Invested in these interests were working
to have the Congress put n tax on Bra
lillian coffee, while admitting the Porto