Congress was
the bill to reduce internal revenue taxes, reported March 29, 1882,
by William D. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, from the committee of ways
and means. After a debate extending to June 27, a motion to recommit
was rejected and the bill passed the House. It was sent to the
Senate and reported with amendments by Mr. Morrill, from the
committee on finance, July 6. On July 11 it was recommitted to
the committee on finance and immediately reported back with
amendments, which consisted of a change in the tariff duties on
sugar and an increase of the duties on cotton, ties and a few other
things. It was not a general revision of the tariff. Mr. Beck
antagonized the amendments proposed by the committee and sought to
delay the passage of the bill. I replied to him as follows:

"If this Congress shall adjourn, whether the weather be hot or
cold, without a reduction of the taxes now imposed upon the people,
it will have been derelict in its highest duty. There is no
sentiment in this country stronger now than that Congress has
neglected its duty thus far in not repealing taxes that are obnoxious
to the people and unnecessary for the public uses; and if we should
still neglect that duty we should be properly held responsible by
our constituents."

In the course of the long debate Mr. Vance, of North Carolina, who
was the acknowledged wit of the Senate, moved to except playing
cards from the general repeal of stamp taxes. I objected to keeping
up the system of stamp taxes and said:

"If Senators want to insist on a piece of what I call demagogism,
by keeping a small stamp tax on playing cards, I am perfectly
willing that they should do so. If it is desired now to show our
virtuous indignation against card-playing, to single out this tax,
which probably yields but three or four thousand dollars a year--
to show our virtuous indignation against people who play cards and
against card-playing, let it be done in the name of Heaven. Let
us keep this as a monument of our virtue and intelligence and the
horror of the Senate of the United States against playing whist
and euchre. I hope that no such vote will be given."

Mr. Vance replied in his peculiarly humorous way, and concluded by
saying: "I have no doubt that not a men in the United States, but
who, when he 'stands pat' with three jacks, or draws to two aces,
will glorify the name of the Senator from Ohio; and if there is
gratitude in human nature, I expect the