St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-28

was it considered either a hardship, or
injustice, to require railroad companies,
under severe sanctions, to report
such transactions. This bill was drawn with
great care, and in my opinion would have
made impossible, without the conniYance OF
the taxing officers, the success of such fraud
ulent schemes in the future. The consterna-
ton manifested on the Introduction or TINS
bill showed that the parties interested thought
il would effect the purpose for which IL was
drawn-the taxation OF their property. III
was resisted at every step, and beaten at
that session. l gain introduced it at the
session of 1883, and it was again beaten. IL
was again introduced at the session OF 1850,
on the first day Of the session, believe. IL
was Senate File No. 2. 1t was fought III the
committee and in the senate at every step.
Such lobby was called and kept in attend
auce as have never seen except that whlch
lowered around the capitol in aid OF the old
railroad bond bill. 1t passed the senate at
tbt, last session, but the house was not even
permitted 10 consider it, few tricksters,
influenced | know not how, having some
knowledge of parliamentary rules, succeeded
in keeping it smothered in one committee
after another until the legislature adjourned.
All the bins and resolutions looking towards
the taxation OF these lands
WERE DRAWN BY ME.
and all the facts exposing the inquiry
gathered by me at an expenditure OF very
much labor and time. But few appreciate
the magnitude of this niquity. After care
full examination of the Question believe that
there have been thus held untaXed not less
than two, perhaps three million acres or land,
that are. legally and equitably, just as much
subject to taxation as any other properly III
this state. 1t is perhaps safe to say that these
lands are worth, on an average, ST per acre,
l,atf ba tay on
have been less than S50 900 to $780,, 900. This
the state has lost. But this is not the VOL st
of it. These lands lie largely on the frontier,
among the farms of settlers who have to bear
not only the hardships of frontier life, but
often the pinchings of poverty. In each
township and county the amount OF tax to be
raised to build highways, bridges and school
houses, and make such other improvements
as are necessary in a new country, Is not less
because these lands are not taxed. The effect
is that the settlers are compelled TO pay the
tax of the owners of the lands as well as their
own Russell Sage, Selah Chamberlin and
number of their associates residing in East
ern states. and large number OF the most
weslthy men of our state, who are the owners
of these lands have thus, by kind OF legal
legerdemain compelled and are compelling
the most hardly pressed class of our settlers
to pay their tax. This mas peen
going on for a period varying from
duty to expose and remedy this evil, L
therefore felt TO be imperative, and the
opposition was such as only rich and power
full men could command. The Dill having
been defeated by the means stated, and the
district court OF Minneapolis having decided
against the state in the suits which were
brought in pursuance of the resolution that L
offered in 1881, they supposed us vanqulshed.
But the cases being pending on appeal IN
the supreme court in 1885. L informed the
attorney general that l would, if he were
willing,
ASSIST HIM IN THE ARGUMENT.
He gladly assented aud inclosed me re-
tainer of 500 with promise of farther
fee This money [ returned and declined to
accept any fees for my services-not wish
ing TO leave it in the power of any one to
intimate that my action in the legislature
was with view to personal gain. argued
the case in the supreme court; and that court
reversed both cases, holding absolutely that
the lands of the St. Paul & Chicago company,
about 400. 600 acres are taxable, and reversed
the Judgment in favor OF the ST. Paul u Sioux
City company on grounds that, in my judy
ment, settle the question that its lands are
taxable. | am advised, too, that on the line
of the Southern Minnesota nearly 5O,OO0
acres have been added TO the tax roll on ac-
count of the proceedings which l may be
permitted to say | instituted. L do not Wish
to claim for myself the credit of this contest
or victory. To very many Others the greatest
credit should be given; but do not over
state the part which I took when say
that inaugurated the investigation and TOOK
the leading part in every subsequent step. L
alone uncovered the facts that assured our
final triumph; and on me above and beyond
all others the walls of wrath of the men who
thus sought to evade taxation have been and
doubtless will be continued to be poured for
exposing their disreputable and dishonest
schemes. Every member will bear testimony
to this Any one who will take pains to ex-
anime the figures will see that in the transao-
ton to which l have referred there have been
subtracted from the Golfers of these men and
added to our people and the state not less than
81, 100000. | venture to assert that when this
question of taxation is fully summed up the
net profit to the people and loss to these
parties will not fall much, if at all, short OF
S2,0000G0. 1t is not strange, therefore, that
they think me an unfit man to send to con-
gress. And their opposition is doubtless, not
lessened by the fact that during the time that
l was so busiy engaged in frustrating their
schemes l was Otter counSeled and employed
as attorney by their companies. But 1t is but
Justice to them to say that do not believe
they ever intended or expected their retainer
to affect my conduct as citizen or legis-
lator The labors which l thus performed
gratis, and which have taken from monopO-
lists and added TO our people so much, were
greater than any one can be made to believe
who did not witness the efforts against which
we had to contend. @. ID. E.