Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-10-13

In one committee after anOthef
until the legislature adjourned. -
All the bills and resolutions looking
toward the taxation of these lands were
drawn by me, and all the facts exposing
the iniquity gathered by me at an expen-
diture of very much labor and time. But
few appreciate the magnitude of this
iniquity. After a careful examination of
the question I believe that there have
been thus held untaxed not less than two,
perhaps three million acres of land, that
are, legally and equitably, just as much
subject to taxation as any other property
in this state. 1t is perhaps safe to say
that these lands are worth, on an average,
four dollars per acre, and that the tax on
them annually would not have been less
than fifty to one hundred thousand dol
lars. This the state has lost. But this
is not the worst of It. These lands lie
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 improve
ments as are necessary in new country,
is not less because these lands are not
taxed. The fact is that the settlers are
to pay the taz Of the owners Of the
lands as well as their own.
AN OUTRAGE SYSTEM.
Russell Sage, Selah Chamberlin and a
number of their associates residing in
eastern states, and a large number of the
most wealthy men of our own state, who
are the owners of these lands, have thus,
by q kind of legal legerdemain, COM
PEELED and are compelling the most
hardly pressed class of gu settlers to pay
their tax. This has been going on for a
period varying from 10 to Is years and
over. The duty to expose and remedy
this evil l therefore felt to be imperative,
and the opposition was such as only rich
and powerful men to command. The
bill having been defeated by the means
apolis having decided against the State
suance to the resolution that l offered in
1881, they supposed us vanquished. 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 and enclosed me a
retainer of one hundred dollars, with a
promise of a farther fee. This money l
returned and declined to accept any fee
for my services-not wishing to leave 1t
in the power of any one to Intimate that
my action in the legislature was with a
view to personal gain. 1 argued the case
in the supreme court; and that court re.
verscd both cases, holding absolutely
that the lands of the st. Paul and Chicago
Company, about four hundred thousand
acres, are taxable, and reversed the judy
ment in favor of the st. Paul and Sioux
City Company on grounds that in my
judgment settle the question that its
lands are taxable. l am advised too that
on the line of the Southern Minnesota
nearly $4,000 acres have been added to
the tax roll on account of the proceedings
which I may be permitted to say I in
stituted. l do not wish to claim for my
self all the credit of this contest or vic
tory. To very many others the greatest
credit should be given; but I do not over
state the part which l took when l say
that l inaugurated the investigation and
took the leading part IN every subsequent
step. 1 also uncovered the facts that as
sured 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 continue to be, poured for ex-
their disreputable and dishonest
schemes. Every member will bear tes-
timony to this. Any n who will take
pains to examine the figures will see that
in the transaction to which l have re-
there have been subtracted from
the Golfers of these men and added to our
people and the State not less than one
of dollars.
TWO MILLIONS SAVED.
I 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 two million dollars. 1t is not
strange therefore that they think me an
unfit man to send to Congress. And
their opposition is doubtless not lessened
by the fact that during the time that I
was so dusty engaged in frustrating
their schemes 1 was often counselled and
employed as attorney by their cOmpa-
MES. But it is but Justice to them to say
that l do not believe they ever intended
or expected their retainer to affect my
conduct as q citizen or u legislator. The
labors which thus performed gratis and
which have taken from monopolists and
added to ou people so much, were great
er than any one can be made to believe
which we had to contend. Not only
Legislature opposed all land grants,
leges to railroad companies or other cor
~1wnko~n HIT I houA o0rprhf IN r1n0ko
such compulsory bonuses or subsidies
impossible. l therefore at the session In
1883 proposed q substitutional amend
ment providing that "No county, city,
town, township or other subdivision of
the State, shall ever subscribe to the cap
ital stock of any railroad company OF of
any private corporation or make any do
nation or loan its credit in favor of any
such corporation"
SUITS AGAINST CORPORATIONS.
This l succeeded at that session in get
ting through the Senate with q slight
amendment but it was beaten in the
House. l again introduced it at the last
session and it passed the Senate without
amendment, but was again killed in the
House, largely through the influence of
bonus and subsidy brokers who wished to
make gain at the expense of the people
and State. Nor is this the length and
breadth of my offending against such
corporations. What they seek ABOVE all
things is to be freed from the jurisdiction
of our State courts and juries and to get
their litigation into the federal courts.
That their pecuniary interests would be
advanced by this, may be admitted; that
it is inconsistent with the interest of the
people, is too clear to admit of question.
The expense of litigation in the latter
court and the delay-especially when the
amount is 50 great as to give the right of
review to the Supreme Court Of the
United States-are 20 great that the re-
moval amounts practically in many cases
to a denial of justice and places poor
litigants at the mercy of the rich and
especially at the mercy of foreign cor
porations. Fully impressed with this
view I publicly called Intention to the
great wrong in . paper which 1 read
before the bar association some years
since which was widely circulated. And
I have at all times in the Legislature
voted and acted in such q manner as to,
so far rs we could, remedy the evil.