St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-28
A VALUABLE SERVANT
Another Chapter of History Showing the
Admirable Public Record of Judge
Thomas Wilson.
His Persistent and Courageous Fight in the
Legislature to Make Railroad
Lands Taxable.
Bis Course Brings Down on Him the
Opposition of Railroads ana
Moncyed Men,
Two Millions of Dollars Saved to the
People and the Taxpayers OF
the state.

The GLOBE is enabled to furnish another
important and interesting contribution 10
the political history of the state and the
capnaigu literature of the First district,
which should be carefully peruSed and
digested bv every voter and taxpayer. LII
is another convincing argument in favor OF
the election of Judge Wilson to congress,
and shows concluSvely the consistent ana
courageous course he has always pursued
IN favor of the people and in opposition TO
the c0rporations and railroads. On Mon
day morning the GLOBE published the his
tory of his honorable and consistent con-
duct in the celebrated case of the IS, OOO,-
600 land grant, extending over from 1891 10
1881. wherein he made tight almost alone,
against the railroads. and compelled them
TO make important concessions saving
vast amount of money to the state. Ills
action in this one matter should insure his
election over such man as Lovely Is known
to be.
Rnt there are other strong and admirable
noipts in his record which will win votes
for him by the score when the facts are
generally known to the people. One OF
the most beneficial and important of the
many wise acts Of his legislative career was
his fight against the attempt to secure
swami land grants in aid OF railroads. lie
made an earnest struggle IN behalf Oh uhe
Deople and the taxpayers, but was beaten
bv desperate lobby and a cOterie of trick
STEERS. But it demonstrates the position the
l., IL o,,1
has pursued. He gave the following full
statement of the matter to your correspond
emf few DAYS ago-being an elaboration
of the remarks he made at Preston on the
23d:
When was Il member of the house and
senate the attempt generally succeSStul) 10
secure swamp land grants III ala OF railroads.
were very numerous, and many other plIlS
partial to corporations and granting them
special privileges were introduced and urged,
~ the records will show and as any honest
member OF the legislature, to whatever party
he NAV belong will testify, L opposed them
one and all Such bills were tco numerous
TO be referred to particularly, but L think
that | may be paTdOned for referring TO one
or two other transactions that will explain the
feeling towards me OF the railroad companies
and the capitalists who control them, and OF
corporations generally. AT the session of the
legislature in January, 1881, it being eX-
pected that extensive tracts o. land, IN real
ity owned by private parties,
WE'RE BEING ILLEGALLY HELD UNTAXED,
in the name of different railroad companies, a
resolution was offered by me in the house
for the appointment of Il committee to lnveS-
tipate and report whether any lands granted
by the state, in aid of the building OF any
lines of railroads have been, Or are held ex-
empt from taxation, after the same have
eo1I 1fPln tad q
they have become the private property OF
any person or persons. natural or artificial;
or whether by any device or subterfuge
any OF said lands are held exempt from
taxation in violation of law"
The resolution having been adopted and the
committee appointed, of which l was chair
man. upon investigation, majority of the
committee became satisfied that on large
scale certain persons were holding their
property in the name of some railroad COM
pany. and thus illegally shielding it from tax
alton They therefore reported and recon-
rienaed that 1.-THE state auditor be instructed
BY the house to cause to be placed on the tax
hist the lauds granted to the st. Paul Chi
cago Railroad company, the st. Paul u Sioux
City Railroad company. Sioux City 81. raul
Railroad company, the saltwater u Fergus
Falls Railroad company and (part of those
granted tor the Southern Minnesota Railroad
company To this report was added, as a
concession to those who opposed the report
q proyiso thai the majority report of the
committee be submitted to the attorney gen.
eral and that he may in his discretion, stlpu-
late with the different companies mentioned
for 1he bringing of test suits to determine the
taXability of the lands in said report men
toned, and in case said course is agreed upon
that the other lands of such companies not
embraced in such test suits may, in the dis
erection and on the direction of the attorney
general, not be placed on the tax roll until
such test suits are determined" This report
and resolutions were adopted by the house.
Subsequently suits were brought in Henne-
pin county to enjoin the taxation of the
lands of the ST. Paul s. Chicago Railroad COM
pany and block of the lands of st. Paul &
Sioux City Railroad company; but these suits
were not decided in the district court until
the winter of 1885, when that court held in
both cases the lands exempt from taxation.
At the
EXTRA SESSION
of the legislature in the autumn of 1881. it
was understood that the taxation of these
lands would be resisted on the following,
among other grounds, viz:
First-nhat the resolution of the house
aforesaid, not having the force of law. the
state auditor would not be justified in pIac-
ing the lands on the tax list in pursuance
to it.
Secondhand the persons benefcialy inter-
eSted in the lands not owning the fee, it would
be illegal to tax the fee.
Third-That there was no law requiring or
justIfying the taxation OF their interest in the
lands. l therefore thought best to introduce
a bill to Obviate these and other possible OBJ
jections. 1t was also thought necessary
under the severest penalties, to require the
railroad companies to report to the state
land commissioner such transactions as gave
to their stockholders, or other persons, the
fee or any less interest in such lands.
While to those who were most earnest in
urging the taxation of the lands it did not
then, nor does it now, seem that any further
legislation was absolutely necessary, yet to
avoid any embarrassment, and to remove any
chance for defeat on any legal technicalfty
bubble, bill was introduced providing
that
whenever any railroad company, to
which lands have been granted to aid in the
building of its lines of road in the territory
and state of Minnesota land which lands
have been by law exempted from taXaIIon,
until leased, contracted or sold by said COM
pany) has sold, assigned, transferred or dis
posed of, or shall sell, assign Or transfer or
dispose OF, any estate, right, title. or interest
therein, or thereto, the right, title, estate or
interest of such purchaser, assignee, or
holder, by whatever mode or in whatever
form such SALE transfer or assignment is or
may have been made, shall become and be
taxable, and shall be assessed and taxed as
other real property in this state; and the
taxes on such right, title. interest or estate
other real property. That whenever any
special stock or land stock, or any other
writing or instrument whatever, is or has
been issued by any railroad company to any
person or persons, with view or intention
to thereby grant, or transfer, or secure to
the person to whom such stock or instrument
is issued or delivered. any interest right, title
or estate, in or to any lands held by such
railroad company, the right. title. interest or
estate of such person holding such stock,
writing or instrument, in or to the lands to
which stock or writing is applicable or refers,
shall be held and considered within the pur-
view of this act
AS SUBJECT TO TAXATION
and taxed as aforesaid. IF any railroad
company shall issue any land stock or special
stock of any certificate, contract or writing
conveying, granting or giving to the holder
thereof any interest, estate. right or title in
or to any lands, held by said company and ex-
emPted from taxation as aforesaid ana shall